FROM THE PASTOR
epiphany: a true motivation for mission of a congregation
Epiphany – is more than a day (Jan 6) – the twelfth day of Christmas. Epiphany is more than a season – a few Sundays after Christmas. It’s an event! Yes, a great individual Christian and congregation event. Get involved. Do it now. Pray for more epiphanies. Note I didn’t write pray for an epiphany! I wrote, pray for more epiphanies! The season of epiphany ought to encourage all of us who claim to be Christian, to be a Christian missionary now. Epiphany is a wonderful time – God in Christ appearing in a Manger at Bethlehem. Old man Simeon (and old Lady Anna) had an epiphany when Joseph and Mary brought the Christ-child into the temple. Simeon, lead by the Holy Spirit to know the identity of this child to be the promised saviour; this baby who the salvation of the world depended! The light of life to the Gentiles and the glory of the whole people of Israel. Both involved in this incredible event proclaimed this to people around them.
The Magi had an epiphany when they saw God’s unique star shining in the East, inspired them, to what must have been hundreds and hundreds of kilometers to worship Jesus! Some can hardly travel a few miles to worship, let alone hundreds! Then what about Saul? Who could forget Saul? Killed followers of Jesus! Had an epiphany on the road to Damascus. The Lord led Saul to understand that the One he’d been persecuting was the promised Messiah who had suffered, died, and risen again for the salvation of the world. I haven’t even touched on some of the great epiphanies of God in the Old Testament yet! Bet you could recall a few.
Epiphanies aren’t limited to special people in Bible times, are they? God had graciously revealed the truth of Jesus to us (personally and as a congregation) by the power of the Holy Spirit, just so that we could, “get it”, understand it, get involved in it! The baby born at Bethlehem is the answer to the problem of our sin. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given to us by which we must be saved.
Let us pray to God for more epiphanies – the truths of Jesus Christ to be revealed to others who don’t have the good news – who view Jesus as someone who comes across as a kind hearted person, a wise teacher, someone who helped the poor – pray to God that people everywhere, people in our families and others to see Jesus and know him personally as our redeemer and redeemer of the world. Pray to God for each one of us to see opportunities in sharing the good news with those we meet on a daily basis – that God may show the light of Christ to them. that what I mean I say pray for more epiphanies; it’s the church’s work, and our individual mission.
Yes, Christmas is well and truly not over as it flows neatly into Epiphany and continues. It continues as we pray for people, people you know, that they come to understand and know the truth of God, and who God is for us in Jesus Christ, and by faith, by faith to see Jesus who saves us personally. While the word epiphany may not show up in our everyday conversation, it will never be lost, God will see to the gospel being done.
Where will Christ show up this Epiphany?
We Pray For:
† The church, that it may be faithful to the traditional which it has received from the apostles.
† All members of our congregation, that we might be fishers of people.
† Those who are called to serve as prophets in our land today, that they may be faithful to their calling even if their message is not welcome.
† All who are burdened by guilt and sin, that they may know the forgiveness of Christ.
† Those who are seeking employment, and for those who are preparing to enter the workforce.
† Those who are sick and dying, that they may know the presence of the Lord.