6th January 2021 - Epiphany

​APC 6th Jan 2021   Epiphany – “A Light to the nations”
 
Welcome and Introduction          
Good morning everyone and welcome to our Midweek worship.  May I begin by wishing you and all your loved ones a very happy and healthy New Year.
It’s been lovely to have a week off and to enjoy some quality time with the family.  But it’s also great to be back with you today to worship our God together.  Today, in Ireland, the 6th of January, is Nollaig na mBan known as “Little Christmas” or “Women’s Christmas.”  It was a day traditionally when the men took over the cooking and housework to give women a rest after all their work especially over the busy Christmas period.  It’s a tradition that is seeing a revival and hopefully when we have greater freedoms of movement next year, our ladies can enjoy a well-deserved night out together.
Today, throughout the world, in the Christian church is called Epiphany, and officially marks the end of Christmas.  It’s a day when historically the church has reflected on the wise men and on the baptism of Jesus.  We’ll be exploring why Jesus needed to be baptized on Sunday, but today I want to spend a few moments reflecting on the story of the wise men.  But let me begin by calling us to worship through the words of Psalm 8….
 
Call to Worship              Psalm 8
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory in the heavens.  Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?  You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour.  You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.  O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Let us pray…
 
Opening Prayer – An Epiphany Petition
God of love, we remember today on this Epiphany Sunday, how wise men from the East came seeking the new born King, how finally they reached the end of their journey, and how they knelt in worship before the infant Jesus.  Help us to learn from their example. 
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
Teach us to continue faithfully on the path you set before us, remembering that true faith involves a journey of discovery as well as arrival at a destination.
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
Teach us to seek your will resolutely, even when the way ahead is not clear.
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
Teach us to look at the world around us, and to recognise the signs through which you might be speaking to us.
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
Teach us to keep on trusting in your purpose even when the responses of others may give us cause for doubt.
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
Teach us to offer to Jesus our wholehearted devotion- not simply our gifts but our whole lives, given to Him in joyful worship and grateful praise.
Guide our footsteps, and lead us closer to Christ.
 
Let us join together in the words of the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name,
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us,
And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil,
For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever, AMEN.
 
 
Bible Readings
 
Isaiah 60 v 1-6
 
“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
    All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
    and your daughters are carried on the hip.
5 Then you will look and be radiant,
    your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
    to you the riches of the nations will come.
6 Herds of camels will cover your land,
    young camels of Midian and Ephah.
And all from Sheba will come,
    bearing gold and incense
    and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.
 
