Seeing the Light

Epiphany is all about light. The star in the sky leads the magi to Jesus, the light of the world, the revelation of divine love who came to dwell among us. This is certainly a Sunday to contemplate and demonstrate the light reflected around us. Light candles on the altar, bring out some gold or other metals to reflect the light in the room. Take a moment in the service to draw everyone’s attention to the light streaming in from the stained-glass windows. But don’t forget the role darkness plays in helping us notice the light. I’m not talking about darkness, as in evil. I’m talking about the darkness that helps regulate our sleep-wake rhythms, draws us into a state of calm and peace, and even enhances our creativity. It is striking and worth our attention to remember that the magi noticed the star’s light in the dark of night. They needed the darkness to be able to follow the light.

As the first Sunday of the new year, it is also a tradition in many congregations to pray the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer as part of committing ourselves to God in the year ahead. The prayer comes from a longer Service of Covenant Renewal in The Book of Worship. As you plan worship for this Sunday, look over this liturgy and consider what aspects you might want to include in your service, whether you use the whole service or just the covenant prayer. If you want an updated version of the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer, Rev. Jeremy Smith offers “Wesley’s Covenant Prayer, revised.” While Epiphany and the first service of the year do not always align, this year invites us to begin the new year with the revelation of the Christ child. Like the magi, we have wandered over the last year, sometimes across rough terrain and other times over smooth roads, to seek the promise that God is doing a new thing among us. When we renew our covenant together, we commit once again to continue on the path of the Christ child throughout the coming year. We choose to see, hear, touch, smell, and even taste the world around us as bearers and seekers of divine love.