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Merry 12th day of Christmas! Happy New Year! Joy to you on the Epiphany's Eve!
As Christmas ends and Epiphany begins, I am reminded of Howard Thurman’s poem,
When the Song of Angels is Stilled
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.
May it be so in all of our lives.
Epiphany is a time of new beginnings, new revelations, new hope, and seeing with new eyes. The story is not over. In fact, we are writing new chapters as we follow that star, that guiding light, the way of love revealed to us through the life of Christ.
Join us next Wednesday for our Epiphany Service and bring a Can in Each Hand for Midtown Assistance Center. For more info, read below.
Chalking the Door is a symbolic way to celebrate Epiphany at home, reminding us that the story continues with us.
The kids will receive a bag of chalk with a blessing inside this Sunday. There also will be instructions inside, but the gist is that you/the kids will make this marking on the door with the chalk:
20 + C + M + B + 24
Then you can all recite a prayer together blessing your house and all those that enter and leave it.
"It is in the home that the first experience of love occurs; it is there that love is nurtured and grows to maturity. The Christian home is also the ground for much of people’s spiritual growth.
The ministry of Jesus occurs in many different homes. Therefore to hallow the home as an environment for nurture and renewal, is a deeply felt need by many Christian households.
The blessing of a home encourages Christians to dedicate their life at home to God and to others."
From A New Zealand Prayer Book page 762
For all the wonderful prayers and instructions, click here
Epiphany Chalk the House Blessing
Another family activity you may choose to do at home is to pick a Star Word for your family to be guided by in this new year. Have the kids make/decorate a paper star and then choose a word from the list below or one of your own. Write it on the star and hang it somewhere prominent ( fridge, inside the front door, etc.). Share what each of you thinks the word means and how you can practice it this year. Come back to it throughout the year and share how it has appeared in your life, God Sightings, or how you have lived out this Star Word. The older the kids, the deeper and more abstract they will get with it. But don't dismiss the wisdom of young kids, it can be holy and powerful!
“May we each be guided by our chosen star and find wonderful things this year. Amen!”
Grace; Mercy; Love; Faithfulness; Peace; Patience; Kindness; Joy; Rest
Adventure; Attention; Imagination; Faith; Compassion; Friendship; Song; Art
Generosity; Time; Humility; Persistence; Dedication; Inspiration; Comfort; Wholeness; Joy; Playfulness; Forgiveness; Wonder or Ponder; Curious
Star Words. more to choose from
More Star Word ideas and prayers
Chalking the Door Episcopal Tradition explained + prayers
Invitation to Follow a great article about what it means to follow, and how to do Star Words with your family
Peace,
Kathy
Thanksgivings
Thanks to George Ezell for volunteering in the nursery on Christmas Eve.
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