by Pastor Jay Shailer
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”
Matthew 2:1-2
Epiphany isn’t your typical Lutheran church. I’m sure many of us know that, but I think it’s important to recognize why we are who we are. Because who we are, our identity, is vital to our mission of being followers of Jesus, and loving Him by serving.
Our name, Epiphany, is no misnomer. I think it nails who we are right on the head. I imagine Epiphany as the bright star that brought the Magi to pay homage to the baby Jesus, because that’s exactly what we hope to do with everything we do. Leading people to Christ is woven into the fabric of our congregational being. This is why we aren’t like many other Lutheran churches. We are always looking outside ourselves. We are always thinking up new and exciting ways to share our faith. We aren’t satisfied with sitting around patting ourselves on the back, talking about all the great things that have happened in our church history. We are always looking forward, and you have to be looking forward to follow. People see that faith, and people want to be a part of who we are by following Jesus alongside us.
The Magi who came to see Jesus weren’t Jews, they were different, they were outsiders, yet they looked beyond what they knew to see God in the little baby they traveled so far to behold. I pray that we continue to look beyond ourselves. I pray that we continue to be the bright shining Epiphany star that shows people the way to Christ. I pray that we continue to be us, secure in our mission, and bold in our faith.
Prayer:
God of bright light, show us the way to share Your light with the world. Keep us faithful and ready to step beyond ourselves in Your holy name. Amen.