Happy Epiphany everyone. Just before Christmas I was wandering around Dursley, as you do, and came across a lovely little fair-trade shop from where I purchased a wooden tradecraft nativity set. I have never had one in the house; they are either cringy or ostentatious. This is neither, in my view.
The year to come promises to be eventful in the life of our little church at Trendlewood. There are many words and prophecies about the future (idiot Tilley, prophecies about the past would be a sight easier) which are all unerringly positive.
In fact I am so surrounded by people sharing things God has been telling them (I love the way he never seems to tell me) that I feel as if I am wandering through a giant allegory at the moment. Yesterday I heard of someone in our parish called Mary who was pondering the significance of the appearance of an angel to one of her relatives. No really. I couldn't make this stuff up.
But today is Epiphany and, since someone has already asked and doubtless others will, it means appearing, appearance or coming. It is Greek in origin, from two Greek words. Epi = to; phainein = to show (source, Chambers etymological English dictionary).
Today the term comes to mean the '...sudden realization or comprehension of the (larger) essence or meaning of something' (Wikipedia). This was indeed what the Gospel writers wanted to say about Jesus; that there was a moment when both the poor (shepherds) and the wealthy (magi) comprehended the significance.
I wrote about this last year when I was obviously feeling a little more aggressive. How time mellows us?
Today it was a joy to move the magi over and place them in the scene, notwithstanding the clear biblical material that says they visited Jesus in a house, not a stable. By the way Jesus stabilised the world. Ever noticed that? Hope this year you get wise to it.
Showing posts with label Epiphany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Epiphany. Show all posts
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Monday, January 04, 2010
Heading for Epiphany
You turned up late with presents. Made up for your lack of punctuality with gifts but then clawed back the goodwill by making the gesture symbolic. You followed the stars; more Russell Grant than Patrick Moore in those days I'd warrant. Three gifts but not necessarily three of you.
How real were you? A poor Jewish family gets gold and it makes no difference? Gets no further mention? Come on. Nothing elsewhere in the Bible; just a Matthean construction to make Isaiah 60 truer? Who knows.
Let's just take the story and live with it. Shepherds tell us Jesus is good news for the poor, uneducated scumbag. Wise men tell us he is good news for the rich and learned, for the time being, until they realise he wants his hands on their cash.
If he has appeared to you, ever, what have you given him back? Now that's the question. Live with it. Jesus is not an easy option.
How real were you? A poor Jewish family gets gold and it makes no difference? Gets no further mention? Come on. Nothing elsewhere in the Bible; just a Matthean construction to make Isaiah 60 truer? Who knows.
Let's just take the story and live with it. Shepherds tell us Jesus is good news for the poor, uneducated scumbag. Wise men tell us he is good news for the rich and learned, for the time being, until they realise he wants his hands on their cash.
If he has appeared to you, ever, what have you given him back? Now that's the question. Live with it. Jesus is not an easy option.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Christmas Story 2
Matthew 2:1-12
Long, long ago, before (place name), when December 25th was just a date like any other, wise men from the east, who studied the stars, came to visit the infant Jesus. It wasn’t now it was then; it wasn’t here it was there. Jesus wasn’t a baby anymore but a toddler. He toddled, and often fell over. He cried when he fell. He sometimes managed to wee in the right place. And sometimes he missed.
The wise men were quite clever. They knew a thing or two about alchemy, perfumery and astrology; in fact they liked any interest with a long unpronounceable name. And drugs. Anyone want to buy some myrrh?
‘Shall we follow that star?’ said the first one.
‘Are you sure that’s wise?’ said the second. ‘They don’t normally move.’
‘Of course,’ said the first.
‘X = -b + or – the square root of b squared – 2a over 4ac,’ said the one known as quadratic.
'I've got the joke book' said another. 'It's myrrh not mirth' they told him
They left them behind, along with a few others who failed the auditions.
They managed to get all the way to Jerusalem without a map, just following stars, but then they had to ask. They wound down the window of their camel and hailed a man they were passing.
‘Do you know where the king is?’ they asked.
‘Er hello. The palace,’ was the reply, ‘You ought to wise up.’
So they went to ask the King of Jerusalem at the time if he knew about this special baby.
The King of Jerusalem at the time was called Herod. He was a jealous and cruel man. He didn’t like the idea of anyone else being king apart from him, but he didn’t say anything.
‘Where is the new king of the Jews?’ the wise men asked.
‘The king of the who?’ said Herod.
‘The Jews,’ said the wise men.
‘I thought that’s what you said,’ said Herod. ‘I’ll try and find out.’
He sent the wise men off to get some fast food and gathered his own wise men together. He found teachers of the law and chief priests, which was the best he could do for advice in those days.
‘Tell me about the king of the Jews,’ he asked.
‘The king of the who?’ they said.
‘The Jews,’ said Herod.
‘We thought that’s what you said,’ they said, ‘He will come from Bethlehem.’
‘How do you know that?’ he asked.
‘Because Micah told us,’ they said, which shut him up, because Micah was a great prophet who had written stuff down so Herod should have known that.
Herod called the wise men back. ‘When did the star appear?’ he asked.
‘Mmmph the ther yh eatht,’ they said, because they were still finishing their burgers.
‘You what?’ said Herod.
And once they had swallowed, and of course disposed of the packaging sensibly, they told him.
