God’s family gathered at Epiphany are devoted to:
Worship
Psalm 145 – Great is the Lord and worthy of praise; his greatness nobody can fathom
Jesus’ teaching John 4 Jesus with the woman at well: “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father…true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
Worship is our identity of positioning ourselves around God’s promises and Word, His Meal and people. Worship, in or outside of our church walls, is our response to God’s faithfulness (Romans 12).
Service
Psalm 107 – About God’s provision to us, we respond to others.
Jesus’ teaching from John 13 shows Jesus taking the role of a servant by washing his disciple’s feet. He tells his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Our faith is not a spectator sport, but an active adventure that leads us to serve our neighbor. With God’s love in us, we share this love with others through tangible ways.
Relationships
Psalm 86 – David prays for all nations in recognizing the Lord. He calls himself a servant to others.
Jesus’ teaching from John 9 shows us that Jesus’ love extends to the man born blind. Jesus returns to the man after his family, community, and religious foundation abandon him and says, “You have seen the Son of Man and it is he who is speaking to you.”
God has placed us in relationships in our life for intentional purposes. We sees this relationships with meaning and seek to serve and love like Christ in them. God has also forged relationships in our congregation and to our community for His glory.
Stewardship
Psalm 24 – Everything in the world is owned by God, including us.
Jesus’ teaching from John 12 when Jesus rebukes Judas when Mary pours expensive perfume on Jesus. Jesus says, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for my burial.”
We are temporary managers of every single thing we own, even ourselves. Therefore, our life is to properly manage the gifts that God has given to us. We feel the tension of smartly managing gifts, while not worshiping the gift itself. God, our gracious Giver, provides and guides His people.