Grace Notes 2025-01-08
We often think in January in terms of turning the page on the previous year and getting a fresh start in the New Year with stated resolutions. You can expect a big surge at Y in January. And the resolution to take care of the body with exercise is usually matched with a surge in dieting. Oh, all the holiday indulgences…
It never hurts to think in terms of missional resolutions. By the end of the month, we will hold our Annual Voters Meeting. Not only will there be reports reviewing our ministry in 2024, but forward looking we will vote on a Projected Ministry Spending Plan for 2025 and talk about going forward with renewed energy in the great Mission of our Lord Jesus.
In general, we know what this mission is. It is sharing the good news of God’s love in His sending His Son to die for our sins. It is about inviting people to the faith, while with commensurate compassion showing mercy and love to the lonely, the hurting, and those lacking hope. It is about growing ourselves in our following and being students of Christ.
This is all in general. Specifically, we will need to find ways to greet and meet people where they live, work, and play, and not simply wait for them to show up where we gather as a church. Specifically, we will need to continue our outreach by serving out in the community, and to do so being able to clearly represent Christ as the reason for our service. Specifically, we will need to make sure we understand our baptismal vocation implies that wherever we go we are Christ’s ambassador, whether in our neighborhoods, in the workplace, where we recreate, along with where we worship.
Perhaps the New Year’s Resolution is that we make sure the ideals of our being His disciples are being grounded in steady practices such as prayer, Bible reading, service, and setting the right priorities.
Since You Asked…
What is the significance of the Epiphany and the Season that follows?
The word Epiphany means “manifestation” or “a revealing”. Since light helps to reveal and make manifest, on January 6 we recall the Magi led by the light of the star to the manger to worship Jesus, “the Light of the World” given birth by Mary. We will go on in the Season that follows to commemorate the manifestation of the Trinity at Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan River, where the voice of the Father spoke, and the Holy Spirit descended and alighted on Jesus as he came forth from the river. The voice identifies Jesus as God’s Son in whom the Father is well pleased. The Season after the Epiphany closes with the Transfiguration whereby a future glimpse of the Resurrected glory of Christ was revealed.