In the Meantime…See the Light


Introduction

This article is the January 2010 installment of my monthly message in the parish newsletter for Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Beatrice, Neb.

See the Light

It’s overshadowed by the Christmas season, slipped into the calendar between those joyous festivities and the penitential time of Lent. Epiphany is the season when we look to the light of Jesus Christ. When the twelfth day of Christmas comes, we mark it as the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrating the revelation of Jesus Christ as the light to the nations.
That’s why we hear the reading from St. Matthew telling us about how the three Magi, or wise men, follow the light of the star and make their way to our infant Lord. They embody the nations of the world that gather around Jesus, the Word, who is God with us, Immanuel.

And so we ask ourselves during this season, “How does Christ make himself known to us and how do we invite others to share that encounter?” It’s a season for us to focus on God’s mission.

Vespers

Since Epiphany comes twelve days after Christmas, it always falls on January 6, but only occasionally on Sunday. This year, the feast comes on Wednesday. To celebrate it, we will hold a special service of Vespers, or Evening Prayer. This has a long tradition in the Church as a contemplative prayer service. In many ways, it’s especially appropriate for Epiphany, because it helps us dwell on Jesus as the light. Listen to how the service begins:

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world,
the light no darkness can overcome.
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,
and the day is almost over.
Let your light scatter the darkness,
and illumine your Church.
(Lutheran Book of Worship, p, 142)

I invite you to gather at Holy Cross Church on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 7:00 p.m., to share in this celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany as we dwell in the illumination of the Light of Christ.

Witness to the World

The second move we make in Epiphany—once we have worshiped God who has shown us the Light in Jesus Christ—is to make a witness to others, pointing them to our Lord. He is the one about whom St. John writes, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5, NRSV)

One powerful witness we can make is to show, by our actions, that Christians speak with one voice in telling others about Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.

We have a wonderful opportunity to do just that later in January. The various churches in the Beatrice Ministerial Association will hold the community’s first service of worship as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Since 1908, Christians all over the world have marked this international time of prayer. This year, our local association is inviting the community to gather for an Ecumenical Celebration of the Word of God, lifting up the theme from Luke 24:48: You Are Witnesses of These Things.

Holy Cross Church has the honor of serving as the host congregation for this service. We will welcome Father Steve Major, St. Joseph Catholic Church, as the guest preacher. The planning committee includes: Fr. Major; Pastor Dr. Jimmy Shelbourn, First Presbyterian Church; Pastor Thomas Sahl, Trinity Lutheran Church; and me.
Please mark your calendars and plan to join with our sisters and brothers in the faith:

Celebration of the Word of God
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
7:00 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010.

Thanks

You have all been so generous with your gifts and expressions of thanks over Christmas. I am blessed to serve in your midst.

Gratefully,
Pastor David Frye