The readings for Epiphany can be used either for a mid-week celebration on January 6th, or on the Sunday prior to this (January 2nd) making it Epiphany Sunday in place of Christmas 2A.

Epiphany embodies two journeys for me. The first is the new vision that the Gospels present of God’s grace and love being extended to all people, and not just those descended from Abraham. This inclusivity is radical, scandalous and exciting, and offers a wonderful opportunity for celebration and welcome in our communities. The second journey is that of going deeper into our understanding of Christ – an opening to the epiphany (the insight, the revelation) of who this Christ child is that we have welcomed to our world in the Christmas season. Of course, both journeys are really one, and both offer us an awesome reason for worship and devotion to Jesus.

May our Epiphany worship be both revelatory and welcoming.

READINGS:
Isaiah 60:1-6: The light of God’s glory and God’s goodness shines on God’s people.

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14: A prayer for God’s love of justice to fill God’s king, who will then defend the poor and rescue the oppressed.

Ephesians 3:1-12: In Christ both Jews & Gentiles enjoy the riches of God’s blessings.

Matthew 2:1-12: Wise men from the East arrive, worship the Christ-Child and present him with fine gifts.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The Festival of Epiphany reveals to us who this Christ is that has incarnated himself among us. There are two clear revelations that would have been startling for the first readers of Matthew’s Gospel. The first is that the Messiah has come inclusively – for all people: Jew AND Gentile, Wealthy AND Poor, Oppressed AND Oppressor. This inclusivity is a significant aspect of the scandal of the Gospel. The second revelation is the mind-bending truth that has traditionally been seen as reflected in the Wise Men’s gifts: This Child is Royalty (gold), Divinity (frankincense), and yet, also, self-giving Sacrifice (myrrh). All of these passages call us into praise for God’s inclusive incarnation!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Defensiveness and otherness are two of the main characteristics of today’s political, social, economic and relational world. In the quest for self-development, human beings have increasingly seen their individual selves as distinct from and “other than” other people. Businesses work hard to “distinguish” themselves from their competitors and even nations work hard to identify themselves, drawing boundaries, naming enemies and allies, and putting huge investments into defending what is “uniquely theirs”. Epiphany, scandalously reveals that Christ crosses all of these boundaries, refusing to be defensive or self-protective, and refusing to draw lines of separation. This incarnate Messiah draws all creation together into one, and gives up his own safety, security and comfort in order to do it.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Every church community, and every person, longs for the light of God’s glory and blessing to shine on them. This longing often leads us into trying to earn God’s blessing through legalism, doctrinal purity or separation from those who are considered “unrighteous”. Too often faith becomes something exclusive, something to defend against others who see things differently. Epiphany reveals an alternative view of God’s glory – that in Christ’s incarnation God’s glory and blessing are already ours – not something to earn; and that the experience of God’s glory is found in connection and sharing with others, while protecting and defending the least. It is a good discipline to ask: “Who needs to be included in our community right now?” and “Who needs to be protected?” – two questions that necessarily call us to emulate Christ’s self-sacrifice in our own lives.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
About the Light
Light And Glory
Who Are You, Jesus?

Hymn Suggestions:
What Child Is This?
We Three Kings
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Christ From Whom All Blessings Flow
Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken
Marvelous Light (Listen to preview here)
Shine Jesus Shine (Link to YouTube video)
Here I Am To Worship (Link to YouTube video)
How Great Is Our God (Link to YouTube video)
Open Our Eyes, Lord (Link to YouTube video)
Open The Eyes Of My Heart, Lord (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Breaking of Bread

Video Suggestions:
Psalm 72
To Know The Creator

Image Suggestions:
Word And Table – Epiphany PowerPoint
Word And Table 2
Wise Men And Star Still

It’s not the first time the Lectionary has brought us face to face with the scandalous inclusivity of the Gospel, but that’s the thread running through all of this week’s readings. As tempting as it may be to find ways to draw lines and keep some people out for whatever reason, the Scriptures do not allow us that luxury – and, in truth, our world desperately needs us to be people who, like Christ, embrace, include and welcome all people indiscriminately.

May our worship this week lead us into the scandalous inclusivity of Christ again – and there find a welcome not just for ourselves, but for all.

READINGS:
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7: Jeremiah encourages the exiles in Babylon to settle into their new country, to vuild homes and lives there among the Babylonian people and to work for the propserity of their new land.
OR 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c: Naaman, the Aramean commander, is healed of his skin affliction after reluctantly obeying Elisha’s instruction to wash in the Jordan River seven times.

