“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” These lines from the Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29–32) speak of the season of Epiphany, the light of Christ for all the world. The audacity of the gospel is that the light shining in Jesus shone far beyond Israel to illuminate the whole world. During the season of Epiphany, we will focus on the steadily increasing light of Christ in the world of Luke and see how the light of Christ grows in our time. We will see how the light of Christ reached outsiders from the beginning and continued to grow, lighting the dark places throughout our world and in our own hearts.
• January 9: Baptism of Christ Sunday: Jesus’ Baptism empowers mission, both his and ours. (Luke 3:15-22)
• January 16: Second Sunday After Epiphany At Cana, Jesus begins his work of illuminating dark places with a celebration (John 2:1-11)
• January 23: Third Sunday After Epiphany Jesus’ returns home to announce his mission to bring God’s justice to the oppressed (Luke 4:14-21)
• January 30: Fourth Sunday After Epiphany Jesus’ neighbors and former friends become enraged when they realize that God’s mercy includes all the wrong people. (Luke 4:21-30)
• February 6: Fifth Sunday After Epiphany As Jesus calls his earliest followers, he sets the tone for how he responds to our sin and shortcomings: forgiveness, inclusion, and call. (Luke 5:1-11)
• February 13: Sixth Sunday After Epiphany In the “Sermon on the Plain,” Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his friends about the counter-intuitive and unexpected nature of God’s blessings. (Luke 6:17-26)
• February 20: Seventh Sunday After Epiphany Jesus continues the Sermon on the Plain, challenging us to follow God’s example of radical and inclusive love. (Luke 6:27-28)
• February 27: Transfiguration Sunday: As Jesus is literally bathed in light, the heroes of the past challenge us not to box in the message of God’s love. (Luke 9:28-43)
