I love the season of Epiphany

by Robert Mohns

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” – Isaiah 60:1-3

I have to confess: even though I live where winter’s grip can be experienced for a good portion of the year, I am not a winter person. The bitter cold… the inevitable slips and fall and subsequent muscle aches… the long periods of darkness… the flu and colds that accompany the season… No, I am not a winter person.

However, I confess that I am Epiphany person. It is in the midst of the harshest and darkest days of winter that Epiphany announces God’s light, Christ Jesus, this world’s Saviour has come and His glory has been revealed. In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul joyfully announces that He has been given to reveal what formerly lay hidden in mystery (Ephesians 3:6). This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Growing up in the church, I looked forward to this season because the church celebrated its mission to spread the light of Christ, the Gospel of salvation to all peoples. It is the season of mission fests.

It is the season that we often had visits from the church’s missionaries who were on furlough. They would share the work they were doing and, through film and pictures, introduce us to our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. It is a season that inspires us to consider how we might help support the work of sharing God’s Word. It is the season that challenges us to reflect the light of Christ where God has planted us. It is the season of fervent prayer for the Word of God to continue to shine upon us. It is the season that finds God’s people in fervent prayer for those still living in darkness, that He may draw them into the light of Christ.

This Epiphany I am especially excited to see the members of Lutheran Church–Canada united as one people across this vast land, providing support for mission and ministry. Brothers and sisters in Christ from Kitimat in the far west region together with brothers and sisters throughout Canada, as far east as Halifax, joined in prayer and in sacrificial giving to support the work of a chaplain in an urban center on the prairies to serve our first responders who daily run into the midst of danger. Brothers and sisters in Christ living in urban communities in our Eastern regions and throughout Canada joined in prayer and providing generously for the inter-cultural ministry on the B.C. lower mainland, each one supplying for the need of others and in turn having their needs met by others.

Throughout this year, we will be introduced to the many missions and ministry of our brothers and sisters within and outside Canada. They will share their stories with us and invite us to join them in prayer. And all this happening in the darkest and most challenging days that our Synod has experienced in recent times. I love Epiphany and all the more so this year, because God continues to show us that the darkness of our days cannot overcome His light that has entered into the world.

May our Lord continue to stir up our hearts to join together in support of the mission and ministry that He has provided us in abundance this day.

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Rev. Robert Mohns is Regional Pastor for Lutheran Church–Canada’s West Region.

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