Centering Down: Epiphany and the New Year

We celebrated epiphany at church this past Sunday—the recognition of the birth of Jesus by the Magi, the travelers from foreign lands who brought gifts of gold, frankincense & myrrh. Epiphany is an important holy day for the church—not just because we have a picturesque image of Three Kings all dressed up bearing gifts. The story’s told in the Gospel of Matthew, a gospel written about a very Jewish Jesus to a very Jewish audience—the recognition of Jesus’ birth by non-Jews, the Magi, is meant to highlight the universal nature of Jesus’ message.

Yet epiphany might be eclipsed in our lives by New Year’s, marked by much bigger parties at the least, a holiday shared with others throughout the culture. New Year’s is a time of transition—and for many, New Year’s resolutions and an examination of what we want to be doing differently with our lives.

The sacred text for today, “How good it is to center down”, fits well with both the reflection of New Year’s & the recognition of God in epiphany.

“Centering down” is what we do here, each week as we gather for 15 minutes of silent prayer & meditation at the beginning of rest & bread. It can be hard to sit down, expecting peace, yet have the questions beat in upon this sacred time. “What am I doing with my life, where am I trying to go.”

I am bit jealous, though: Howard Thurman ends the poem “Our questions are answered,Our spirits refreshed…” And I know I am still waiting for answers to my questions, but when I find it, I receive the peace for my spirit with gladness!

The Magi bring gifts, gifts of treasure. And the poem asks, “Where is my treasure and what do I love most in life?” Our treasure is what we value, what we strive for—our family, our money, our work, our church? New Year’s resolutions—going to the gym to take care of the body— these resolutions are an acknowledgement that in the small decisions of each day, we can lose track of the big treasures that matter most.

And so we center down. Each week, we listen for that deep note in the stillness of our hearts, for the whisper of God. We listen for God to remind us of treasures we forget were even possible. We listen for God to name the treasures that we already possess, the treasures we can offer to others, even to Jesus. Through a long Advent, we awaited the coming of Christ. We waited for God to speak. Now, we move back into the traffic of ordinary life, perhaps refreshed, hopefully with a just bit of the Eternal in our step.

Amen.