Epiphany
Although I don’t currently attend a liturgical church, I grew up in the Episcopal church which followed the traditional church calendar. For the last few years I have been celebrating Advent again as a way to keep my focus on Christ in the midst of a busy and sometimes discouraging time of year. As I am writing this, it is January 6, 2024, Epiphany on the church calendar. It’s also called Three Kings Day and traditonally honors the revealing of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12).
The traditional collect from the Book of Common Prayer:
O God, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only begotten Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know thee now by faith, to thy presence, where we may behold thy glory face to face; through the same Jesus Christ out Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The word epiphany comes from a Greek word meaning reveal. The dictionary says it means “an appearance or manifestation, especially of a deity, or a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.”
Reflecting
The word epiphany and all its meanings is resonating with me as I reflect on this past year. It was not an easy year. It started with my husband, Carl, coming down with COVID on New Year’s Day. Health issues were a running theme for our family throughout the year, with some scary moments with Ellie, especially the wildfire smoke wreaking havoc on her fragile respiratory system. It was not all bad, though. Carl and I celebrated 21 years of marriage, and we were blessed to help start a support group for Special Needs Parents at our church. Whether we were grieving losses or celebrating victories, the one constant was Jesus. He gave insight and provided wisdom. He protected and corrected as He revealed His truth in the the highs and the lows.
It’s snowing right now and I keep pausing to look out the window. There is a brightness as the little bit of light making it through the heavy clouds is reflected by the white snowflakes. I see a picture in this of Epiphany—the light of Christ breaking through the heaviness of life and being reflected in the tiny, but intricate experiences of each day. Simple moments of the day give glimpses of God’s presence with us. I want to keep pausing to look for those epiphanies that reveal the grace, mercy, truth, hope, joy, love of Jesus right where I am.
Connecting
My word for 2023 was connect. This is a new thing for me. 2020 was the first time I had a word of the year. In December of 2019, I kept seeing a theme of freedom in scripture, prayer, relationships and plans being made. As I prayed about it in January 2020, I felt like God was telling me to just hold on to the word freedom and keep looking for what He would show me. When the whole world shut down in March, it felt like an ironic choice for my word of the year (but God knew best and that is a story for another time).
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5 NIV
As I held the word connect for this year, the first thing I learned was that my thoughts about it were not like His. He led me to John 15 — The Vine and the Branches. The first connection He wanted me to make was with Him. I am grateful for His wisdom in this, because it is my connection with Him that made all the other connections possible. Just to highlight a few:
Carl and I developed more connection by praying together more regularly
Many connections were made with parents of special needs children
New friendships began
Friendships grew and deepened
I entered into new ministries at church
I learned about Neurokinstugi1 which helped make connections in my heart and mind
I connected in person with my Hope*Sisters for a writing retreat
I read through the Bible again with a small group of people including Carl
In all of these things God assured me of His presence with me. Connecting was not always easy. There were situations where it was painful. Some of the connections were made in grief shared and in desperate prayers. The beautiful mystery of it all is that God chose to connect with us through Jesus and wants to reveal glimpses of His glory to us right here where we live. With a simple word to direct my focus, He taught me about His power and helped me see countless hope-filled ways He is working in my life.
Epiphany—the light of Christ breaking through the heaviness of life and being reflected in the tiny, but intricate experiences of each day.
I paused again just now to look out at the snow and I think it might be changing to rain. I know this lovely white snow is forecast to be washed away. I want to appreciate and treasure up the light I see now, so I can remember it when the skies are darker. This one reason I started making Ebenezers2 each year to remind me of God’s goodness and lovingkindness when life gets hard.
Happy New Year!
This year is off to a rocky start with more health scares for our family and some other frustrating issues. Yet I’m hopeful that God has more beauty and glory to reveal in my word for this year, Create.
How has 2024 started for you? Do you have a word for the year? If so, I would love to know what it is, so leave a comment. I’ve heard of people having phrases or Bible verses or other quotes for the year. If that’s you I’d like to hear about it. Some people don’t like words of the year or have had negative experiences with it. Feel free to share those too. I used to have a negative opinion about words of the year. When it was first suggested to me, it felt like adding more pressure to my already stressful life. Right now, it’s working for me as a way to see God’s power at work all around me. It may not be something I do forever, so I am open to your thoughts.
A neuroart method combining Neurographica with the Japanese art of kintsugi. I learned from Alina Smolyansky Here’s a free intro to Neurokintsugi
An Ebenezer is a stone of help, a reminder of God’s help in our lives. 1 Samuel 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."
I have not been a “word of the year” or any kind of “of the year” kind of person. I could see how God could use it in one’s life, though. As you said, it may be though that someday I’ll have a word or idea or phrase to focus on in a given year. I think I’m like you and open to change and the leading of the Spirit.