As we make the liturgical shift from Christmas to Epiphany, the readings shared in churches throughout the world will also shift from stories of the baby Jesus to stories of adult Jesus.  Epiphany invites us to connect with different aspects of Jesus’ character; during this season we read about Jesus as God’s Beloved Son, Jesus as a teacher, a miracle worker, and as The Transfigured Son of God.

The word epiphany means discovery and I think it’s helpful, during this season of discovery, to read these stories with Jesus’ question to his disciples echoing in our head: “Who do you say that I am?”

It’s a question that we’ve likely been asked before by a preacher or confirmation teacher, but it is nonetheless a helpful question to reengage periodically because the answer to this question doesn’t just reveal something about who Jesus is, but who we are as well.

Father Richard Rohr puts it beautifully: “Your image of God creates you.”  Such a statement makes one wonder if the current climate of fear and hatred is the product of Sunday school classes and Sunday morning sermons about an angry and vengeful god.

But as we lean into a new year and a new liturgical season, I wonder if by engaging the stories of Jesus the miracle worker, Jesus the teacher, and Jesus the transfigured might alter our image of Jesus ever so slightly, and in so doing, change how we understand ourselves and our place in God’s grand story.

Peace,
Pastor Nate Preisinger
January 8, 2024