Celebrating the Wonder of Epiphany !

from Ann's Seedstuff Worship resources

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Ready for Epiphany? Jan 6th 2013

Celebration of the 12 Days of Christmas

ends Sunday the 6th of January.

It is a wonderful journey from Advent through Christmas.

So Much more than a single day's event!

I hope you have enjoyed both Worship and Celebration

wholeness and completion

There are great sites offering more information

on this special time of Epiphany ~
The Church of England 

The Voice , Travel France are others
Other celebrations include eating the Kings' Cake
recipe here, and Chalking the Door

Readings for Jan 6th Epiphany ~

Isaiah 60.1-6
Psalm 72.1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3. 1-12
Matthew 2.1-12

I have chosen to share the beauty and inspiration of 

worship artisan, Naomi Pridjian of Drawing Sacred Circles ~

May you both look for and be Blessed
with Christ's appearance and manifestation
in your own life during this Season of Epiphany
and throughout this New Year ~

 A Blessing of the Home
(From The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship Worship Website)

Lead: The Lord is with you;

Community: And also with you.

All: Peace be to this house and to all who live, work, and visit here.

L: The three wise men came to Bethlehem in search of the Lord. They brought to him precious gifts: gold to honor the newborn king, incense to the true God in human form, and myrrh to anoint his body, which one day would die like our own.

L: Let us pray. O God, you once used a star to show to all the world that Jesus is your Son. May the light of that star that once guided wise men to honor his birth, now guide us to recognize him also, to know you by faith, and to see you in the epiphanies of the daily experiences of our lives.

L: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord — Jesus born of Mary — shall be revealed.

C: And all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

All: As the Wise Men once sought your brilliant light, O Lord, so may we seek to live and work in your splendour.

L: O God of Light, bless this (our) house and this (our) family. May this be a place of peace and health. May each member of this family cultivate the gifts and graces you have bestowed, dedicating our talents and works for the good of all.

L: Make this house a shelter in the storm and a haven of rest for all in need of your warmth and care. And when we go out from this place, may we never lose sight of that Epiphany star.

C: As we go about our work, our study, our play, keep us in its light and in your love.

A Blessing of the Chalk for Marking the Door

L: Lord Jesus, through your Incarnation and birth in true human form, you have made all the earth holy. We now ask your blessing upon this simple gift of your creation — chalk. We use it as a tool to teach our children, and they use it as a tool in their play and games. Now, with your blessing, may it become a tool for us to mark the doors of our home with the symbols of your wise servants who, so long ago, came to worship and adore you in your first home.

People in turn mark the doorway with one or more of the symbols:

20 C M B 13

L: May we, in this house, and all who come to visit, to work, and to play, remember these things throughout the coming year. May all who come and go here find peace, comfort, joy, hope, love, and salvation, for Christ has come to dwell in this house and in these hearts.

All: May we be Christ's light in the world. Amen.

epiphany?

One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy."

Luke 3:21-22

...millions of Christians focus on this historical event today. January 6 is the Christian holiday of Epiphany. The word "Epiphany" comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, which means "appearing" or "manifestation." In Western Christian tradition (Roman Catholic and Protestant), Epiphany is a day to remember the visit of the Magi to Jesus (Matt. 2:1-12). Among Eastern Orthodox Christians, the sixth of January is a day to recall the baptism of Jesus. Both Western and Eastern celebrations of Epiphany focus on the "appearing" of God in Jesus Christ.
The visit of the Wise Men symbolizes the appearing of the Savior to the Gentiles in particular. The baptism of Jesus was his public manifestation as the Son of God. The title "Son of God" in Jewish was a royal one, reserved for the king of Israel (see Psalm 2, for example). Yet Jesus was the Son of God, not only because of his unique Messianic calling, but also because of his unique relationship with God the Father.
On the holiday of Epiphany, it is appropriate for us to consider how God makes himself known in the world today. To be sure, the heavens declare God's glory and the Scripture encapsulates his truth. But God has chosen to manifest himself today largely through his people, through you and me, and through all of those who are his followers. It's hard to imagine a higher calling than this one: to make the truth and love of God known in the world today.
How can we do this? ...we can communicate the good news by the things we say and the way we live each day. Since the core of the gospel is a story of God's grace, we can illustrate this story by treating others graciously, whether at work or at home. And since the good news centers in the love of God, our love for others will help them to understand and receive this love.
Today, as we celebrate Jesus who came as the light of the world, may we also remember his words in the Sermon on the Mount: "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

{ and i might add, our attitudes - our heart meditations - affect our responses, our actions.  who we are - inside - reflects on what we do 'outside'... exactly why we pray with the Psalmist, that the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be pleasing and acceptable in God's sight...FHC }

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:
When you picture the baptism of Jesus, what thoughts or feelings come to mind?
How has God made himself known to you?
How might you be a reflection of God's light in the places you live and work?

PRAYER:

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, because you are the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Israel and, indeed, the whole world.

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, because you are the unique Son of God, beloved by the Father, the one in whom he delights.

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, because you are the light of the Lord, the one who radiates with divine truth and love.

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, because you have called me to be light in this world, to shine your light through my works and words.

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, whom I worship today as God in the flesh, and whom I serve with my whole life. Amen.

from Mark D. Roberts
@The High Calling