Dear friends,

Over the holiday break I took my kids to see the new blockbuster film Avatar: The Way of Water. This sequel, a compelling narrative on its own, is a continuation of the story of the original Avatar, which debuted in 2009. Good series are like that: able to stand on their own, yet enriched by having familiarity with the original.

Epiphany, and the Sundays that follow, could be seen in a similar light: Epiphany is the sequel to Christmas - Christmas continued, if you will. Epiphany, twelve days after Christmas Day, celebrates the arrival of the Magi, and the traditional name for this Principle Feast of the Church is The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. This season is all about living out the implications of what we experienced at Christmas. God has appeared in human flesh; and you and I are now called to participate in his incarnation, of bearing Jesus into the world.

Immediately on the heels of Epiphany we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, and the Sundays that follow focus on the calling of the disciples, the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, and the implications of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. The movement of God is always outwards, bringing into the fold those who have longed to hear the Good News. The story of Jesus is a continuation of the story of the people of Israel - a people whom God has blessed, in order that they might in turn be a blessing to all the world.

This week we will be celebrating Epiphany with a simple noonday Eucharist on Friday, January 6th. At this liturgy we will follow an ancient custom of blessing chalk, which can then be used to write the inscription of the wise men on the door of your home for an Epiphany house blessing. This chalk and the accompanying prayers will be available in the cloister hallway for the next several weeks (until we run out) for those who would like to observe this custom.

I have always viewed church as a type of “home base,” or charging station. A place to come and recall who I am in Christ. All of our worship and all of our programs are carefully crafted to be a source of strength for you to go out into the world and share the love of God. If you, like the Magi, are still looking for the Christ child; if you, like the disciples, are still longing for the Messiah; if you are looking to live out the implications of Christmas, come and be a part of our parish community this season of Epiphany.

Grace & peace,