25 people shared in the beginning of the season of light, Epiphany, marking the day that the wise men, the kings reached the birth scene in Bethlehem. A photo gallery of the day is here. Several traditions were observed:
1. The service began in silence and in darkness (except for candles lit in the windows and a dimmed chandelier) and as the service progressed, the light increased, especially with the lighting of the massed candles on the altar. Symbolically it occurred with the singing of the "First Nowell"
"And by the light of that same star Three Wise Men came from country far; To seek for a King was their intent, And to follow the star wherever it went."
"This star drew nigh to the northwest, Over Bethlehem it took its rest; And there it did both stop and stay, Right over the place where Jesus lay"
2. The sermon introduced the idea of "chalking the door", making your home as a place of hospitality of Christ, inviting Christ into our homes in sharp contrast to those families who turned away Mary and Joseph. Epiphany is the gradual unfolding of Christ in the world, to see who he is. 20+C+M+B+12. "20" and "12" refer to the year. C+M+B are the traditional name of the wisemen – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. So mark your doors with chalk a substance of the earth, a simple gift of creation.
The sermon expressed one emotion of the season -"My prayer for each and every one of us this year is that in our homes, we will intentionally welcome Jesus, and to find him with us, as that old quote goes, as a listener to every conversation, a guide for troubled times, and a blessing in times of Thanksgiving. And when we find this joy, we will find, that like the wise men, our first response is to worship." (The sermon is here)
3. We finally received our candles late in the service to share our light into the world. How do we bring Christ into the world in 2012 ? Like the Magi we may turn around and follow a different path
After the service, we walked to the Long residence where there was a festive atmosphere of a wine and cheese party. (The bulletin for the service is here)