Epiphany, celebrated 12 days after Christmas (yes, that’s the origin of the song) on January 6 each year, is the day on which we remember the arrival of the wise men or “Magi” to see the holy family (see Matthew 2:1-12). On this day, we remember the epiphany or manifestation that the child born on Christmas is more than a child, but the Son of God and Savior of the world.
During the Season After Epiphany, we are back into Ordinary Time following the Christmas cycle of Advent-Christmas-Epiphany and the color of the paraments changes to green, which symbolizes life and growth. The lectionary Gospel passages focus on the early part of Jesus’ ministry, and this year we will be spending our time in the first chapter of Mark. This season begins with the Baptism of the Lord (we do a congregational reaffirmation of baptism each year) and runs through the Sunday before Lent begins, which is always Transfiguration Sunday.
As we spend time together in Mark, our prayer is that you will catch a sense of the urgency that Mark communications when writing about Jesus, his ministry, and our response. During this season, may we all grow in our understanding of Jesus’ work among us and God’s call on our lives to join in on what God is doing.
Resurrection Sunday (April 8th) marks the beginning of the Easter Season, which lasts for 50 days until the Day of Pentecost (May 27th). It is a time for rejoicing as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The colors in the sanctuary are white and gold, symbolizing holiness, purity, joy, royalty, and victory over death. Flowers are also used on the cross as reminders of new life. This year at Christ UMC, worship during the Easter Season will include the children leading us on April 29th, the celebration of our 25th anniversary on May 20th, and Confirmation Sunday on May 20th as well.