Epiphany Prayer

Greetings and welcome to the new year.

January 6th is traditionally Epiphany, the celebration of the arrival of the Wise Men in Bethlehem to visit Jesus the newborn King.

We read the story in Matthew Chapter 2 and discover the wise men used their knowledge of ancient history, astronomy and religion to find Jesus.

What stands out to me in this story is the Gospel of Matthew begins in Chapter 1 with the genealogy of Jesus. It shows us Jesus’ Jewish credentials and his heritage all the way back to Abaraham. Matthew tells the story to a Jewish audience and grounds it in history not folklore.

For many hundreds of years, the Jewish people had been waiting for a Messiah, a saviour who would establish a new kingdom and rescue God’s people. The introduction of the Wise Men into the mix tells us that this new King is not just for a small group of eager, religious people but is for all people. Epiphany points out the global implications of the coming of the Christ Child.

It was my honour last year to experience the global church and to visit the church in Ghana, Jamaica, USA and Bangkok. The beauty of the faith we hold is that regardless of national identity, social standing or religious background, it is open to all who will seek out the Christ child and discover God incarnate.

I pray this year you may journey like the wise men to discover Christ and when you find him, worship at his feet in adoration and devotion.

May you walk in the light of Christ with the urgency of the wise men.

Amen.

Revd Geoff Felton, Moderator, The United Reformed Church, Mersey Synod.