Matthew 2 v 1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
 
Reflection               Epiphany – “A Light to the nations”
Epiphany, or Three Kings' Day, is the 12th day of Christmas, with today, January 6, marking the official end to the festive season for many Christians and the day that they will take down their Christmas tree.
In the West, Christians began celebrating Epiphany in the 4th Century. It was used to celebrate both the visit of the wise men to Jesus shortly after his birth and also Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist.  In fact right up until the 19th century, Epiphany was considered more important than Christmas Day,
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the wise men followed the star of Bethlehem across the desert to meet the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, offering gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The gifts were symbolic of the importance of Jesus' birth.  The gold representing his royal standing; frankincense his Priestly Role as the mediator between God and humanity; and myrrh, an embalming spice, reminding us that Christ died to take the judgement for our sins.
The word 'Epiphany' comes from Greek and means 'manifestation'. It celebrates 'the revelation of God in his Son as human in Jesus Christ'. The six Sundays which follow Epiphany are known as the time of manifestation.
For many churches, the season of Epiphany extends from January 6 until Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. The last Sunday of the Epiphany is celebrated as Transfiguration Sunday.
Festivities for this ancient Christian Day of Celebration vary around the world.
Hundreds of years ago, roast lamb was traditionally served at Epiphany in honour of Christ and the three Kings' visit.
In Spain/Mexico whoever finds the small statue of a baby Jesus hidden inside their slice of the Rosca de reyes throws a party on Candlemas in February.
In some European countries, children leave their shoes out the night before to be filled with gifts, while others leave straw for the three Kings' horses.
In Bulgaria, Eastern Orthodox priests throw a cross in the sea and the men dive in - competing to get to it first.
In Prague, there is a traditional Three Kings swim to commemorate Epiphany Day at the Vltava River.
In New York, thousands take part in an annual procession featuring camels, colourful puppets and floats.
As we begin our journey over the next few months following the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, today I thought it might be helpful to reflect on what the wise men, can teach us about what it really means to worship Jesus Christ, the King of Kings…
From the writings of Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian, we discover that these Magi came from a tribe called the Medes.  Having failed in an attempt to overthrow the Persians, the Magi substituted ambitions for power and prestige to become the priests of Persia.  They became men of holiness and wisdom skilled in philosophy, medicine and natural science.  They were interpreters of dreams and experts in astrology who could foretell the future by looking at the stars.  They were used to recognising significant changes in patterns in the night sky. 
In those days on the first day of the Egyptian month Mesori, the dog star, Sirius, rose at sunrise and shone with extraordinary brilliance.  The name Mesori means ‘the birth of a prince’.  We can’t be certain if this was the star they followed.  What we can be sure of is that something in the night sky spoke to these experts saying – “A King is born!”  This would not have surprised them because historically at that time there was an air of expectation throughout the world that a great King was about to arrive on the scene.  In those days the Roman Emperor Augustus was being hailed as “Saviour of the world” and the Roman poet Virgil was writing his fourth Eclogue known as the ‘Messianic Eclogue’ describing the golden days that were to come.  So we can have confidence that the story of the Epiphany is no legend or fairy tale.  Matthew gives an accurate historical account of something that happened in the ancient world.  Men were waiting for a new King, even God, to come to bring in this golden age for which they longed.  The Magi saw something in the night sky that told them this King had been born, so they travelled thousands of miles to Bethlehem to bow at His feet in worship.  It is obvious from all of these details that the wise men went to worship Jesus for who He was.  Herod, in contrast, only wanted to discover this new King’s whereabouts so he could have him killed because Jesus was a threat to his throne.
From this we are reminded about the nature of true worship.  The word worship means ‘giving God His worth’.  That involves respecting and obeying God simply because of who He is and not because of what we can get from Him.  The wise men sought to worship Him simply because He was King.  Herod sought to find him simply to secure his own future.
You know all of life can be worship.  Whatever we do, we can do it in a way that respects that God is our King, that He is our first love.  We can live each moment with an attitude of thanks for all He has given us and with a desire to represent Him well among our friends and family.  We can come to church to hear from God, to thank Him for His kindness, to say sorry for ways that we have ignored Him and to seek His help and guidance.  But equally, we can live life for ourselves, without any real thought of God, without spending much time talking to Him or reading the bible, without any real consideration for how we are representing Him, without much gratitude for all that he has given us.  We can even come to church for many reasons other than to give God the praise and thanks and honour and respect that he deserves.
As we begin a new year, the wise men cause us to reflect and ask - Do we genuinely love Jesus?  Do we really live our lives with the constant thought that He is the King of Kings, our King, our true boss?  Do we regularly thank Him for dying for us, and for giving us His Spirit to live in us?  Do we give Him the credit for the gifts, talents and intellectual abilities we possess and the things we have achieved?  Do we really come to church each week longing to learn more about what He is like and how we can live to please Him?    Are we willing to give Him what is valuable to us whether that be time, talent or money so that others may be helped and many may be encouraged to worship Him too?  Are we happy to get involved in church life, to play our part, welcome and care for each other in response to God’s love to us?  Are we willing to lay the deep hurts and questions we have about life at His feet, bowing to His greater wisdom and knowing that one day he will right every wrong and wipe every tear?
Let me encourage you to be a wise man or woman in 2019.  Follow Jesus.  His ways are best.  Like the wise ones of old you may find that means your life may have to take a different direction.  A life that is responsive and obedient to the King of Kings.  Sure that will involve risk, it may make you unpopular with the Herod’s of this world who have no thought for God or His Christ.  It will mean sacrifice. It will involve battling temptation.  It will leave you with unanswered questions and wrestling with doubts.  But it will be worth it.  For as we follow the star of Bethlehem, we will discover something amazing.  When we seek Him for the right reasons and worship Him simply for who He is and what he has done for us, unexpectedly, we will find that He will respond by showering us with His blessings, treasures of far greater worth than anything we can find anywhere else – a deep sense of joy and peace and meaning and destiny that is almost impossible to put into words.  May God grant us all a fresh epiphany to see in Jesus the greatest treasure in life.  And in light of that may He show us what it means to truly worship Him….
 
