Guided by the Light of Epiphany in Modern Times

As the dawn of 2024 breaks upon us, we extend the warmest wishes for a year filled with health, safety, and spiritual depth. This episode is a tender farewell to the old year, and a hopeful embrace of the new, weaving together the timeless story of Epiphany and the journey of the Magi with our modern-day quests for divine guidance. We explore the rich tradition found in the Gospel of Matthew and consider how, like the Magi, we too are called to follow the star in our own lives, seeking out the Christ child with gifts of our own hearts and spirits.

This season of reflection reaches its zenith as we share "A Blessing for the Seekers," an evocative poem by Reverend Sarah Speed. Her words serve as a beacon for all who wander in search of wonder, hope, and the presence of God. Together, we uncover the beauty in being seekers, the joy of our discoveries, and the profound simplicity in offering our lives as gifts. Through poetry and prayer, let us journey into 2024 with eyes wide open to the manifestations of God around us, sharing love and light with every step. Join me in celebrating a blessed New Year and a joyous Epiphany.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Resilient Faith, the podcast.
Opportunities to find deeperresilience within ourselves can
come when life seems mostchallenging.
This podcast is to help youdevelop that resilience and
connection with God.
Being resilient and havingpower starts with faith.

(00:32):
Welcome, friends, to anotherepisode of the Resilient Faith
podcast and the first episode of2024.
Hooray, hooray, hooray.
Well, happy New Year to you.

(00:54):
I hope that this New Year findsyou healthy and safe, wherever
you are.
However, you are listening tothis podcast today, I hope and
pray that you feel the spirit ofGod surrounding you and
upholding you, bringing ustogether into this New Year.
With gratitude and thanksgiving, we say goodbye to 2023.

(01:18):
So long, see you later.
And we welcome with gratitudeand anticipation 2024, praying
for health and safety for all ofthose around the world who need
it so desperately.
We pray that the spirit of Godwill remain with us, no matter

(01:40):
what we face in the year to come.
We are going to be celebratingEpiphany this season, as we
always do so.
Christmas begins, of course, onDecember 25th, and then we are
in Christmas tide for 12 days,the 12 days of Christmas.
It's not just a fun song, it'salso a 12-day liturgical season,

(02:04):
and then it ends on January 6thwith Epiphany, and Epiphany is
the day that we celebrate theMagi, the wise men coming from
the east, from a place unknown,to find the baby Jesus, to
follow a star, to follow theirdreams and find Jesus and bring

(02:26):
him their gifts of gold,frankincense and myrrh.
So traditionally, on Epiphanywe read this passage of the Magi
the Magi are only found in theGospel of Matthew.
They are in chapter 2 ofMatthew's Gospel.
That is the only place where wefind the story of the Magi.
But we celebrate the Magi onEpiphany.

(02:48):
We celebrate them followingthis star to find Jesus to
deliver their gifts.
We follow the story of theirdeceit of King Herod and the way
that they listen to theirdreams to return home another
way after connecting with thisChrist child.

(03:10):
Last week I read a poem from mycolleague, reverend Sarah Speed,
for Christmas Tide.
So today I wanted to close thisChristmas tide season with an
epiphany poem by the samecolleague, reverend Sarah Speed.
So here's a poem for epiphanyand it is called A Blessing for

(03:35):
the Seekers.
Blessed are you who turn yourface up to the sky, who open
your arms to feel the wind, whonotice all the things that we
should notice.
Blessed are you who are fluentin wonder and familiar with awe.

(04:00):
Blessed are you who, even now,dream dreams, who have not lost
hope, who swear the glass isstill half full.
Blessed are you who plant treesand sing the harmony, who tell
the children how this world canbe magic.

(04:22):
Blessed are you who walk andsee and turn over every stone,
pointing out all the corners andcolors that God lives in.
Blessed are you.
Amen.

(04:48):
Well, beloveds, whatever it isthat you are seeking this year,
this epiphany, I hope and praythat you will feel God's
presence with you, that you willsee that God has manifest in
your life and in the world.
I pray that we will feelblessed as we follow the star to

(05:10):
find the baby Jesus, as wepresent Jesus with the gift of
our very lives and as we go outinto the world to share the good
news, to tell the story, tocontinue from generation to
generation the good news ofGod's great love for each and
every one of us.
Friends, happy New Year,blessed epiphany, and may God

(05:34):
bless us today and always.
May it be so, amen.
You've been listening toResilient Faith.
The podcast Resilient Faith issponsored by Brentwood
Presbyterian Church in West LosAngeles.

(05:55):
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Make sure to subscribe on yourfavorite podcast platform and
thanks for listening.