All Souls Church  Pastoral Letter
January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany
church building

 

Pastoral Letter on the Feast of the Epiphany

 

"Where is one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."(Matthew 2:2 NIV)

 

Many of us have heard of the twelve days of Christmas, but know little about it's meaning. In the Anglican tradition Christmas is more than a day. It is a season that begins on December 25 and ends on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany (the 12th day). Much like the season of Advent and Lent, Christmas is time of extended reflection on a particular set of themes. Christmas season considers what it means for us to believe God has come to us in great humility. A child saves the whole world. Nonetheless, we are busy. By the time the end of the Christmas season arrives on the 12th day, we have moved on. The stores have put away the Christmas items and replaced them with Valentine's Day. The culture's "liturgical" calendar, which worships the god of consumerism, has moved on. But the church lingers.

 

What is left to say? Christ is born. The presents are given. Well, a lot actually. To whom has Christ been given? The feast of the Epiphany answers that question. It celebrates the arrival of the wise men from the East. They have come to see the king and worship him. What are foreigners doing looking for a Jewish King? Don't they have a king of their own? Don't they have their own nation and culture and customs to occupy their time? The child Jesus bursts the limits of culture. He is not a king of a particular people or a particular time. He is the king of the ages who receives from all the nations of the world their gifts and worship. This is the concluding thought of Christmas. Christ is not ours. He belongs to the world. The feast of Epiphany pushes the church out into the world on mission, a mission to bring the King of the world to the world.

 

Epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" on this day Christ was first made known to those outside of the bounds of Judaism. To live this feast, we must ask ourselves how we can participate in the great work of showing Jesus to the world. This is the church's mission. She only finds her deepest coherence and joy when she engages in this task.

 

2011 was a wonderful year for All Souls church. It was filled with baptisms and growth and new ministries. We can be thankful for this. I am hoping that 2012 is the year of Epiphany. During which we make it our passion to make Christ known! When we commit ourselves to living the mission. Therefore, I am calling the church to a two-fold mission in 2012. We will embark on an inward and outward mission. The inward mission will focus on developing the lifestyle and practices that will sustain the outward mission to the world. Our Sunday school and adult education classes in the coming year will focus on developing spiritual disciplines, improving our marriages, and family lives. How can you participate in inward mission in 2012? Here are some practical suggestions:

  • Make regular attendance at worship and Sunday school a priority for you and your children if you have them.
  • Make use of the practices and skills encouraged in the above. Beginning in February our Sunday school classes will focus on the Spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, study, etc.)
  • Attend the upcoming marriage and parenting classes to strengthen the relationships that are dearest to many.

 

This will allow us to live what we profess. It will allow the good news to take root in us and bear the fruit God has promised. At the same time, we will focus our lives around the outward mission, namely loving and serving our neighbors in such as way that the life of Christ is appealing. This will include our mission work in Thailand, intentional outreach activities, and our continued local mission to the homeless in Okinawa. Some practical suggestions for the outward mission in 2012

  • Make a commitment to pray regularly for those who are alienated from God and his church
  • Make it a goal to invite friends and neighbors to your home for dinner. Be kind. Share your life, before you share your faith. Then, be brave.
  • Support the mission to Thailand and the Okinawa Compassion project with your time, prayers, and finances.

 

Many in this community are proud to go by the name Christian. This means that we believe we have received the good news of God's great love for us. We have also received the commission to bring those, like the wise men, who are not a part of the family of God to worship the king. God grant you the grace to live the mission he has given each of you.

I remain your servant in Christ,

Esau+

 

Deeply in Love with Jesus, passionately caring for our community, sharing the Hope we have in Christ.