Today, on this first Sunday after Epiphany, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. For me this commemoration is sort of like an Epiphany Part II, because I spent several years in the Eastern Orthodox Church, where Christ's Baptism in the Jordan is the primary commemoration of Epiphany itself. In the Eastern tradition, the feast is … Continue reading Waters of Repentance
Arise! Shine! For your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. These are some of the most joyous words in all of the Scriptures. And these are the words upon which we are asked to reflect on this great and holy feast of the Epiphany. Historically speaking, Epiphany, literally … Continue reading Arise! Shine! (A Reflection for Epiphany 2021)
A recurring theme here lately, especially during Advent and in this Christmas season, has been how Jesus reveals to us who God is. This is the most obvious consequence of Christian belief that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, a belief we call the Incarnation. But today I'd like to talk about the … Continue reading Word Made Flesh, or, How to Be Human
The days in between Christmas and New Year's have always been among my favorites. After all the chaos of Christmas, but before life returns to "normal," we have these precious, spacious, open days. Forgive me for giving in too much to the 'magic' of the secular Christmas spirit, but this time always feels special, expansive … Continue reading Our Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation
Those of you who know me in person likely know that I hate, hate, hate sentimental portrayals of the Christmas story. I can't stand Christmas pageants (even as a kid I thought they were drivel whose only function was to let the grannies fawn over us — and yes, I was a strange child) and … Continue reading Into Our Mess: A Reflection for Christmas 2020
Matthew Root 