from the conclusion of Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas (Herald Press, 2025).
Nature’s rhythms remind us that fallow times are necessary, that periods of dormancy bring growth. We are now invited to a different kind of waiting.
Throughout Advent, we have made our preparations. We have honed our skills for waiting, noticing, and anticipating. As we turn the page on the calendar to a new year, we are invited to mark Epiphany, a celebration of the arriving light.
The word epiphany means an appearance or manifestation, specifically of a deity. But it can also signify a sudden insight or intuitive perception. In mid to late winter, we look for the signs of illumination and revelation relating to the wonderings and worries we hold. This is now the season for honoring what has happened in the hiddenness of the dark, even as we welcome the dawn and notice growth, newness, and transformation. We can name where we have experienced the nearness of God recently.
Epiphany connects us to the ongoing story of God. We bear witness to the light that has come and notice where the light shines on. We join the long line of light bearers following in the way of Jesus, holding on to hope for redemption, restoration, and the revealing of shalom in all places for all people.
We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others.
Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.
some comfort and joy 