Introduction to Epiphany SeasonIn the Western churches, the Epiphany (‘manifestation’) became an occasion to celebrate one element in the story of Christ’s birth, the visit of the far-travelled magi, understood as the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. Matthew’s account speaks simply of ‘wise men from the east’; later tradition fixed their number at three, made them kings and recalled their resonant names – Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. In this perspective, Epiphanytide is an apt season to pray for the worldwide mission of the Church. The feast of the Conversion of St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, appropriately falls in the Epiphany season, as does the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In the Eastern churches, the Epiphany is, rather, the celebration of Christ’s baptism at the hands of John, when the heavens were opened and a voice from heaven declared Jesus to be God’s beloved Son. The miracle of Cana in Galilee, where Jesus ‘first manifested his glory’, follows immediately:Manifest at Jordan’s stream,Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;and at Cana wedding-guestin thy Godhead manifest.(Christopher Wordsworth)The arrangement of the Sundays of Epiphany in the Revised Common Lectionary deliberately draws out these aspects, as we will be exploring on Sunday mornings.The season of joyful celebration that begins at Christmas now continues through the successive Sundays of Epiphany, and the festal cycle ends only with the Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas). The child who has been manifested to the magi at his birth is now recognized by Simeon and Anna, when he comes to be presented in the Temple according to the Law of Israel. He is both ‘a light to lighten the Gentiles’ and ‘the glory of God’s people Israel’. But the redemption he will bring must be won through suffering; the Incarnation is directed to the Passion; and Simeon’s final words move our attention away from the celebration of Christmas and towards the mysteries of Easter.This article comes from https://www.churchofengland.org/
We've had several people asking for a church gathering in the mornings, as well as people looking for something quiet and reflective. You can download the first service sheet here to get a feel for what the new service will be like.(It is a double-sided tri-fold booklet )Hope to see you there!
Northstowe's monthly community get-together -- Wing Wednesday -- was transformed into a festive treat last night.After school crafts, attracted many families of school age children to decorate cards, tree ornaments, angels, and lanterns. Gingerbread decorating was the icing on it all! Later, we reset The Wing with a more sophisticated setup, as a jazz band set the tone for a chilled evening. More complicated crafts and a Christmas jigsaw added to the evening, as did an amazing spread of food and drink.The pinnacle of it all was the first public performance of the Northstowe Community Choir. There were even a few glistening eyes at the sheer beauty and wonder of it all. But, perhaps most importantly, was how Northstowe residents, the social committee, our community development office, and the two local churches partnered to bring it all together. This is how communities are formed!
There are somethings you just don't think about... until you try them!But a team of local residents, our parish councillor, Anglican minister, and District Community Development Officer were willing to give it a go.We dug the channel, threaded the cables, bored a hole, tipped a tree, realised it had no lights on, and un-tipped it, tied the lights to the top, re-tipped in, wedged it, wiggled it, hugged it (!), supported it, unwrapped it, danced round it with strings of lights... and tested it. We lifted the wires, and tested the connections, then reburied them.We tested it again...And we were ready!Then, as darkness fell on Sunday evening, over 50 new residents gathered for our countdown, a rousing rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and some wonderful bring-and share mince pies and hot chocolate.There, with the lights sparkling, community was being formed.What a blessing to be part of it!