a note from rev. sharon

Dear St. John’s,
Today is the 12th day of Christmas (cue the drummers drumming), which means that tomorrow is Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is when we celebrate the arrival of wise men who followed a star to Bethlehem to see Jesus, “the child who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2).
An “epiphany” is a manifestation – in this case, the first manifestation of Christ to the gentiles, or non-Jews. The season of Epiphany is filled with signs or manifestations of Jesus’ true nature, from his baptism, when a voice from heaven declares, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11), to Jesus’ first recorded miracle turning water into wine to his mountaintop transfiguration.
One fun tradition is to write a special Epiphany blessing on doorways. The blessing changes each year and follows a formula. This year, it is 20+C+M+B+24. The letters come from the traditional names for the wise men: Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. They also are an abbreviation for “Christus Mansionem Benedicat,” which means “May Christ bless this dwelling.”
So, consider taking a piece of chalk and creating a little “holy graffiti” at your house. Here’s a link to an article with more details about this ancient practice. https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/.../for-an-epiphany.../
Rev. Sharon
P.S. – We’re keeping a close eye on the weather reports. The current plan is to hold church in person on Sunday for those who can safely make it. But if you are worried about travel conditions, please err on the side of safety and stay at home. There are plenty of worship opportunities available online!
If we feel we must cancel in-person worship for safety reasons, we will send out an email by 9 a.m. on Sunday and include a Zoom link so you can join me for worship led from my home.