Epiphany

The Christmas season comes to a close on January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany. This celebration marks the arrival of the Magi or Wise Ones in Bethlehem. "Epiphany" is a Greek word that means "manifestation," "revelation" and "showing." In the Christian context, it is a celebration that God's revelation in Jesus is for ALL people of ALL nations and tribes for ALL time.

While the Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on one day (usually the Sunday before January 6 at SUMC), the time between the Feast of Epiphany and Ash Wednesday is known liturgically as the Season After the Epiphany. The symbol of the Epiphany season is the five-pointed star and the seasonal color is usually green representing our on-going life as disciples of Jesus. The Feast of the Epiphany is a "white" Sunday of celebration and there are two other "white" Sundays during this season: the Baptism of our Lord and Transfiguration which occurs on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

During the Epiphany Season, the readings we hear in Church focus on Jesus and his disciples. We follow Jesus through his baptism into his ministry to and with the disciples. These are important lessons as they teach us that because we are baptized as Jesus was baptized, we too are disciples who both learn from Jesus and who share, teach and preach the Good News to others.

There are many ways to celebrate the Epiphany Season at home. You can make a "Kings Cake" (see http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1841,151162-249201,00.html) and learn the varying traditions surrounding the cake by a quick reading of Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_cake). Many Christian cultures emphasize Epiphany rather than Christmas as the time for gift giving. Take your kids to the library and do a little research about el Dia de los Reyes! Try out some of the customs and traditions and share what you learn as a comment on this blog!

Happy Epiphany to you all!
Elizabeth