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Reflections on the Season

The Season After the Epiphany is all about newness – the newness of Jesus’s ministry, the gathering of the disciples into a new community, and the sense of newness in the revelation of Jesus’ teachings.  It is also a season of justice. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s feast day falls within this season. So does Black History Month.

The first Sunday in the Season marks the baptism of Christ. Baptism is often regarded as a rite of belonging. The idea is that once you are baptized, you are truly part of the church. But I find this too limiting. To me, baptism is an initiation rite, first and foremost. It is the first step of the long spiritual journey that we will be on for the rest of lives. Its purpose is preparation and embarkation. And it is appropriate that it is the focus of the first Sunday of the season, as its prominence suggests to us that the newness we encounter throughout Epiphany comes, in part, from a spiritual shift within us.

We are asked to journey through newness, with expectation and hope. Our traditions might be rooted in the past, but they are a living companion on our journey. They are way stations for our pilgrimage. Our destination is nothing less than a new and just world. And our actions as Christians must call forth a vision of this world, and seek to bring it about.

Faithfully,

Karl+

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Our Worship During the Season after Epiphany

Because of the season’s alignment with Black History Month, we try to highlight Gospel music and spirituals during Epiphany. Our service music is drawn from Lift Every Voice and Sing, the African American Episcopal hymnal. We choose hymns that center on the Black tradition. And we focus on Black saints and history in our preaching.

During this season, we use the expansive language version of Eucharistic Prayer D, which is a translation of the Liturgy of St. Basil and dates from the 4th century CE. The liturgy begins:

We acclaim you, holy God, glorious in power. Your mighty works reveal your wisdom and love. You formed us in your own image, giving the whole world into our care, so that, in obedience to you, our Creator, we might rule and serve all your creatures. When our disobedience took us far from you, you did not abandon us to the power of death. In your mercy you came to our help, so that in seeking you we might find you. Again and again you called us into covenant with you, and through the prophets you taught us to hope for salvation. 

This ancient language speaks of the revelatory acts of God’s loving creation. It is appropriate for Epiphany, which is a season of light and the in-breaking of newness. The prayer speaks of seeking God, and Epiphany marks the beginning of a spiritual journey, traveled in Christ’s company. The prayer continues:

Holy God, you loved the world so much that in the fullness of time you sent your only Son to be our Savior. Incarnate by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus lived as one of us, yet without sin. To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation; to prisoners, freedom; to the sorrowful, joy. To fulfill your purpose Jesus gave himself up to death; and, rising from the grave, destroyed death, and made the whole creation new.

And that we might live no longer for ourselves, but for Christ who died and rose for us, you sent the Holy Spirit, your own first gift for those who believe, to complete your work in the world, and to bring to fulfillment the sanctification of all.

The justice themes of Epiphany season are clear within this text. Christ’s proclaims salvation, freedom, and joy. His words articulate a newly repaired world. His death, resurrection and assumption make “the whole creation new.”

For Christians, understanding comes through engaging in spiritual and liturgical practices. Join us during Epiphany season so that your understanding of God’s love and care for the world might grow as we companion you on your spiritual journey.