The Season of Epiphany and Servant Songs
Dear friends and members of Grace Baptist,
Have you followed in the Little Drummer Boy’s footsteps this past week? Have you been able to give a “small gift” of your talent to someone in Jesus’ name this past week?
Happy Epiphany! While we read the story of the coming of the Magi last Sunday, today is Epiphany! I like Epiphany. As the Celebrations of Christmas and New Year’s Day fade into memory, as I think about the long days of winter ahead of us, as I think about how the afternoon sky darkens sooner than I wish (even as each day grows a little longer), I can experience a bit of a “post-holiday let down.” But then, on the 6th of January, the Christian worship calendar reminds me of Epiphany. Epiphany is a season of light. As the words of John 1 remind us, “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.” Through Christ, light has come into this dark world. As I think about the light found in Christ, I realize once again there’s no reason to suffer from a “post-holiday letdown.
Some see Epiphany as a special day, a feast, or a season that starts today and lasts until Ash Wednesday. I like to see it as a season. It’s where the “O Come Let us Adore Him” becomes “Go Tell it on the Mountain.” During Advent, we prepare to make room for Jesus’ arrival. At Christmas, we celebrate the beautiful and surprising birth of Jesus. And in Epiphany, we’re sent out with the good news, like Jesus’ first disciples were invited to follow him.
As we begin the season of Epiphany, which also means revelation, we’ll listen and learn from passages in the prophet Isaiah. This Sunday, our reading is from Isaiah 42, the first of four passages in the book of Isaiah that some have come to collectively call “The Servant Songs.” Over the next four weeks, we’ll look at how God is revealed and manifested through these servant songs. We’ll seek to understand the Servant’s Purpose, the Servant’s Hope, The Servant’s Audience, and the Servant’s Call. As we listen to these “songs,” I believe we’ll discover purpose, hope, and a call to follow. I believe God will be revealed to us, leading us to reflect God’s glory and light to others.
See you on Sunday,
Pastor David