CHRIST’S MESSENGER Christ Lutheran Church and Preschool, Eagan MN
January 2018
FROM THE PASTOR by Pastor Hahn Church and Preschool
Staff
Epiphany: The Feast of the Three Kings
Rev. David Hahn Senior Pastor
Alex Mezeritski Director of Music
Wendy Ewald Director of Preschool
Rashmi Raghuwanshi Teacher
Judy Kaner Preschool Aide
Rhoda Houge Church Secretary
Christ Lutheran Church and Preschool 1930 Diffley Road Eagan, MN 55122 Phone: 651-454-4091 christlutheraneagan@outlook.com
www.christlutheraneagan.org Christ Lutheran Church is a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
Christ Lutheran Church is a growing body of believers in Jesus Christ, sharing the love, word, and grace of God with our family, community, and world.
The Adoration of the Magi by Giotto [Public domain]
Epiphany is celebrated 12 days after Christmas. (You remember the song, “The 12 Days of Christmas.”) Beginning on Christmas Day, there are 12 days in which we celebrate the Season of Christmas, but on the day following is The Epiphany of Our Lord (January 6th). This is a time when Christians remember the Wise Men who visited Jesus. It is also at this time that churches remember The Baptism of Jesus when He was about 30 years old and started to teach people about God. Epiphany means "revelation," and both the visit of the Wise Men and Jesus' Baptism are important times when Jesus was "revealed" to be very important.
January Worship Service Themes January 6th & 7th - Christmas lights may be coming down, but the Light of the world still shines for all to see. We receive this Light during our Epiphany worship on this day. The promise that nations will come to the light of the Lord is fulfilled when the Wise Men come from the East. They follow the star and are led to the Light. Jesus is the light that shines the brightness of heaven into the darkness of their hearts. He does the same for you as you receive His Word and Sacraments. Dispelling the darkness of sin, Christ Jesus will fill you with the light of His presence and invite you, as He did the Wise Men, to bow before Him in honor and praise. Rejoice and be glad—your Light has come! January 13th & 14 - “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.” With this invitation, the prophet Samuel opens himself to receive God’s Word for His people. In the Epistle for this day, Paul reminds us that we are not our own. Rather, we belong to the Lord because we have been bought with the price of Jesus’ precious body and blood given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. This Jesus is God’s first and final Word to all humanity—the Logos incarnate. Born in Bethlehem and heading for Golgotha, Jesus invites people to follow Him. From one disciple to another, the invitation is to come and see the One whom Moses and the prophets foretold—Israel’s Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and our God.