Season of Epiphany
As we continue through the season of Epiphany, we are approaching the fifth Sunday of Epiphany. The lectionary readings include the call of Jesus’ first disciples (Luke 5:1-4) and the testimony of Paul in 1 Corinthians (15:8-11). Paul explains the resurrection of Christ and Paul describes his encounter with Christ as indicative of his personal resurrection. The word Epiphany means manifestation and in the call of the disciples and in the transformation of Paul, we witness various types of Epiphanies.
The first disciples became followers of Jesus when they witnessed some of the miracles he performed. Paul became an apostle of Jesus when he encountered Jesus after the resurrection. Because Paul was not a follower of Jesus before the crucifixion, Paul describes himself as “one who was untimely born.” Before his personal encounter with Jesus, Paul had been a leader in the persecution of anyone who was a follower of Jesus.
Paul realized that he was essentially dead because of his sinful conduct of persecuting followers of Jesus. His life was discovered during his epiphany with Jesus. Before his personal encounter with the risen Jesus, Paul led violent groups who did not believe Jesus had been raised from the dead. Those who persecuted the followers of Jesus believed that the early Christians were a rogue faction who were eschewing traditional beliefs. However, Paul soon learned that the community that he was trying to destroy was the community that he needed to discover life and purpose.
The persecution of followers of Jesus still continues. The persecutors are often very dedicated to their cause. However, they have not experienced the manifestation of Jesus. In other words, they have not had an epiphany. After their epiphany, persecution gives way to proselytizing. Depending upon how it is done, proselytizing can seem very similar to persecution.
When proselytizing becomes more coercive than compelling, an invitation to follow can be perceived as a thinly veiled demand to comply. Evangelism is an invitation to become a follower of Jesus. Evangelism facilitates an epiphany in which the peace and power of God are experienced in loving and hope-filled ways that remove reluctance and resistance to the message of Jesus.
We are continually praying that the people you encounter will experience an epiphany about the way of Jesus. We pray that we will all continue to grow together into a community that reflects and is shaped by the strength that God gives us to love calmly and consistently.
The season of Epiphany ends on Ash Wednesday (March 5). We will have a worship service at 7:00pm and for those who are unable to attend the evening service, “drive-thru” ashes will be available from 12:00-1:00 in the north parking lot near the family life center. The books that we will use for our Lenten study will be available next week: “40 Days of Community: We Are Better Together” by Rick Warren. Both the participants’ guides and the daily devotionals will be available. We will see you in worship Sunday morning and in class—Tuesdays at 9:30am; Thursdays at 6:30pm and Sundays at 10:00am.
In Christ,
Jon McCoy
