Leading Through Epiphany: Awaken to God's Love

Welcome to the year of 2025. As the seasons of the church go, the first six weeks of the new year is an interesting time. We call it the Season of Epiphany. At a fundamental level, an epiphany is “a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you.” In other words, you are awakened to the truth or the reality of a truth.

Several years ago, I had an epiphany. I was sent, by my doctor, to the hospital emergency room with an irregular heartbeat, an arrhythmia. It was serious enough that I had to stay several days. During my hospital stay, I had a procedure called “cardioversion” to shock my heart back into rhythm.

It was in preparation for the procedure I had my epiphany. The doctor and nurses were explaining to me what was going to happen, how long it would take, and that I had nothing to worry about. As the anesthesiologist began to explain what she was going to do, “I said, “So, you are the one who will put me to sleep.”

She smiled politely and said, “Actually, I am here to wake you up.”

Her words were the last thing I remember as I awakened to her saying, “Time to wake up. How are you feeling?” What an epiphany!

The Season of Epiphany is a time to wake up to who Jesus is and to who we are in relationship with Jesus.

One of the first scriptures used to help us wake up to who Jesus is Luke 3:21-22.

Read Luke 3:21-22

Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Reflect on Luke 3:21-22

For a detailed explanation of the scripture refer to the blog “Be Who You Are As A Leader.”

The part I want to reflect upon is, “when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened…”

It was while he was praying that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in bodily form like a dove. It was while he was praying that a voice from heaven brought clarity and affirmation of who Jesus was. It was an epiphany.

“You are my son, the beloved.” In other words, “You are my beloved child.” Jesus received affirmation that he is God’s love in human form. He is the human touch of divine love in the world. An epiphany!

Beloved Child of God

As a follower of Jesus, you, too, are a beloved child of God. The question is, what does that mean for you as a leader?

As a beloved child of God, you have received power to be the human touch of God’s love in your church, your community, and in the world. Through your baptism, you have received power to be a witness to God’s love in the places you live, work, and play.

During this Season of Epiphany, you have the opportunity and responsibility to help those entrusted to your care awaken to God’s love, first for themselves, and second for the people around them. You have the opportunity and responsibility to help them experience God’s love in and through Jesus and to share the love they have experienced with the people they meet each day. That is what it means to be a beloved child of God.

Respond to Luke 3:21-22

Epiphany gives us an opportunity to think differently. What would happen if this new year, you and I begin to become more aware of God’s presence and invite people to participate in God’s presence. Imagine what could happen.

During this Season of Epiphany, wake up to who Jesus is and who you are in relationship with Jesus. As a follower of Jesus, awaken to God’s love in your life and to being a human touch of God’s love.

In what places will you be God’s love with a human touch today?
In Jesus, God is with us. How will you recognize God’s presence and invite the people around you into God’ presence today?
As a part of the baptized community called the church, how will you and your church be witnesses to God’s love in your community and in the world?

Return

Give God thanks for the people you met today. How did you express God’s love in human form today? In what ways did you help someone know he or she was a “beloved child of God”? How did prayer shape your thoughts and actions? Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to love others as you have been loved.

Prayer

O God, I give you thanks for the assurance that I am your child. By your grace, continue to use me as an instrument of your love and peace so others might know of your love and acceptance. Thank you for the opportunity to be one of your leaders at this point and time. I do believe you created me and gifted me to lead at such a time as this. I offer myself to you in the name of Jesus. Amen