Title: New Beginnings
Author: Bob Wickizer
Text: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11
Merry Christmas to some of you Christians out there, and Happy Epiphany Sunday to the rest of us. Today we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord.
Why do I give you Christmas greetings on January 7? Because much of the world's Christian sects (not denominations) celebrate the Feast of the Nativity on either Epiphany January 6 or the day after, on January 7. Here's a brief list:
Roman Catholic, Maronite, Protestant, Syriac orthodox, Ukrainian orthodox? ?Dec 25
Armenian, Mar Thoma??? ?Jan 6
Orthodox, Coptic, Russian orthodox ??Jan 7
About ten years ago, my family created our own art tour of Spain after Christmas. We started with Picasso in the southern Costa Del Sol region and ended with Salvadore Dali in the tiny Mediterranean coastal town of Figueres in the northeast. We were there on January 6. Catholic Spain had already celebrated Christmas, but I couldn't figure out why the street crowds seemedto grow after dinner. On the sandy beach in the center of town were two rows of luminary lights defining a winding path up the beach to the main street.
The crowd was jubilant. Beer and wine flowed freely as servers from the bars distributed samples to everyone. Suddenly, out of the eastern darkness in the Sea, an old wooden boat appeared with a regally dressed person sitting high on the deck. The boat made its way to the lighted path on the beach, and the magi Balthazaar stepped from the boat onto a horse-drawn carriage. One by one, the three wise men appeared from the east only by sea and not by camel. The carriages took them to the main street of town and into the large church in the middle of town. A raucous Epiphany Eucharist took place with the crowd filling the church and spilling out into the streets. It was the nativity of our Lord, and the gentile noblemen were guided by God to bring gifts and honor the infant messiah.
Decades earlier, I w ...
Author: Bob Wickizer
Text: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11
Merry Christmas to some of you Christians out there, and Happy Epiphany Sunday to the rest of us. Today we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord.
Why do I give you Christmas greetings on January 7? Because much of the world's Christian sects (not denominations) celebrate the Feast of the Nativity on either Epiphany January 6 or the day after, on January 7. Here's a brief list:
Roman Catholic, Maronite, Protestant, Syriac orthodox, Ukrainian orthodox? ?Dec 25
Armenian, Mar Thoma??? ?Jan 6
Orthodox, Coptic, Russian orthodox ??Jan 7
About ten years ago, my family created our own art tour of Spain after Christmas. We started with Picasso in the southern Costa Del Sol region and ended with Salvadore Dali in the tiny Mediterranean coastal town of Figueres in the northeast. We were there on January 6. Catholic Spain had already celebrated Christmas, but I couldn't figure out why the street crowds seemedto grow after dinner. On the sandy beach in the center of town were two rows of luminary lights defining a winding path up the beach to the main street.
The crowd was jubilant. Beer and wine flowed freely as servers from the bars distributed samples to everyone. Suddenly, out of the eastern darkness in the Sea, an old wooden boat appeared with a regally dressed person sitting high on the deck. The boat made its way to the lighted path on the beach, and the magi Balthazaar stepped from the boat onto a horse-drawn carriage. One by one, the three wise men appeared from the east only by sea and not by camel. The carriages took them to the main street of town and into the large church in the middle of town. A raucous Epiphany Eucharist took place with the crowd filling the church and spilling out into the streets. It was the nativity of our Lord, and the gentile noblemen were guided by God to bring gifts and honor the infant messiah.
Decades earlier, I w ...
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