Epiphany
Dear friends and members of St. Matt's,
Today we have moved from the Christmas season into the season of Epiphany. Today is the day we give thanks for the arrival of the Wise Men, the sages who traveled from afar to find a tiny King. We talked a little bit about their story on Sunday. And about God's promises of renewal and fulfillment. A prophecy from ages ago, begun in the hearts of God's people, made new in the person of Jesus Christ, and still gaining momentum today in you and in our life together as we wait for the fullness of God's kingdom together.
One of my favorite parts of this day and of this season is connected to the name: Epiphany. This whole season is a reminder that God plans to show us something new. That God is doing something new - and we only need to prepare our eyes to see it. It might be that God's plans are a little different than ours, but if we can prepare our eyes and our hearts, if we can go on the journey, then God's goodness promises to overwhelm us. I'm holding on to that truth, and I hope you'll join me there.
On Sunday, we'll spend another week in hybrid worship, where I ask the congregation to stay home. Only those of us that have a direct role in worship will be present in the sanctuary. This week, as cases have continued to go up, our programming has pivoted online. I believe this will be very temporary, but for now, we need to continue to love our neighbor by trying to stop the spread of this virus. We will be back together in person soon.
Please join us online this week, particularly because our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Laura Ahrens will be visiting and will be saying a few prayers of consecration for our altar and font. That will be a wonderful thing to see and for you to participate in even from the safety of your own homes. I'm deeply sorry we won't be together in person this week - but I believe that God is faithful and true - and will show us the path soon.
Please take a careful look through this e-news - there are still many ways to be connected and some very good news! Please be in touch if you need anything. I'm here to help you navigate this tricky time. God loves you. And so do I.
Faithfully,
--Marissa +