Epiphany Comfort: Come + See, Go + Tell

“Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee… He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone…he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”- Luke 4:14-15 &18-19

The push pull of “come and see” and “go and tell” are part of the story from the nativity. The Epiphany invitation was equal parts both for the Magi. 

As Jesus begins his ministry, the same dynamic is at play. His teaching and ministry of presence was invitational: come and see. Crowds gathered as he broke open the word, performed miracles and traveled with his band of disciples. And in return, the call of discipleship was to go and tell. Those impacted by Jesus’ ministry were compelled to share what they had heard, seen and experienced. 

We are invited to this same kind of movement in our discipleship journey. In this Epiphany time, how are you embodying the Magi’s experience? Spend some time reflecting on each of these components of the faith journey.

  • Come: The Holy Spirit invites you to enter into the presence of God. When do you experience God’s nearness? How do you come near to God?
  • See: Notice the movement of the divine in the places God has invited you. Where is there movement or growth? What is sparking around you?
  • Go: What have you experienced as you have paid special attention to God’s presence in your life? Where is God inviting you to “go” (it may be a place, a relationship or a way of being)?
  • Tell: How are you talking about what God is doing in your life? How are you articulating what you have seen of the work of the Spirit around you? 

May your Spirit of inspiration and revelation guide and direct my being and doing in these days of Epiphany. Amen.

**If you have the Epiphany Comfort Kit, use your field notes book to capture your thoughts and reflections on the journal questions.

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.

Epiphany Joy: Bulbs

“How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house;
    you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light we see light.” Psalm 36: 7-9

Sometimes it is all about hope and timing.  Epiphany certainly leads us in this direction. Sunshine and water are symbols we often associate with springtime, but here they are in the season of Epiphany.  A new revelation, a new way of seeing the world.  Something new out of the darkness.

Flower bulbs, of course, are the perfect symbol for this time.  Quietly waiting beneath the soil.  Collecting water and waiting for warmth to bring forth a beautiful blossom.  

Towards hope and timing, try one of these practices this week:

Plant a bulb if the ground is soft enough.  Or even put some in the fridge and then grow them on a sunny countertop, coffee table, or windowsill. 

Spend some time thinking about or planning your spring garden.  

Journal about the following questions:
What are you anticipating during this season of epiphany?
What are some dreams you have for the future?

If you have the Epiphany Comfort Kit, use your field notes book to capture your thoughts and reflections on the journal. This week would also be a great time to either plant or force your bulbs.

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others.

Epiphany Comfort: Water and Light

“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,  and your salvation to the upright of heart!” -Psalm 36:9-10

In my neck of the woods, these are long days of cold and darkness. The flash and excess of Christmas decor is reduced to the pine garlands and twinkling white lights, a nod to the hope and light that the season of Epiphany offers. 

Both light and water are powerful symbols within faith circles. Illumination and renewal. Cleansing and rebirth. Possibility and revelation. 

In this season, like plant bulbs, we rest in the darkness, awaiting the thaw, the water and the revelation of the light that will bring us into bloom and flourishing. Like the wise ones who sought the Messiah, we may carry the revelation and understanding with us along the way, awaiting the full manifestation of its meaning and impact. 

The water of the fountain of life and the light that illuminates truth are gifts that are accessible to us for nurture and sustenance as we engage in the challenges and opportunities of each day. 

May the fountain of living water and the illumination of Your bright star provide the encouragement and inspiration we need to navigate the things this day holds with everlasting and steadfast love. Amen.

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.

Epiphany Joy: Hope & Expectation

“As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts…” Luke 3:15a

The new year brings expectations to the forefront of our thinking by way of resolutions. Often resolutions are focused around things to improve or change. Resolutions and goals are a way to identify hopes and unmet expectations. 

The story of Jesus’ baptism is dramatic and highlights the significant expectations that he faced in embracing the mantle of ministry. 

Today, take a few moments to reflect on any goals or resolutions you have set for this new year. What do these intentions reveal about your hopes and expectations? What questions or concerns do you have about your ambitions and objectives? Who can help sort out and support you in the coming weeks? 

On an index card or post-it note, write down one expectation and a correlating question. Stick it in a place you see regularly– the fridge door, your bathroom mirror, the nightstand, or your steering wheel. Each time you hold this expectation and question, invite the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and revelation. 

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.

Epiphany Comfort: Jesus is Baptised

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22

While most often stars and wise men come to mind during Epiphany, the baptism of Jesus is an important event celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox church during Epiphany.  So water, baptism, and new beginnings are also wrapped into this season.  In this quiet season following the hubbub of the Christmas holidays, might feel a bit like a plunge into the dark cold waters of winter.

What might Jesus have felt as he sank beneath the water in the Jordan river?  Did time wind down at that moment?  Did he anticipate the journey into the wilderness that would follow God’s blessing?

Life is such a mixture of happiness and despair.  It is strange and wondrous to me how the most beautiful things can grow out of the hardest times.  Of course, that is part of the story of this season – a star shining in the darkness.  God, incarnate, under the water and breaking the surface to feel the light and love of a divine blessing.

God,  as we sink into winter and darkness, help us hold onto hope and light.  In the present moment, may we anticipate the creativity and warmth You are birthing during Epiphany.

**If you have the Epiphany Comfort Kit, use your field notes book to capture your thoughts and reflections on the journal questions.

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others.

Epiphany Joy: Creativity in the Margins

“They set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.”  -Matthew 2:9-10

Epiphanies, new understanding, or times of intense clarity need space in our lives in order to actually happen.  The Magi journeyed and then “stopped and were overwhelmed with joy.”  Not only did they experience joy in the stopping, but also new direction.

