Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1
The season of Epiphany is upon us! A new light in the world. New opportunities are before us. New joys and new possibilities for growth. The wise men traveled hundreds, perhaps thousands of miles to greet the infant Christ – you only have to make it to 1407 Bolton Street.
Because this Sunday you have your own opportunity to find new opportunities for joy, for service, and for community at Memorial. We are having our first ever ‘Try it before you buy it’ Sunday - where you can stay after church and try out one of our ministries - acolytes, altar guild, lectors, ushers, choir, vergers, flower arranging and possibly a few other things. (this was MY design for a flyer - fortunately Candice saw the wisdom of creating her own)
If you are new to Memorial please join us this Sunday and see if there is a place for you on the altar or in service to the community. If you are not so new, but are ready to take a step out of the pews (or chairs as it were) I hope you will come as well.
We have some VERY DEDICATED volunteers who have carried our worship and ministry through the COVID era, but they could use a break, and WE could use someone like YOU on the altar.
Why?
Because of the incarnation. Because the power of this moment was people all over the world recognizing God in a newborn baby. That looked just like all of us.
When you walked into this church the first time, did you see someone like you on the altar? In the choir? In the leadership? If so - you know how important that is to feeling like you belong when you come in the door.
And if not, don’t you want to see if you can make it a little easier for the next person who comes after you? To make sure that people see the face of God and their face in Church when they join us? I hope so.
One other thought on acts of service. Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem. The wise men brought gifts from far away. The disciples walked. The Israelites walked through the red sea and carried the ark across the Jordan. Joshua marched around Jericho with trumpets and flags. The bible is filled with stories of people using their bodies in service of God, and getting more deeply connected to God in the process.
I don’t ask you to serve on Sundays because we need warm bodies. I ask you to do it in the hopes that it becomes a part of your spiritual work. That it offers you an opportunity to offer a gift to God and receive God’s gifts in return. After all, that is what the season of Epiphany is all about.