After a busy Advent and Christmas season the church calendar returns to Ordinary Time just after Epiphany. On the first Sunday of the month, January 5, we will pause to celebrate Epiphany. We will, of course, continue the tradition of choosing Epiphany words or star words to guide us in the upcoming year. I am looking forward to this Sunday where we look for what God is waiting to reveal to us.  We will continue to follow the theme of epiphanies throughout the month of January.

The Season of Epiphany lasts until the day before Ash Wednesday. We will continue the Season of Epiphany by celebrating Jesus’ baptism on January 12, which is also known as Baptism of the Lord Sunday. This is a big jump from the infant savior in a manger to his baptism by John in the Jordan River. What epiphanies might we have when it comes to baptism? This week, we will explore Jesus’ baptism and how it relates to us even today.

We will continue our exploration of epiphanies on January 19 when we will turn to 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, a passage about spiritual gifts. We will think through this passage and see what epiphanies about justice we can glean from this Spirit-filled portion of scripture. 

Finally, on Sunday, January 26, we will welcome Rev. Ralph Lowe to the pulpit. Rev. Lowe is always a blessing to our congregation, and I am confident that everyone will be uplifted by his message.

I hope that you will join us for worship this month. It is a wonderful way to start the New Year focused on God’s guiding light and the epiphanies we continue to have throughout the Season of Epiphany.

Pastor Emily