Pastor's sermon today was about Darkness and Light. He reminded us of how the world began, and in the darkness there was no life. After the Lord spoke the light into being, then we had life.
Epiphany is a reminder that God has called us to rise and shine from the darkness.
We can live lives of quiet desperation, and we can try to look to the government, schools, technological or medical advances to save us. But we will still deal with our sinful brokeness which seperates us from God. We need to turn to Jesus' light, love and forgiveness to redeem us.
Like florescent lights which need to be close to a source of light to absorb the energy and light so that it can reflect that light and energy, we need to be close to the Lord via Christian fellowship, worship, daily Bible reading, etc. so that His light can be reflected through us. We need to be forgiving, prayerful, thankful, kind, living pure and holy lives and let our speech reflect our beliefs. Of course, will fail to do all of that, but we are still forgiven, redeemed and loved by God because of Christ and Him crucified.
My favorite hymn from today was Songs of Thankfulness and Praise, LSB 394. I especially like the last stanza:
Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Present in Thy holy Word --
Grace to imitate Thee now
And be pure, as pure art Thou;
That we might become like Thee
At Thy great epiphany
And may praise Thee, ever blest
God in man made manifest.
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