The Church Year begins with a Cycle of Light in the three seasons of Advent, Christmas, & Epiphany!
The liturgical season of Advent is a time of expectation and preparation before we celebrate Christmas. Advent means “to come” and the Church uses this time to retrace the long wait for the coming of the Messiah and highlight our present waiting for Christ to come again. Rather than a prolonged Holiday season that starts before Thanksgiving and ends abruptly after December 25th, the Church commends a different approach. We invite you to spend the Advent Season in waiting preparation. But then we also recommend that you expand the celebration of Christmas into a twelve-day season beginning on December 25th, rather than cramming all of the festivities into one day. In other words, Advent until Christmas and then Christmas until Epiphany!
Devotional Resources for the Cycle of Light:
Christmas
Most people are familiar with the “12 Days of Christmas” from the popular song. We recommend a full Christmas Season celebrating the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ at Church, in your home, and with friends!
For seasonal Christmas resources, visit 12tide.com website. This is a website (now a book!) curated by the Pipkin family at St. Thomas with great ways to recapture the joy of the Christmas Season.
Feasting & Twelfth Night! - Christmas should be a time of celebration and feasting! And, as Anglicans, we get 12 whole days of it! On January 5th we will have a Twelfth Night Party and Bonfire at the Portico! Bring some chili to share or something sweet and join us as we celebrate the end of the Christmas season with a cozy bonfire (burning our Christmas trees), festive music, food, delicious treats, and fellowship. Bring your family, friends, and Christmas tree for a fun filled evening! 6:00 PM @ The Portico (5822 GA-186, Good Hope, GA) .
Epiphany Season
The liturgical season of Epiphany commemorates the three magi who followed a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts to King Jesus. These three kings remind us of God’s plan for all peoples: that all nations might see and receive the light of the Gospel. Epiphany is a season of adoration and mission as we prayerfully consider how we might share the light of Christ in our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities in this New Year. The Epiphany Season also focuses on the Baptism of our Lord and calls on each of us to renew our commitment to God.
Epiphany Home Blessings - We will have a resource available and short liturgy based on the “Blessing in Homes at Epiphany” from the Book of Occasional Services (2003). This short household service is a way to intentionally set our homes apart as places of Christian hospitality, mission, and rest.
Like many of the traditions of the Church, this guides our participation:
All may, some should, none must.
Clergy Visits - It has also been traditional during the Epiphany Season for clergy to make an annual home visit for pastoral conversation and prayer. Our clergy are available during the Epiphany Season (January 6th - March 4th) for a visit. E-mail any of our team members to schedule an appointment. You are welcome to wait and have them lead the Home Blessing and Chalking of the Door as part of their visit, as well.