How could you build margin into your life?  What could you put in the doesn’t need to be done column so that there is room for margin?  What happens if you do not have extra brain space in your life?  Can you think of a time in your life when you had very little margin?  What about a time when you had extra breathing room?

What if you only gave 70% of your energy towards something this week?  How would you use the extra 30%?  Maybe the extra 30% would be for just sitting and reflecting.  

This week take some time to create a “margin space” in your home.  A spot where you would like to spend some time in the margins of your life.  It could be a chair with your favorite pillow.  It might be clearing off your desk or workspace and hanging some fairy lights.

Life happens and sometimes all the margins are used up, but making intentional effort and thought can also help this to happen.

Comfort Kit Note:  If you purchased an Epiphany Comfort Kit this week would be a great time to use the fairy lights!

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others.

Epiphany Comfort: Illumination, Encounter & Intuition

“They set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.”  -Matthew 2:9-10

The beauty and challenge of language is that a single word can mean many things. Epiphany may be a strange or unfamiliar word. And it is one that holds a variety of meanings, all connected to the nativity story. 

The capstone of the Christmas season in the liturgical tradition is Epiphany. When used in this way, it denotes the church festival that commemorates the coming of the Magi. When these wise ones arrive at their intended destination, their response is overwhelming joy. 

This is a revealing scene. An epiphany. This is an illuminating moment of discovery and realization. An epiphany. This is an encounter with the divine. An epiphany. 

And, through this experience, these kings have an intuitive grasp of something. An epiphany. And so they change course. They go home by another way. 

As Christmastide concludes and we move into the season of Epiphany, consider: 

  • What has been revealed to you? 
  • What discovery or illumination has come over the past few weeks? 
  • How has this brought overwhelming joy to some area of life? 
  • What might this discovery and light lead you to do differently in the coming days?

God of love, light and revelation. Thank you for your illuminating and revealing presence. May I be overwhelmed with joy as I follow after you. Amen.

**If you have the Epiphany Comfort Kit, use your field notes book to capture your thoughts and reflections on the journal questions.

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.

Epiphany: Series Introduction

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
 and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, 
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
Isaiah 60:1-3

You might have heard an expert say recently (or even read on our blog) take a deep breath.  Try to be present in the moment.  This advice is often given when we are experiencing anxiety and letting thoughts unravel hopelessly.  In many ways, this is what Some Comfort and Joy is all about. 

Holidays are a time to celebrate, take a rest from day to day tasks and enjoy being with others.  Being aware of and celebrating the seasons as we pass through them is also a way of being present in the moment.  Instead of just traveling mindlessly, the seasons and holidays give a chance to stand still in the moment and say, for example, “Hello, Epiphany!  What a beautiful time to be here now where I am.”  Acknowledging and celebrating where we are can give us hope and the endurance we need for the difficult parts of life that we will also encounter along the way.

Epiphany offers light, creativity, and revelation.  In the Christian church, Epiphany brings a chance to celebrate the revelation of Christ to the Magi through the manifestation of a star.  Epiphany also creates a bridge in the liturgical calendar between the celebration of Christmas and the beginning of Lent. 

Hopefully, as we enter Epiphany we can individually and as a community, take a deep breath and plant our feet in the current season and reach for some light, creativity, and revelation.

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with

Fall Wrap Up – Some Comfort and Joy

Thanks for your support of our fall series (and first podcast series!). Listen in to find out how you can support this work…
  1. Fall Wrap Up
  2. Joy for Fall: Gratitude
  3. Comfort for Fall: Sing Praise
  4. Joy for Fall: Autumn Walk
  5. Comfort for Fall: Bless the Lord

Joy for Fall: Autumn Walk (Psalm 104:2-6)

Scroll to the bottom for a link to listen to this post on our Some Comfort and Joy podcast!

You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
you ride on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers.
You set the earth on its foundations,
so that it shall never be shaken.
You cover it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains. Psalm 104:2-6

Take an autumn walk and discover anew the beauty the Psalmist writes about.  Collect seed pods, late flowers, colorful leaves or small branches.  Bring them home with you and arrange them in a basket or vase.  

As you pass your display throughout the week allow it to be a reminder that God’s goodness is ever present with us!

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.

On your mobile device click the link below and listen to our podcast on your favorite platform. If you’re reading our blog in your email while on your desktop computer and want to listen; please head to our webpage www.somecomfortandjoy.com and click on today’s post. When you view the blog on our website you’ll have access to podcast at the bottom of the post.

Fall Wrap Up – Some Comfort and Joy

Thanks for your support of our fall series (and first podcast series!). Listen in to find out how you can support this work…
  1. Fall Wrap Up
  2. Joy for Fall: Gratitude
  3. Comfort for Fall: Sing Praise
  4. Joy for Fall: Autumn Walk
  5. Comfort for Fall: Bless the Lord

Epiphany Comfort Kits!

If you are one of our readers who have wondered how you can support our work, here is a fun way! Sherah-Leigh and I are excited to let you know that we are again offering Comfort Kits.

Holiday gift giving is just around the corner!  Let Some Comfort and Joy help you satisfy your shopping list with our newest Comfort Kit. This kit is designed to accompany our upcoming Epiphany Series (beginning in January).  Each item was chosen to enhance your (or a loved one’s) Epiphany journey.

We are taking preorders on our Epiphany Kit through Oct. 25th.  Preorder kits will ship on Nov. 9th.  Listen to our Some Comfort and Joy podcast today Oct 15th or to a podcast next week to for the coupon code (a $5 value)!  Or click here to place your order right now.