‘Well I’d like to come and worship such a child too,’ said Herod, who told fibs like that from time to time, ‘So when you find him, tell me where he is.’ Herod did an evil pantomime laugh and sent them off to Bethlehem.
The wise men left and carried on following the star, which is probably what they should have done in the first place. Telling evil King Herod about another king was perhaps not the wisest thing they’d ever done in their lives.
The star stopped over the place where Jesus lived. They went in.
‘Did you know I‘ve been out with three different girls called Joy,’ said one of the wise men.’ He was overjoyed.
‘Who are you?’ said Mary and Joseph.
‘You men funny oo look camel,’ said Jesus. It would be a while before he taught in parables.
‘We are wise men from the east,’ said the wise men from the east. ‘Some call us kings and some call us magi.’
‘What do you want us to call you?’ said Mary and Joseph, happy to meet some people who wouldn’t be saying, ‘Oooh hasn’t he grown.’
‘Got pressies me get now,’ said Jesus, before they had a chance to offer their names.
So they got the pressies out of the boot of the camel and set them down before Jesus, who thought the perfume was for his Mum, the drugs for his Dad and the gold was pretty but there was no chocolate, ice cream or toys so how wise was that? ‘Where Playstation?’ said Jesus. ‘No Star Wars Lego. Waaah.’
‘Epiphany,’ said the first wise man.
‘Bless you,’ said the second.
‘No, dummy, Epiphany. From this day forward this season will be known as Epiphany. It means to show to, or appearance. It commemorates when Jesus showed himself to us.’
‘You should lay off the Telegraph crossword,’ said the second, ‘It’s gone to your head.’
And then they didn’t go back to Herod, because he’d been giving them bad dreams.
But Jesus’ parents had run away with him to Egypt.
Long, long ago, before (place name)
The wise men were quite clever. They knew a thing or two about alchemy, perfumery and astrology; in fact they liked any interest with a long unpronounceable name. And drugs. Anyone want to buy some myrrh?
‘Shall we follow that star?’ said the first one.
‘Are you sure that’s wise?’ said the second. ‘They don’t normally move.’
‘Of course,’ said the first.
‘X = -b + or – the square root of b squared – 2a over 4ac,’ said the one known as quadratic.
They managed to get all the way to Jerusalem without a map, just following stars, but then they had to ask. They wound down the window of their camel and hailed a man they were passing.
‘Do you know where the king is?’ they asked.
‘Er hello. The palace,’ was the reply, ‘You ought to wise up.’
So they went to ask the King of Jerusalem at the time if he knew about this special baby.
The King of Jerusalem at the time was called Herod. He was a jealous and cruel man. He didn’t like the idea of anyone else being king apart from him, but he didn’t say anything.
‘Where is the new king of the Jews?’ the wise men asked.
‘The king of the who?’ said Herod.
‘The Jews,’ said the wise men.
‘I thought that’s what you said,’ said Herod. ‘I’ll try and find out.’
He sent the wise men off to get some fast food and gathered his own wise men together. He found teachers of the law and chief priests, which was the best he could do for advice in those days.
‘Tell me about the king of the Jews,’ he asked.
‘The king of the who?’ they said.
‘The Jews,’ said Herod.
‘We thought that’s what you said,’ they said, ‘He will come from Bethlehem.’
‘How do you know that?’ he asked.
‘Because Micah told us,’ they said, which shut him up, because Micah was a great prophet who had written stuff down so Herod should have known that.
Herod called the wise men back. ‘When did the star appear?’ he asked.
‘Mmmph the ther yh eatht,’ they said, because they were still finishing their burgers.
‘You what?’ said Herod.
And once they had swallowed, and of course disposed of the packaging sensibly, they told him.
‘Well I’d like to come and worship such a child too,’ said Herod, who told fibs like that from time to time, ‘So when you find him, tell me where he is.’ Herod did an evil pantomime laugh and sent them off to Bethlehem.
The wise men left and carried on following the star, which is probably what they should have done in the first place. Telling evil King Herod about another king was perhaps not the wisest thing they’d ever done in their lives.
The star stopped over the place where Jesus lived. They went in.
‘Did you know I‘ve been out with three different girls called Joy,’ said one of the wise men.’ He was overjoyed.
‘Who are you?’ said Mary and Joseph.
‘You men funny oo look camel,’ said Jesus. It would be a while before he taught in parables.
‘We are wise men from the east,’ said the wise men from the east. ‘Some call us kings and some call us magi.’
‘What do you want us to call you?’ said Mary and Joseph, happy to meet some people who wouldn’t be saying, ‘Oooh hasn’t he grown.’
‘Got pressies me get now,’ said Jesus, before they had a chance to offer their names.
So they got the pressies out of the boot of the camel and set them down before Jesus, who thought the perfume was for his Mum, the drugs for his Dad and the gold was pretty but there was no chocolate, ice cream or toys so how wise was that? ‘Where Playstation?’ said Jesus. ‘No Star Wars Lego. Waaah.’
‘Epiphany,’ said the first wise man.
‘Bless you,’ said the second.
‘No, dummy, Epiphany. From this day forward this season will be known as Epiphany. It means to show to, or appearance. It commemorates when Jesus showed himself to us.’
‘You should lay off the Telegraph crossword,’ said the second, ‘It’s gone to your head.’
And then they didn’t go back to Herod, because he’d been giving them bad dreams.
But Jesus’ parents had run away with him to Egypt.
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