epiphany

By: David H. May, Rector

Bob Hetherington used a little phrase in his sermon on the day of Epiphany that has stuck with me over these past six weeks. Bob said the words, but as he always prays beforehand, I think God must’ve made them God’s words, at least for me. Bob talked about how we were entering into the season of Epiphany. And he said, Epiphany is the ‘season of revelation’. I’ve carried that as a hope that in this season, God would reveal to us what we hadn’t seen before and hadn’t known before of his loving purposes and couldn’t have seen or known if God hadn’t shown us.

Here’s a simple example of revelation. Maybe there’s someone in church you’ve seen right there in their pew. And you’ve seen them there for the three years or the thirty years you’ve been coming to this church. But the truth is, you’re not quite sure who they are or even, truthfully, what their name is. You’ve just never quite ended up in each other’s lives. Nothing intentional. You’ve just never really crossed paths.

But then one Sunday, you run into him in the narthex after church. You thought he was heading for the door but then he turns and there you are face to face. There’s a moment, a little recognition, a pause. Then he says to you, “Good morning.” And then, “when I come into church, I always see you in your pew there. I know we don’t really know each other, but it always makes me glad to know you’re there. Hope that’s not too odd a thing to say.”

That’s a revelation. Something you couldn’t have known on your own. Who knew? God is using you to give a blessing and you never even knew it. Maybe it seems like a small thing. Maybe it is. But maybe even a small revelation like that changes things in a bigger way. And maybe God is there revealing something bigger.

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