 
Prayers for Others – Epiphany Intercession
 
Lord of Light, we have remembered today the journey of the wise men- how, inspired by  what they took to be a sign, they set off in search of a new born King, a King who would change not simply their lives, not merely the life of His people, but the life of the world.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
We remember how they persevered in their quest, travelling in faith, even though they had no clear idea of where they were heading, or any certainty of what they would find when they reached their destination.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
We remember how they refused to be discouraged, despite their reception in Jerusalem, despite the fact that no one seemed to have any idea that anew King had been born.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
We remember how they kept going, single minded in their pursuit of their goal, until at last their determination was rewarded and they came face to face with the infant Jesus.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
Living God we pray for all who seek today, all those who are looking for a sense of purpose in their lives, all who are searching for spiritual fulfilment, all who long to find you for themselves.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
Help them to keep looking, even when the journey is demanding and no end seems in sight; to keep believing even when others seem oblivious to their quest or scornful of it; to keep on trusting even when those they look to for guidance seem as confused and as lost as they are.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
Living God, you have promised through Jesus Christ that those who seek shall find.  May the experience of the wise men inspire all who seek for truth to keep on searching, in the assurance that they too, come what may, will one day complete their quest, and discover you for themselves.
 
Come again now and may light shine in the darkness.
 
Take a few moments in silence now to pray for one or two people or one or two situations…
 
All these prayers we offer in the name of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
 
 
Closing Words
It’s been a joy and privilege to share with you again today. Thanks again for logging on.  I do hope you found this morning’s service an encouragement.
 
I want to thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout 2020.  There has been a great sense of togetherness and mutual support in our congregation despite the difficulties we have faced.  You have also shown a great spirit of generosity in contributing towards the needs of many charitable causes.  Just recently, I received a very nice thank you letter from Springboard for your donation of Euros 640.  So thank you to everyone who contributed to that. 
 
As is our tradition, on Christmas Day we had a special collection for the poorest and most vulnerable in our world who have been especially affected by the Covid 19 pandemic.  The money that is raised through this Moderator’s Appeal will be channeled directly through our Partner Agencies ‘Tear Fund’ and ‘Christian Aid’.  If you weren’t able to make it on Christmas day then you can still contribute to our Moderator’s Appeal. You can donate online using the Church bank details on our website, just mark your donation for the Moderator’s Christmas Appeal.  You can also contact our treasurer Aleida Van der Flier to pay using a mechanism that is more suitable for you.
 
I’d like to thank Aleida for leading our service online on Sunday 27th and to thank our Moderator for leading us last Sunday.  I think you’ll agree they both did an excellent job.
 
Unfortunately, but understandably, for the foreseeable future church services will only be allowed online.  The good news is I will be providing online services on Wednesday and Sunday mornings until church reopens.  So let me encourage you to tune in as often as you can to keep your faith alive.  Let me also encourage you to phone around each other and keep encouraging one another and to pray for one another.  This Sunday we will begin our journey following Jesus through snapshots of his teaching and ministry until eventually at the end of March we will come to Holy week and Easter when we will reflect on his final week, death and resurrection.  So there’s lots to look forward to.  But for now let me close by leading you in a Benediction after which I will invite you as always, to say the grace together…
 
 
Benediction
Go out into the world to share the many gifts that have been given to you.  Do not let them go to waste; share them through the power of the Spirit.  And as you do so, may the grace and peace of God abide with you along the way.  And…
May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit; be with us all now and for evermore,
Amen.