Christ Anglican Church: Office Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:00 AM--4:00 PM
Church office phone: 828-743-1701
Pastor/Rector Jim Murphy's cell:
(252) 671-4011
Email: frmurf@msn.com
On The CAC Docket: 2nd Quarter, 2012
April Sundays (1st, 8th, 15th, 22th, 29th): Worship @ 9:00a (contemporary Communion & worship w/ music) @ Whiteside; Fellowship & Adult Forum @ 10:45a @ Buck's Coffee, Cashiers crossroads. All welcome! On Easter Sunday April 8th, there will be no Sunday School at Buck's but we will have our Annual Easter Brunch at Cornucopia Restaurant, Cashiers at 10:45am, please join us.
April Mondays (9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th): 6:00p -- Bible Study (the Bread of Life), w/ a light supper following, will both be served @ (Locations TBA). All welcome. Please call 828-743-1701 for details. Monday 4/23 @ 1:01p Vestry Meeting @ W-PCA. Monday 4/9 & 4/23: 4:15p CAC service days at Fishes & Loaves Food Pantry, Cashiers.
April Wednesdays: 8:30a Men's Bible Study @ 1st Baptist Church, Highlands.
April Thursdays: 10:30am Women's study & prayer group, call (252) 671-4022 for info, @ WPCA. 12:00noon Worship w/ 1928 BCP Communion service @ WPCA. Excepting Thursday April 5th no Noon service. However, we will observe Maundy Thursday @ WPCA w/ the proper liturgy, including Foot Washing & Communion.
April Fridays: 11:00a Seniors' Bible Study @ Chestnut Hill, Highlands. On April 6th @ Noon, observance of Good Friday.
May Sundays (6th, 13th, 20th, 27th): Worship @ 9:00a (contemporary Communion & worship w/ music) both @ Whiteside; Fellowship & Adult Forum @ 10:45a @ Buck's Coffee, Cashiers crossroads. All welcome!
May Mondays: 6:00p -- Bible Study (the Bread of Life), w/ a light supper following, will both be served @ (Locations TBA). All welcome. Please call 828-743-1701 for details. Monday 5/21 @ 1:01p Vestry Meeting @ W-PCA.
May Wednesdays: 8:30a Men's Bible Study @ 1st Baptist Church, Highlands.
May Thursdays: 10:30a -- Women's study & prayer group, call (252) 671-4022 for info, @ WPCA. 12:00noon Worship w/ 1928 BCP Communion service.
May Fridays: 11:00a Seniors' Bible Study @ Chestnut Hill, Highlands.
June Sundays (3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th): Worship @ 9:00a (contemporary Communion & worship w/ music) both @ Whiteside; Fellowship & Adult Forum @ 10:45a @ Buck's Coffee, Cashiers crossroads. All welcome!
June Mondays: 6:00p -- Bible Study (the Bread of Life), w/ a light supper following, will both be served @ (Locations TBA). All welcome. Please call 828-743-1701 for details. Monday 6/25 @ 1:01p Vestry Meeting @ W-PCA.
June Wednesdays: 8:30a Men's Bible Study @ 1st Baptist Church, Highlands.
June Thursdays: 10:30a -- Women's study & prayer group, call (252) 671-4022 for info, @ WPCA. 12:00noon Worship w/ 1928 BCP Communion service @ WPCA.
Epiphany: Manifesting Christ Jesus to the Nations
We enter the church season of "Epiphany" each January 6th for approximately 7 weeks. The term "epiphany" is a Greek word that means "manifestation" or "appearing," and it is akin to "revleation," but in the physical, visual sense.
Epiphany season begins as we revisit Matthew's gospel and the story of the three wise men. As far as the Holy Scriptures are concerned, the wise men represent foreigners, gentiles, non-Jews, the unchosen. They represent us. A supremely significant implication of their visit to see the baby-king, Jesus, is that Jesus is revealed as the Savior-King for everyone, for all nations, for all comers, if you will. God's love is not private or reserved for any special class of people. His presence, his love, is for all who receive him.
We don't know much about the 3 wise men, or Maji, as they have come to be called. They followed a star and came from the east. They visited with King Herod of Judah on their way to Bethlehem. When they arrived at the cave where the Holy Family took refuge, they melted at the food of Jesus' manger. They fell down in worship. The wise men could do nothing but worship.
My question for you is: how did they know? How were they aware of the significance of this Hebrew boy's birth? Who told them?
We know that they had foreknowledge about this child who they described to Herod as "King of the Jews." Each wise man brought gifts befitting a king. How did they know to do that? If, as the prologue to John's gospel tells us, that he (Jesus) came to his own (the Jews, the Chosen People), and his own neither received him nor recognized him, then how did some foreigners come to recognize and receive him?
Do you think that it was none other than the Spirit of God who told them? That by reading whatever portion or scroll of the Hebrew scriptures that they had, that the Holy Spirit spoke to them as to the significance and their (our) inclusion or call to receive and recognize Jesus as Savior and King?
Surely the Spirit of the Living God spoke to them and led them. Surely the Holy Spirit is the same One who spoke and speaks to us about Jesus. Since that very Spirit has taken up residence in us, in our bodies, his temple, then we have a responsibility to actualize the Spirit's presence so that others can recieve and recognize him as Savior and King.
During the season of Epiphany let us, the church, his bride, manifest the truth of Jesus' love for everyone by actualizing the presence of the Holy Spirit, whom each of us has received at our baptism.
pax, Christi, jim+
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