January 4, 2024
“Ah ha!” we may say when we suddenly realize something. We tend to call such a moment an “epiphany.” But the truth is that the word “epiphany” does really refer to a bulb alighting over our heads. The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek word epiphaneia and it means “manifestation.”
The season of Epiphany in the church calendar is a season when we remember and celebrate the manifestation of Jesus as God incarnate. It’s why we find it smack dab between Christmas and Lent. At Christmas, we celebrate the coming of Immanuel (“God with us”) and at Lent we walk the road towards Easter. Epiphany is what happens in between. It is a season of glory.
At Ardmore Baptist Church this year, we will be celebrating the season of Epiphany with a little more intentionality than normal. During the 10:45 service, I will be robing as I preach to somewhat elevate the season. And we will focus on the idea of God’s glory being the light that guides us.
For the past few years, as you all probably know, our Vision and Navigation Team has been prayerfully discerning who God is calling us to be and what God is calling us to do as Ardmore Baptist Church. During the season of Epiphany, I will be preaching on some of those ideas as we explore together how we can seek the light of God’s will for us.
Our guide through the season will be the author of Third Isaiah. As you may have heard before, biblical scholars believe that the prophetic book of Isaiah was actually probably three different books and that the Babylonian Exile is central.
First Isaiah (chs. 1-39) is written before the people of Judah are taken into captivity, Second Isaiah (chs. 40-55) is addressed to exiles in Babylon, and Third Isaiah (chs. 56-66) is about what struggles the people have as they return to their homeland from Babylon. In other words, Third Isaiah is asking questions like, “Who are we supposed to be now? What is God calling us to do?”
So, I invite you to join us for worship during this season of Epiphany, this season of manifestation, this season of glory, this season of vision.
The Light of the World: New Vision
January 7 – Arise, Your Light is Come (Isaiah 60:1-6)
January 14 – Vision: Developing Disciples (Isaiah 61:1-7)
January 21 – Vision: Fostering Authentic Relationships (Isaiah 56:1-8)
January 28 – Vision: Sharing Our Space (Isaiah 58:6-14)
February 4 – Vision: Embracing Simplicity (Isaiah 57:14-21)
February 11 – The Light of Newness (Isaiah 65:17-25)
