Calendar

Today, January 6th, is Epiphany. (Epiphany may have been celebrated in church last week. It depends on where Sunday falls in relation to January 6th.)

Epiphany remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to Jesus and worshiping him.

The word Epiphany literally means manifestation (to show) or to make known or to reveal. It gets this name because the magi, in bringing gifts and worshiping Jesus, revealed to the world that Jesus was a king.

A parament showing the wise men

I’ve also seen Epiphany loosely translated as “Ah Ha!”

I like that.

Ah Ha! God is now among us! Let’s go and worship him!

Are words like that on your mind as you prepare to go to church? I remember when my kids were little, the thought was: Come on, we’re going to be late!

What is in your mind when you head for worship? What words do you say to your children?

Ah Ha! God is now among us! Let’s go and worship him!

Would it make a difference if we could teach our children to think that way about going to church? Perhaps instead of saying: “Let’s get ready for church,” we say (with appropriate gusto) “Ah Ha! Jesus is among us. Let’s go and celebrate Jesus!” Or “Ah Ha! We get to go worship God!”

Try it next Sunday and report back on how it goes.

Photo credits:
This image is stored on my Flickr account. It is from my archives—of a church parament I helped create!

I have started a reading plan from The Everyday Bible. Each day there are a few short passages to read and a statement for further thought. Today’s passages involve angels and Jesus’ birth. The statement is: “If an angel had told me of Jesus’ birth _____…” with the assumption being that I’ll fill in the blank.

I know how I’d answer that! I just plain wouldn’t believe it! Joseph being told by an angel while he slept? (I’d just think that I’d had a weird dream.) The Shepherds? (I would be looking for the wires and other accoutrements of a stunt.) It seems like today’s high tech world would be trouble for God.

How would God get our attention?
How does God tell us that he is now among us?

Thankfully God is always reaching out to us; always trying to get our attention!

One way is through nature. Take a walk and look around you. (Yes, even if it’s cold or rainy!) Look at the intricate details around you. Dried seed heads waving in the wind? Or perhaps some wild flowers. Red berries on a bush? A cultivated corn crop.