Focusing on the Baptism of the Lord

Aloha! We are all still beaming after our wonderful Christmas/Epiphany Pageant last Sunday. If you missed it, you can watch it on our St. Tim’s Facebook page. We are
grateful for our children’s Sunday school teachers for preparing and rehearsing for the
pageant: Anne Kiyosaki, Valerie Krutsinger, Joanne Mahuka, and Adele Thomas. And all the keiki did an amazing job of telling the beloved story of the birth of the Christ child
and the visit of the shepherds and Magi: MJ, Caroline, Jean, Hunter, Alexandria, Juno,
Hanon, Bradley, Braiden, Wyatt, and baby Juliette! We thank them all for helping us get
our season of Epiphany off to a brilliant start.

​Epiphany begins with the coming of the Magi to worship the newborn King. And it
continues this year for 8 more weeks until Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins. Epiphany
is a season of light, as we, with the Magi, have followed the bright star in the sky to see
the glory of the newborn King. And the season culminates in the dramatic revelation of
the shining glory of the Son of God on the Mount of Transfiguration.

The Episcopal Dictionary of the Church describes this season of Epiphany in this
way:

“Epiphany is a season of four to nine weeks, from the Feast of the Epiphany (Jan. 6)
through the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The length of the season varies according
to the date of Easter. The gospel stories of this season describe various events that
manifest the divinity of Jesus. The coming of the Magi is celebrated on the Epiphany.
The Baptism of our Lord is observed on the Sunday after Epiphany. The gospels for the
other Sundays of the Epiphany season describe the wedding at Cana, the calling of the
disciples, and various miracles and teachings of Jesus. The Last Sunday after the
Epiphany is always devoted to the Transfiguration. Jesus' identity as the Son of God is dramatically revealed in the Transfiguration gospel, as well as the gospel of the baptism
of  Christ. We are called to respond to Christ in faith through the showings of his divinity
recorded in the gospels of the Epiphany season.”

This Sunday, the First Sunday after Epiphany, we will focus on the Baptism of the Lord and renew our own baptismal vows. We’ll explore the gospel lesson of Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, when John baptizes his cousin Jesus in the Jordan River. As God’s words about Jesus ring in our ears— “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased”—we’ll consider what they must have meant to Jesus as he faced his wilderness temptation. Can we too draw courage from these words to face our own wildernesses? Let’s find out!

Dear sisters and brothers, may blessings abound in the year ahead. You are in my prayers, and I ask for your prayers for St. Timothy’s Church, for our dedicated staff and our devoted lay leaders, and for your vicar. May God bless you and your loved ones.
 
Aloha Ke Akua!
Fr. Pete+