Prayer for Epiphany Sunday
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

It seems like every year having been worn out by the Christmas season and now stressed out by the New Year's goals and resolutions I stumble across Epiphany. And every year it's a happy discovery. It's easy to forget about Epiphany in light of Christmas, but we ought to give our attention to it.

Epiphany is the celebration that God leads us to the very places we need to go. The shepherd-kings didn't just stumble across Jesus in a manger, they were lead there by the star. And that's always been the case, God's people always need leading. We're not very good at just stumbling across God's plan for the cosmos. So whether it was pillars of clouds by day or pillars of fire by night, or the sounds of trumpets blaring, or the frightening sight of angels appearing to unsuspecting people, God not only tells people to go he then shows them the way.

This is welcome news for us in Brooklyn. With the continued search for a place to worship for the Park Slope congregation and the eager anticipation of Christ Church Clinton Hill getting started this Sunday, and the thousand of unexpected surprises that await us this year it's not New Year's resolutions that bring hope and comfort, but the promise that God will lead us just like he has always done.

And so this prayer is a good one to start the New Year. God lead us. Not to our own goals nor to our own personal private agendas, but first lead us to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face.

Happy Epiphany.

Image from Fine Art America.