Saturday, January 6, is the Feast of the Epiphany. This feast celebrates God’s revelation of himself in the person of Jesus Christ to a world blinded by sin. In particular, the feast celebrates that God has not only revealed himself to the Jews through Jesus, but has also revealed himself to the Gentiles. This is why the ordinary reading for January 6 is the story of the Magi, who were the first Gentiles to worship Christ.
It is startling that from his infancy, Jesus Christ received the worship and prayers of Gentiles. There were other incidents along the way—a Roman centurion, a Canaanite woman, and a group of Greeks all sought Jesus for one reason or another. The disciples had a hard time with this, and it took time for them to understand what it meant that salvation was not just for the Jews, even if it was from the Jews (Jn. 4:22). Acts 10 reveals Peter’s struggle to accept the fact that God was including Gentiles in his kingdom and Acts 15 is the record of the church’s wrestling with how to incorporate Gentiles into a Jewish church. Paul calls this inclusion of the Gentiles a “mystery” (Eph. 3:6), which demonstrates how stunning it was to the Jews that Gentiles, who were not recipients of the promises given to Abraham, were included in salvation.
We now take for granted that we have been included, so much so that we are rarely amazed by the fact that God has revealed himself to us. But Epiphany is our once-per-year reminder that what we take for granted is actually startling—we did not deserve it and we were not promised it, and yet God has still revealed himself to us! We, who were blind, lost, and dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1), have been shown the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (II Cor. 4:6). This should bring us to our knees in wonder. God has revealed himself to us!
Steven+
Lessons and Carols
On Friday, December 15, at 6:00pm, we will hold our second Lessons and Carols service! Mark your calendars and invite your friends! The service will be followed by treats and warm drinks in the fellowship hall. Beautiful music, readings from the Bible, and time together—what more could you want? If you are interested in being a part of the choir, contact Justin.
For those who have never been to Lessons and Carols (and perhaps also for those who have), here are a few interesting details:
The service of “Nine Lessons and Carols” was devised by an Anglican bishop (Edward White Benson) in 1880, which actually makes it the most modern of Anglican services! (Kind of strange to be in a tradition where 140 years old = modern…)
The most famous version is at King’s College, Cambridge. King’s College’s website sort of implies that it was invented there, but it had been around for almost 40 years by the time it showed up there. In 1918, in response to World War I, King’s College began to hold the service, after adapting the version that had been created 38 years earlier.
The service follows the pattern of the first part of the Easter Vigil—alternating readings and singing to demonstrate the works of God in history. I’ve never seen definitive proof that Bishop White self-consciously modeled it after the Vigil, but it is reasonable to guess that it was.
Christmas carols originally weren’t sung in churches! They were sung outdoors (the old door-to-door singing tradition pre-dates singing carols in churches), and it was an innovation to bring them into church services.
One of the traditions associated with L&C is that the reader for each lesson moves up “in rank” as the service progresses. The first lesson is read by a young member of the choir, and the last lesson by the bishop, with the reader for each lesson “more important” than the last. (From Jesus’ perspective, we might say that the humblest reader is most important, though!)
According to The Guardian, part of Bishop White’s motivation for the original service in 1880 was to provide something for people to do on Christmas Eve so that they would spend less time at the pub! It is bit strange for us to think that people might leave the pub because the church was singing carols, but it worked, even though the church building was under construction and the first service was held in a temporary wooden structure. (Talk about a paucity of entertainment choices!)
Another part of Bishop White’s motivation was the local animosity towards the new cathedral that was being built. Homes had to be torn down to make room for it, and the bishop wanted to offer a gift to the community to create good will.
Our service will not be held in a temporary structure, and we aren’t trying to keep you out of the pub—it is Advent, so we trust that you are dutifully fasting… But it will be beautiful, and it will be focused on the God who loves us. Join us, and bring your friends and family!
Steven+
Scripture Reflections
The Gospel readings from both last Sunday and this upcoming Sunday focus on the ministry and testimony of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus. Regarding John, Jesus said something peculiar: “Among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” (Mt. 11:11a)
This statement is stunning! John is greater than Moses? Elijah? Elisha? Ezekiel? Those prophets worked miracles, saw angels, raised the dead, and ate in the presence of God Almighty! They delivered people from slavery, conquered armies, and had their prayers answered miraculously! In what sense is John greater than them?
The answer is complex, but part of it, at least, is simple: John was greater because he was closer to Jesus. He knew Jesus personally, and they didn’t. He pointed people to him directly, and they only did so with mysterious hints (that they might not have understood perfectly). John met Jesus, in the flesh, face-to-face, and was greater than them because of it.
This answer may feel a bit like “Christian-speak,” but we need to meditate on it. Our world depicts greatness in so many ways—beauty, wealth, athletic prowess, influence, success, etc. But greatness, from Jesus’ perspective, is far humbler and yet far more profound.
Do we know Jesus? Not know of him, but know him, the way we know our closest friends? Could we predict his response to a situation? Can we feel his feelings? Do we long for his company? When you get up in the morning to face each new day, what does a good day look like? What does success look like? Jesus’ answer to that question is clear: “Just be as close to me as you can!”
Jesus is the life of God who has come into the world. Looking elsewhere for life—for satisfaction, pleasure, or affirmation—is a fool’s errand. He calls us to himself and defines greatness as proximity to himself because he loves us and longs to give us his life.
Steven+