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:

Epiphany Season

Traditionally during the Epiphany Season, we take time to set our homes apart as places of Christian hospitality, mission, and rest through a prayer called the Chalking of the Door. Like many seasonal activities, this is an invitation, but not a requirement. 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.