More Light Presbyterians - Epiphany: A Celebration of Light & Revelation

Epiphany. A celebration of light and revelation. The word "epiphany" comes from the Greek work "phos" meaning light. To have an epiphany means to come to a new understanding, to experience a revelation, to have "the light come on," and to see things in a new light. It is the opportunity to see God and God's light in a new way.

Each time a person, family, church, campus ministry or seminary community recognizes the need to open their hearts, faith and lives to all of God's children, including God's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and their families, it is an epiphany.

This tradition is often referred to as the Epiphany of the Lord. It is associated with the visit of the Wise Men from the East, or the Three Kings as often displayed in church Christmas pageants. Isaiah 60: 1- 6 and Matthew 2: 1- 12 are the Biblical texts that give us the story behind this celebration. The text in the Gospel of Matthew speaks of the Wise Men as traveling or "going by another road."

Epiphany.... a sudden realization, a comprehension of the essence or meaning of something. Epiphany, an understanding, a revelation with an ancient root in the word "phos" or "Light." For those of us within the national network of More Light Presbyterians the expression of "more light" is close to our hearts, lives, calls to ministry and being part of the Church, the Body of Christ.

Epiphany calls us to celebrate the wonder and mystery of light, life, faith and grace. The Biblical texts describe the wise men, three kings or maji being guided by a star, by light, in their search for Jesus, the Christ child. Their journey was guided by light, as is ours. Epiphany calls us to go by another road as it did those wise men.

The image and reality of journey of faith reminds us that we will stay people on the way, we do not arrive. There is always more to learn, to understand, to become as people of faith. Our Church is on a journey seeking ways to end discrimination against LGBT persons as evidenced by the 218th General Assembly's removal of the 1978 policy that had defined homosexuality as sinful; support of ordination equality by sending Ordination Amendment 08-B to the presbyteries; setting up the task force to restore integrity to the Heidelberg Catechism; and to study marriage.

We are reminded at Epiphany that it is God who calls, who gives light to our world, to our journey. It is God who gives the gifts of life, faith and grace. It is God who calls us to ministry.

Barbara Brown Taylor describes our vocation as people of faith as "a call, a summons, and participating in the work of God." She goes on to say that our vocation is "doing what one is meant to do." Since an epiphany is "the perception of the essential nature or meaning" it also seems that the discovery or affirmation of one's call includes the embrace of one's essential nature, one's creation by the hand and heart of God. God's creation includes who we are, who we fall in love with, and how we create family.

Supporting ordination and marriage equality creates the path for everyone in our Church to become whom God intends for them to be and to follow their vocation: "doing what one is meant to do" as Taylor says. What is God saying to each of us, to our Church, during this time of epiphany? What will God's call be for the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Minneapolis, July 3 - 10, 2010?

As the Wise Men traveled "by going another road" so can we. The Presbyterian Church (USA) can leave the path of 30-plus years of prejudice and discrimination against its own LGBT daughters and sons. The evidence is clear that this path has done nothing but hurt us by preventing called and qualified people from serving God and serving within our Church, and distracting us from doing the mission of the Church.

May all of us take some time today to reflect upon God's gifts of light and life, faith and love, hope and grace. Imagine and dream with me of a Church and world where everyone understands and is able to receive those gifts from the heart and hand of God. May all us become "bridges" to such understanding, and not "barriers" to the people God sends our way.