My Tardy New Years Resolution

I do realize that I am a bit late in making my New Years resolution,
but I do want you to know that I have been thinking about it since
before the New Year. Last November I read a short devotional piece
about Hilda, an amazing woman who served as a leader and pastor in
the early English church of the sixth and seventh centuries. Hilda is
one of the more significant Christians from the past to whom I look
for wisdom and direction in the continual formation of my own pastor-
al leadership and service of the Kingdom of God. (I will share more
about her in a future posting.)

Ray Simpson, Guardian of the present day Community of St. Aidan
and St. Hilda, has frequently reflected on the life of Hilda. At the end
of one of his meditations on her ministry and service he offered a
prayer that touched the chords of my heart. It helps me to give shape
to some of the desires I have for 2007:

Wisdom on High,
help me to learn from the likes of Hilda:
to be reliable, to grow in prudence.
To study, work, and pray hard, but not too hard;
to treat every person with courtesy and none with contempt;
to maintain resolute faith, balanced judgment, and friendships.

That's a lot of what I hope for this year.

All the best in 2007.

Epiphany-Continued Season's Greetings!

This posting of the blog comes from wet and wild Longview, Washing-
ton. I am enjoying a marvelous time with friends and a few family. From
the 28th of December through the 3rd of January I visited with cous-
ins of varying degrees and levels in Minnesota and South Dakota. I had
a delightful time there and it has continued through my time here in the
Pacific Northwest.

Last Saturday, the 6th of January, was Epiphany, a season of Chris-
tian celebration that has been closely connected with Christmas since
ancient times. For centuries the Church has observed Epiphany as the
climax of the Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas. The
latter begins with Christmas Day and continues until Epiphany. Even
though many churches these days do not celebrate or acknowledge Epi-
phany, it has been an important day for other Christians in the ancient
churches of the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, and
in many of the older historic churches and denominations of Europe and
North America.

In those ancient churches and in the growing number of the historic
churches, Christmas and Easter are considered the two primary sea-
sons of the Christian year. The Season of Christmas begins with the
First Sunday of Advent, a time of expectation and anticipation of Jesus
Christ's Coming, and ends with Epiphany, a time of remembering and
reflecting on the Church's mission to the world with the Good News of
Jesus Christ.

The term epiphany means to reveal, to show, or to make known. For
churches in the West, Epiphany is a day to remember the visit of the
wise men bearing gifts for the Baby Jesus. The wise men were not Jews,
but gentiles, perhaps from Persia. But they recognized that the Christ
Child was Lord and King of all the nations. The wise men recognized
that Jesus was sent by God to be Saviour and Lord for all people, and
not just for the Jewish people. They presented Jesus to the whole world.
For many of us who are not Jewish, and yet who believe in what God
did through Jesus Christ, we sense our kinship with the the wise men
who visited the Baby Jesus.

For many Christians from Latin America, especially those who are Ro-
man Catholic, the 6th of January, Epiphany, is el Dia de los tres Reyes,
or 'Three Kings Day,' and is considered more important than Christmas
as a time of celebration of the birth of Jesus. Epiphany is a special time
when presents are given and received. In some of the Eastern churches,
the 6th of January is Christmas, and Epiphany follows twelve days later.
In other Eastern churches, the 6th of January is the day to remember
Jesus' baptism.

For me, Epiphany is a time to reflect on the mission of the Church. Look-
ing back from the 6th of January I remember Christmas, when we cele-
brate the time that God the Father sent his missionary Son into the
world as its Lord and Saviour. On Epiphany I realize that the Church has
been sent by the Triune God on a mission to proclaim Jesus Christ as
Lord and Saviour to people of every nation, language, and race.

Even though Epiphany has just passed, I wish that the blessings of the
Christmas season remain with you and yours.