Dear Friends,

 

It’s the time of year when the illuminated angles, bells, ornaments, and packages that have lit up the Lisbon area through the Christmas season are coming down.  According to the Church calendar or Liturgical Year, we are in the season of Epiphany which focuses on the revelation of Jesus as Messiah.   Each week I set the bible readings, the hymns and the sermon to align with the Revised Common Lectionary  which follows the church calendar, with a few exceptions.  This Sunday, for example, we will look at His baptism - a public proclamation of Jesus’ identity and a clear indication of the triune nature of God. (the Trinity).

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On the ride home from church on Sunday, I asked my youngest (6) what the sermon was about, to see if she was listening.  Without hesitation, she confidently said “Jesus!”.  A good answer although I was looking for “waiting for Jesus”, close enough.  You will notice from the diagram that half of the church year is focused on the story of Jesus.  In fact, the whole Bible and thus the whole church year is about Jesus, who He is, why He came, what He did, and what He will do.   

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As we journey through the cold winter months of Epiphany, my prayer for all of you is that we carry forward the joy and wonder of Advent, even though the Christmas lights are down and the world has moved on.  The revelation of Jesus, born to us as a babe in a manger, dying on a cross to save us from the penalty of sin, is for the whole year!

 

With Love and Blessings,

 

Kevin

p.s.  If you are not able to attend St. Andrews’ Sunday Services but would like to hear the sermon, you can find them on the website here.