Psalm 66:1-12: A call for all the earth to praise the God who rules over all, and for all nations to bless God.
OR Psalm 111: A Psalm of celebration for God’s mighty acts, and for God’s miraculous, merciful and compassionate acts on behalf of God’s people.

2 Timothy 2:8-15: Although Paul is inprisoned for preaching the Gospel of Christ’s resurrection, the Gospel itself is not imprisoned. God offers life to those who die with Christ, and God remains always faithful, which is why Paul encourages Timothy to remind people of these thigns and to continue to serve and teach faithfully.

Luke 17:11-19: Jesus sends ten men with a skin disease to show themselves to the priests and they are healed as they go, but only one, a Samaritan, returns to give thanks.

(more…)

If you decide to celebrate the Ascension on Thursday, then you’ll be looking at Easter 7 for Sunday. This is the last Sunday before Pentecost (which closes out the 50 days of Easter), and appropriately, the focus is on God’s invitation to all people to enjoy the life and grace that is offered in Jesus. The scene is set, then, for the welcoming of all nations in the reversal of Babel which happened on the birthday of the Church.

May you hear God’s gracious invitation again as you worship and prepare this week.

READINGS:
Acts 16:16-34: After casting a demon out of a fotune-telling slave girl, Paul & Silas are imprisoned. They continue to worship even while in jail, and the prison bursts open, giving Paul and opportunity to lead the jailer and his family to faith in Christ.

Psalm 97: God is great and mighty over all, above all gods and idols, causing the earth to tremble, and rescuing and protecting those who are God’s people

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21: John’s conclusion to the Revelation proclaims Christ as the one who invites all to find life in Christ, and who is coming to  ‘set things to rights’ bringing rescue and the safety of the Holy City to those who respond to God’s invitation.

John 17:20-26: Jesus prays for his disciples and for all who will come to believe in him, that they may be one, and that through their love and their ‘belovedness’ the world may be brought to knowledge of Jesus.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
At first glance, the readings this week seem completely unconnected. But a closer look reveals the simple theme of invitation. In Acts, Paul and Silas are given a unique opportunity to invite a jailer into Christ’s life. In the Psalm, God’s gory and power are the context for an invitation to those who are ‘godly’ to find refuge in God. In Revelation the invitation to all who would ‘drink of the waters of life’ is proclaimed, along with the assurance of Christ’s return to love and welcome those who respond to the invitation. In John Jesus prays for unity and love among believers so that others may see this, know the truth about Jesus, and be drawn (invited) into the life of Christ, and loving, beloved community of faith. It is approproate that this theme should follow closely behind last week’s focus on hospitality, and on the celebration of the Ascension – which proclaimed both God’s divine reign, and God’s gracious immanence. God seeks intimate relationship with humanity, and, as an integral part of this intimacy, we need to share God’s love with one another. Thus, even as we accept God’s invitation to beloved life, we are called to extend the invitation to others. The Gospel is, after all, at its heart an extravagant, divine invitation.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: When it comes to the Gospel invitation, we inevitably find ourselves debating things like the uniqueness of Christ, and what happens to people of other religions. But, the invitation of the Gospel is not to grow a particular religion (even one that calls itself by Christ’s name). Rather, it is to invite people into the grace and love of God which is embodied and offered in a person – Jesus Christ. The invitation is not intended to create a bunch of philosophical and religious hoops for people to jump through before they can be accepted as ‘in’, but rather to remove obstacles, and, through practical, lived and shared love, make God’s grace as easy to access as possible. Perhaps, if we were less concerned about religious dominance (or the dominance of other religions that are ot ours), and more concerned with the practical expression of love for those within (and without) our own faith community globally, we would have to worry less about evangelism, and more about how we welcome the people streaming to join us. As I read on a poster the other day: “A suggestion for global peace – all Christians should promise not to kill each other”. What if we also promised to feed, clothe, house and educate each other?

