{"id":5280,"date":"2014-12-30T14:23:16","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T18:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=5280"},"modified":"2014-12-30T15:02:10","modified_gmt":"2014-12-30T19:02:10","slug":"how-many-wise-men-were-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=5280","title":{"rendered":"Just what is Epiphany, Anyway??? (1\/6\/15)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Advent.\u00a0 Christmastide.\u00a0 Epiphany.\u00a0 Different banners, different colors, different “Names of Sundays” in our church bulletins.\u00a0 What’s it all mean?\u00a0 This post might shed a bit of light on this…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Advent…<\/span><\/h3>\n

The season of Advent is the four Sundays leading up to Christmas.\u00a0 This year, Advent included November 30<\/a>, December 7<\/a>, December 14<\/a>, and December 21<\/a> (click each date to see Pastor Jim’s sermon for that Sunday).\u00a0 During these four Sundays we light each candle in our Advent Wreath to symbolize the gifts of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace.<\/p>\n

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Christmastide…<\/span><\/h3>\n

This includes the first two Sundays after Christmas.\u00a0 This year, that’s December 28 and January 4.\u00a0 Notice that our bulletins will say “First Sunday After Christmas Day” or “Second Sunday After Christmas Day.”<\/p>\n

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Epiphany…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Epiphany Sunday is traditionally celebrated 12 days after Christmas, or on January 6.\u00a0 It commemorates the arrival of the Maji (“Wise Men”) who came to worship the Christ.\u00a0 This is a big deal because it made it clear that God was not only the God of the Jews but also of the Gentiles (since these wise men were Gentiles).\u00a0 We will remain in the season of Epiphany until Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent.<\/p>\n

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(For more information on the Liturgical seasons of the United Methodist Church, Click Here<\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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For a more light-hearted look at Epiphany and Epiphany Sunday, check out these two “Chuck Knows Church” videos…<\/p>\n

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