Epiphany is the season of the Christian year that is emphasizes the light of God’s presence It begins with the story of how the Magi, guided by the star, journeyed to Bethlehem to “pay homage to the child who had been born kings of the Jews” (Matthew 2:4). The season of Epiphany concludes with the light of Transfiguration Sunday as the eternal presence of God shines through Jesus as witnessed by Peter, John, and James (Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36).
During Epiphany, followers of Jesus consider what it means to live with the light of Jesus shining through their lives. To assist our Fort Hill community of faith to focus on how we can live in the light of Jesus, our worship will center on the three constants that empower followers of Jesus to witness to their Savior – faith, hope, and love. These eternal foundations of discipleship, as recorded in I Corinthians 13:13, (“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love”) are the ways the light of God’s presence that shone through Jesus continue to shine through Jesus’ disciples.
During the journey of Epiphany, we will consider:
- what faith means and how we are called to practice it
- what hope means and how we are called to proclaim it
- what love means and how we are called to live it
A hymn written by Kathleen Thomerson speaks to the responsibility of Christian disciples to witness to the light of God’s eternal presence through Jesus. As we prepare for our journey through the journey of Epiphany, I invite you to use the first verse and refrain of this hymn in daily prayer as you allow Jesus to shine in your life.
“I want to walk as a child of the light. I want to follow Jesus. God set the stars to give light to the world. The star of my life is Jesus. In him there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike. The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.”
May the light of God that has shone from the beginning guide you as you practice faith, proclaim hope, and live love.
~Marc