LOCAL APPLICATION: A lot of the conversation around “Church” these days (be it emerging church, seeker church, worship evangelism, denominational structures or whatever) boils down to “church growth” or, worse, “church survival”. We are constantly bombarded with statistics about people leaving the church and stories of those who have been hurt/disillusioned/marginalised by the church. Both the stats and the stories are good and need to be heard, but our responses are often to seek new “solutions” or “programs” or “techniques” or even “theologies” to stop the bleed and get back on top – or at least back to being alive to some degree. Jesus, though, doesn’t particularly concerned about “the Church” and whether it grows or not. What he is concerned is that people should now about God’s grace and life which is available through Christ and which is demonstrated by a community of love. God’s invitation, in the end, is not a message or an institution. It is a relationship with God and with those who love God and know they are beloved of God. Perhaps the best way we can be a people of invitation is to stop speaking, “reaching out” or trying to be attractive, and to start simply loving God and each other – and anyone else who happens to enter our circle of awareness.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Amazing Invitation
Extending The Invitation
Chains

Hymn Suggestions:
And Can It Be
To God Be The Glory
Come Let Us Sing Of A Wonderful Love
Come Sinners To The Gospel Feast
You Are (Link to the Every God-Beloved Life CD page, where you can download a free mp3 & chord chart)
Everyone Under The Sun (Link to Yahoo listening page)
All Who Are Thirsty (Link to YouTube video)
Come Now Is The Time To Worship (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Communion

Video Suggestions:
Invite
Invitation
You Are
Invitation To The Thirsty

The power of Easter lies not just in the life it offers us, but also in the way we are recruited to be life-bringers. This week, the role of love in leading us to life – and enabling us to bring life to others – stands out in the Lectionary. Love is never easy, it is always messy, unpredictable and scandalously inclusive. But, if we seek to follow Christ, we cannot avoid the privilege and the responsibility we have to be people of love.

May your worship lead into this love of Christ, and into his life, a little more this week.

READINGS:
Acts 11:1-18: Peter explains to the believers in Jerusalem how the Holy Spirit was received by Gentiles in Caesaria.

Psalm 148: A psalm exhorting all of creation and all peoples to praise God.

Revelation 21:1-6: John sees a vision of the New Jerusalem descending from heaven, and a voice that proclaims that God’s dwelling place is now among people on earth.

John 13:31-35: Jesus’ new commandment – to love one another.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The Easter message shifts this week from Jesus’ offer of life to us, to the way we seek to live out that life as we follow him – and it’s a startling message of inclusivity and love. Jesus’ new commandment is frequently sung and quoted, but the “one another” that Jesus’ calls us to love is often limited to Christian believers. Now, in the lectionary, as the Gospel is laid aside the other readings, we realise that this “one another” goes much further. In Acts, we discover that the previously excluded Gentiles are now included in God’s Kingdom. In the Psalm, all of creation is included in this “one another” as the entire creation is exhorted to offer praise. And in John’s Revelation vision, we discover that God so includes all, that God moves God’s dwelling place (“heaven”) into our earthly neighbourhood. There can be no greater, all-encompassing statement of love for all from God. We have no more excuses for turning the Gospel into an exclusive message!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: One of the big questions of our generation is “who is in and who is out?”. Global economic and trade regulations are designed to favour some (who tend to be the wealthy) and disempower others (who tend to live in third world countries). Political conversations are always being drawn in partisan ways with clear lines indicating who is on which side – and woe betide those who try to cross those lines. Religious communities and power structures, equally, have tended to focus on who is with us and who is against us. From geographical to economic to political to religious to racial to sexual to generational lines, our world is built on defining who is in and who is out. The prophetic Church, the Church of the resurrection, of love, of the God who lives among us, must be a Church that blurs every line, and invites everyone into the grace and love of God – and a Church that challenges the lines that exclude and oppress.

LOCAL APPLICATION:  In recent years the worship of the Church has been strongly divided along stylistic and generational lines. More and more churches are discovering, though, that any church or service that is built on division or exclusivity is bound to fail. Increasingly we are witnessing that the most healthy, vibrant and growing communities are those that include – that bring diverse people together to worship, to learn from each other and to learn to love one another. This is not easy, but if you seek to reach people who are not part of any church, if you seek to make an impact on your wider community, then we need to demonstrate that we can live the message we preach, and that those we seek to reach will be included and loved and brought into contact with a loving and inclusive God – not judged or condemned in the hopes that the fear of hell or God’s rejection will scare them into the Kingdom.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
How You Have Loved
A Love So Strong
Where Is The Love

Hymn Suggestions:
Come Let Us Sing Of a Wonderful Love
Love Divine All Loves Excelling
Praise To The Lord, The Almighty
All Creatures Of Our God And King
Everyone Belongs (From my CD Every God-Beloved Life. Link to Amazon mp3 download page)
You Are (Also from Every God-Beloved Life. Free download from the linked page)
God Of The Moon (Link to YouTube video)
Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace
Servant Song (Brother, Sister Let Me Serve You)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Breaking Of Bread

Video Suggestions:
Known By Love

Drama Script:
You’re Not Like Me