Faith Goes Walkabout

Thoughts and reflections

Tag: epiphany

Epiphany

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On January 8, 2023

In Diocese of Norwich, Epiphany, Faith goes walkabout

Baubles in Advent

Epiphany – the realisation that Jesus is in the world with us all!

And so the good news continues. Epiphany is the time when the Magi arrived at Bethlehem,

We know the story, we know why the Magi brought the gifts they did, they were gifts for a king. Melchior from Persia brought gold, Caspar from India brought myrrh and Balthazar from Ethiopia brought frankincense.

This the real celebration, we have all the story, we have the light of the world come to live with us, and he will be with us forever.

Read more in Epiphany page.

Let’s move forward into 2023 in the light, it has dispelled the darkness and will never be put out! Alleluia!

Rev’d Sue Martin Diocese of Norwich

Epiphany 1

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On January 10, 2022

In church seasons, Diocese of Norwich, Epiphany, Faith goes walkabout

Arise and shine for your light has come ! Isaiah chapter 60:1

How hard it is to emerge from the darkness, the long dark nights and the cold wet days. What a joy the sunrises and sunsets and the days we have had where the sky is blue and we can feel the strength of the sun, that bright shining star that we depend on to survive.

Some time in the surf would be just the thing!

So, moving on from Christmas and into Epiphany, the time when the light shines on us all as we realise that the day has dawned when Jesus is with us for ever. The greatest ever moment of Epiphany.

Read more in Epiphany…

The Year of the Parcel 2020

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On January 3, 2021

In Faith goes walkabout

 

There is something in me that doesn’t want to mark 2020 as the Covid Year. It feels like it would have won and I am too positive a person to let that happen.

As yet another brown parcel arrived on the doorstep I knew what last year heralded for me… parcels, gifts, packages, usually ordered by myself, but that didn’t matter when they arrived on the doorstep by the kind delivery person taking a photos of the doorstep. I always wave and say thank you as they rush off to their next delivery.

2020 The Year of the Parcel!

Epiphany is about gifts, being given such a present of Jesus,  that we are full of awe and wonder. We move on from Christmas. We move on with the light of the world. We know many don’t have that joy and move on to more disruptions, tweets, news broadcasts and the endless ‘bad news’ that seems to win audiences.

I suspect the Year of the Parcel will carry on, in fact it may be a life changer. Even the smallest things can arrive in a brown parcel, but they can be just what you need!

In the midst of this pandemic we can all receive a gift, whether wrapped up in brown paper or knowing that the light of the world came among us, let’s journey on into Epiphany beating this virus and knowing that gifts are the way forward!!

Rev’d Sue Martin

 

 

Epiphany

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On January 7, 2018

In Epiphany, theological

The Visit of the Magi

To show or to make known, to be made manifest, the meaning of Epiphany.

It is also a revelation or an ‘epiphany’, when all becomes clear.

In church it is marked by the colours of gold and white and is best known for the visit of the three wise men to the stable on the twelfth day of Christmas.

An interesting fact is that, around January 6, the symbol +C+B+M+ with two numbers before and two numbers after (for example, 20+C+B+M+12) is sometimes seen written in chalk above the doorway of Christian homes. The letters are the initials of the traditional names of the Three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. These letters also abbreviate the Latin phrase Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The beginning and ending numbers are the year, 2012 in the example above. The crosses represent Christ.

Read more in Epiphany,Faith goes Walkabout

 Rev’d Sue Martin

Epiphany 6 January

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On January 6, 2015

In church seasons, Epiphany, theological

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In Spain on 6th January the celebrations are held for the Twelfth Day of Christmas. The streets of the Spanish capital are filled with children who are waiting to see the parade of the Three Kings or Magi bearing gifts in an annual tradition.

People dressed as fantasy figures on the floats hurled sweets down to the children, who cheer the ornately decorated floats.

The “Magi from the east” – Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar are following a star to Bethlehem to give gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newly born Jesus Christ.

If you look in the East sky at night this month, you will see Jupiter,shining brightly, low in the sky,an idea of what that star would have looked like, but multiplied by a magnitude of a thousand times brightness.

Epiphany – bringing light into the darkness.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Diocese of Norwich

New Year and Epiphany

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On January 6, 2012

In church seasons, theological

 

3 wise men

 

January 6th and twelfth night means that the season of Christmas is finished for now.

 

Epiphany starts with the story of the Three Wise Men. Travelling across the desert and following the star, what a wonderful story.

 

Decorations down, Christmas trees put away or taken outside, tinsel and cards put into little boxes.

But we can’t do that with Christmas! It’s here for good!

The good news lasts forever.

When the winter continues and the days remain dark for a little longer yet, think back to all those messages of hope and light coming into the world…Jesus with us.

Rev’d Sue Martin

From Advent to Christmas

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On December 22, 2010

In church seasons, theological

natAs the shortest day brings increasing darkness and wintry weather so our Advent calendars move close towards Christmas Day.

People rushing from shops to home, travellers stranded at airports or in planes, caught in the snow on trains and in the roads.

And then on Saturday, all will be calm.

At Faith Goes Walkabout look for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Just some thoughts, prayers and the odd sermon too. Hope it gets you thinking or at least just a chance to read.

Look out for Church of England website and Norwich Diocese too. The BBC have a great programme running this week, called The Nativity.

Sue Martin, Faith Goes Walkabout

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