Saturday January 6, 2024
Traditional Day of Epiphany in the West
Feast of Epiphany
Three Kings Day
Theophany
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Overcoming the world on I 35
The Spirit is the one who testifies, and the Spirit is truth. There are three that testify, the Spirit, the water and the Blood, and the three are of one accord.
Many names and even dates celebrate this extraordinary day in God’s kingdom. Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6, and so Epiphany will be January 19.
Today there will be parades and gift-giving in many parts of Europe and the rest of the world, although not so much in the USA or Canada. We are taking down our decorations, if we haven’t already. The bright Christmas blow-ups in our yards are flat on the ground or rolled up in their quiet cardboard boxes, piled up in the corner of the attic above the garage. Neither Advent nor Epiphany gets much press.
Our own Twelfth Night party was quiet, personal, and we watched Murder Most Foul on TCM, a Margaret-Rutherford-as-Miss Marple jewel from 1964. The twelve days of Christmas were over, and a long three-day weekend awaited us.
Here is the testimony: God gave us eternal life and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has eternal life.
I spent a couple hours yesterday tracking down a photo on my Red Tiger Dash Cam. On the way back to Austin, on December 16 3:43 pm, I slammed into something on the pavement of I-35 just before the exit to Willie Nelson Road and “Still Smokin’ BBQ in Willie’s hometown of Abbott, Texas. I saw that “something” as a shadow, but actually it was a giant “roadgator” and it tore up our Prius’ bumper. On Monday I’ll take it in for repairs.
Doesn’t it look like a shadow to you? Since that collision I’ve taped up the bumper and secured it and the underskirt to our license plate holder and a tiedown under the hood with “baling wire and duct tape,” as the farmer-saying goes. We can’t go over about 65 or the skirt will still drag on the tire.
Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
I plan to make trips back to Illinois to perform weddings on January 31 and February 28. Please pray for me! The road from here to there and there to here is paved with good intentions. These will be my 27th and 28th round trips since November 2020. I love the audio books. I love the fresh air. I love falling into bed in a cheap motel. I even kind of love the risk-taking. But I do stay in the right lane as much as I can . The hazards might be in that lane (potholes and retreads), as well as incoming traffic, but so is the shoulder. If it’s not one thing, it’s another.
I found my taxi driver’s hat under a pile of others this week. I get compliments on it, even from folks asking for money at the Austin stoplights. I wanted to be a Chicago taxi driver when I lived in Uptown on Lake Michigan. I love the focus required to drive in Dallas (and Austin) traffic. Getting to the destination makes me a winner, and there’s no loser. Victory in Jesus, my savior forever. If something untoward happens and I end up suddenly in heaven, at least I’ll be wearing my driving hat.
The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.
More on Epiphany Tomorrow!
(1 John 5, Psalm 147, Mark 9, Mark 1)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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