"The Never-Ending Epiphany Season"

I understand that this may seem a bit esoteric or even arcane, but please bear with me...

Many people, even longtime Lutherans, have little or no awareness of the seasons of the church year.  For those outside the historic denominations (Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, etc.), church year observations are an anachronism, a dark ages memory tied to the church of long ago.  In the fast-paced, entertainment-driven, sound-bite news oriented, overstimulated world of today, observances such as church seasons or liturgical colors and the like just seem like too much trouble to the average Christian.  Indeed, many churches don't even have seasons (beyond the weather type, of course), have no knowledge of such things, and would find them an unnecessary and troubling intrusion into their worship lives.

Why am I bringing this all up?  Well, you've perhaps noticed that Easter comes quite late this year – April 23rd.  This is almost as late as it can possibly come. In A.D. 325, the Council of Nicaea, convened by the emperor Constantine, issued "the Easter Rule":  Easter should be celebrated on "the first Sunday alter the full moon on or after the vernal equinox" (the day in the spring when day and night are equal in length).  Because of this rule, Easter must fall be between March 22nd and April 25th.  This same Council of Nicea, by the way, is the same group that originally chose the cross as the official symbol of our faith and who gave us the Nicene Creed. Still with me?

With Easter thus moved back this year, the season of Lent also moves (more about Lent next month!) because it is the forty days of preparation before Easter.  This year, Ash Wednesday falls on March 8th, and because of this (I'm finally getting to my point), the season of Epiphany has had to stretch out to fill in the gap between the day of Epiphany (January 6th) and Ash Wednesday.  This year there are eight Sundays in the Epiphany season (vs. last year's three, six in '98 and only four in '97).

The word Epiphany, in case you've not used this in a sentence lately, means appearing, revealing or showing.  In common usage, one might say, "I've just had an epiphany!" (not a V-8!), meaning "Ah, HA!!  NOW I get it!  Now I understand!"

The gospel texts for the Sundays in this season are chosen to show how Jesus appeared to people who saw and experienced his ministry, and to show how his acts of healing, his miracles and his teaching were designed to reveal his nature, power and purpose to the world.  They, in short, are trying to bring us to that "AH, HA!" moment for ourselves, so that through the Word, Jesus is revealed to us.

In the coming weeks, the Gospel lessons focus on:

- Jesus' power over disease and the demonic (Mark 1:29-39, Epiphany 5,        February 6th)
- Jesus' pity for those who are sick (Mark 1:4045, Epiphany 6, February 13th)
- Jesus' ability to forgive sins as the Son of Man (Mark 2:142, Epiphany 7, February 20th)
- Jesus' care for the outcasts of society (Mark 2:13-22, Epiphany 8, February 27th), and finally,
- Transfiguration Sunday, when the disciples (and we) get a more full vision of   Jesus.

Have you had an “Ah, HA!" moment about Jesus?  Do you know his care for you?  Open your heart and allow Jesus to reveal himself to you.

Happy Epiphany!

Pastor Larry