2nd Sunday of Christmas – January 4, 2025

The Episcopal Church is a very restrictive church when it comes to celebrations that happen on Sunday. On page 15 of the Book of Common Prayer (YES! There are pages before 355 in the BCP!), The Epiphany is described as a “Principal Feast” held on January 6. The BCP states “These feasts take precedence of any other day or observance.” On page 16, we read, “All Sundays of the year are feasts of our Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to the dated days listed above, only the following feasts, appointed on fixed days take precedence of a Sunday: The Holy Name, The Presentation, The Transfiguration / The feast of …a Church’s patron or title may be observed on, or be transferred to, a Sunday, except in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter. … all other Major Feasts appointed on fixed days in the Calendar, when they occur on a Sunday, are normally transferred to the first convenient open day within the week.”

OK, so translating that Episcopalese… we can’t celebrate Epiphany on a Sunday. It’s only to be celebrated on January 6. And so, most years in the Episcopal Church, we skip over the arrival of the Magi to the manger. Today, they’re still behind me, journeying to the Christ Child. Next week, they’ll be gone completely, along with most of the decorations you see up now. BUT… we can read the Gospel reading associated with the arrival of the Magi as an option. So, while we aren’t technically celebrating Epiphany today, we get to hear about it anyway.

In many parts of the world, Epiphany (or Día de los Reyes, in Spanish) is a bigger holiday than Christmas, with rituals of gift giving tied to treasure-bearing wise men instead of a jolly fat man in a red suit. In some places, children leave shoes filled with hay outside their homes. They hay is for the camels of the wise men, who leave gifts for the children in the house in the shoes as thanks before resuming their journey to Bethlehem. Across Italy, it’s the good broomstick-riding witch Befana who visits children on Epiphany, bringing sweets and presents.

I think it’s good on this day to go back to the word epiphany. An epiphany is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, “a moment of sudden revelation or insight.” There are many biblical epiphanies to come, from Jesus’ baptism (which we celebrate next Sunday) to his transfiguration (celebrated the last Sunday before Lent – March 2 for those keeping track). What do these epiphanies have in common? In the story of Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3:22, we hear a divine voice speaking and saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” In the story of the transfiguration, we get the diving voice saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” (Lk 9:35). But the question for me is whose revelation is being shown here? Is it ours or is it God’s? Or are we finally opening our ears to hear God speak to us.

And a more important question for us today is are epiphanies things of the past (that is, always introduced by stories that begin “once upon a time”) or are they things that are happening even now? Are there ways in our lives that we personally see the guiding star appear, even though we have no explanation for it?

You’ll remember that in 2020, the congregation here at St. Michael & All Angels had been without a steady clergy person for 4-ish years. The previous priest in charge had left under some circumstances that had been detrimental to the congregation, and the perception was that the diocese hadn’t really helped to solve the issues here. The congregation was, in a sense, “wandering in the wilderness” with no discernible path forward. The star guiding St. Mike’s suddenly grew in brightness in the sky. After being asked to supply here for a few Sundays, together, we figured out a way to make St. Michael and All Angels my home and allow me to have the privilege of serving and leading here.

Together, we’ve followed that star, even though the journey hasn’t been easy. We’ve stumbled along the way. We’ve lost the path and wandered together. And together, there have been times when we’ve blazed new paths.  Together, through our epiphany journeys, we’ve told the stories of our encounters with God – in community, in relationship, in the chambers of our own hearts – and we’ve given testimony to the ongoing revelation of the Word made flesh.

To close, I saved one of the traditions of Epiphany for last. We’ve heard of this tradition before, but it’s no less meaningful when we hear of it again or practice it again.

We must remember that God is still speaking… always speaking to us. And the Magi journeyed without really knowing their final destination or what they’d find there. Unsure of exactly what they would find, the Magi let the spirit guide them. Today, I’m asking you to do the same. Scattered around this table, you will find many stars that look the same. Take one of the stars, and on the reverse (or maybe it’s the front?) you’ll find a word. For those of you joining online, you can find a star word online.

This is your star word for the year. I invite you to keep the star someplace special, somewhere you will see it throughout the coming year. Perhaps on the refrigerator, on the bathroom mirror, taped to the dashboard of the car, at your work cubicle, or in your wallet peeking out … someplace seen regularly so it can serve as a guide.

For some of you, the word’s meaning pops up right away. For others, the meaning may evolve throughout the year. For still others, there may be no immediate significance, but over the months meaning emerges. Throughout the year, people will mention their word and how it is being shown in their lives. You’re always invited during the announcements to take a few moments to share how your word was lived out through the year, to tell how the word challenged you to grow in meaningful ways, or to express how the word brought surprising comfort in a time you didn’t know you needed it.

This tradition can round out our Advent and Christmas season and it gives us something to guide our spiritual lives for the coming year. God told the people, “Do not be afraid.” The Magi followed and were unafraid and we are being urged to follow their lead.