Sacred Stories: A New Year Epiphany

Join Tara as she explores the significance of Epiphany and the journey of the Magi. In this episode, Tara discusses traditions like chalking the door and the importance of choosing a "star word" to guide you through the new year with courage, wisdom, and grace. Learn how small actions of good can light up your path in 2025.

To try "Chalking the Door" at home, you can use this liturgy from Sundays and Seasons:

 Greeting

May peace be to this house and to all who enter here. By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. (Proverbs 24:3-4)

 Reading

As we prepare to ask God’s blessing on this household, let us listen to the words of scripture.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being, and the life was the light of all people. The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:1-4, 14, 16)

 Inscription

This inscription may be made with chalk above the entrance:

20 ☩ C + M +  B ☩ 25

Write the appropriate character (left) while speaking the text (right).

The magi of old, known as

C Caspar,

M Melchior, and

B Balthasar,

followed the star of God’s Son who came to dwell among us

20 two thousand

25 and twenty two years ago.

☩ Christ, bless this house,

☩ and remain with us throughout the new year.

 Prayer of Blessing

O God, you revealed your Son to all people by the shining light of a star. We pray that you bless this home and all who live here

with your gracious presence. May your love be our inspiration, your wisdom our guide, your truth our light, and your peace our benediction; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Transcript

S6 E6 Sacred Stories: Finding Light and Guidance for the Year Ahead

Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman: [00:00:00] Welcome to Holy Shenanigans podcast. I'm your muse, Tara Lamont Eastman, pastor, podcaster, and practitioner of Holy Shenanigans. We are so happy to have you here with us to discover the sacred showing up in everyday life. And in this new year, our journey to Christmas is ending with the 12th day of Christmas and Epiphany.

 This is the last feast of the Christmas season, celebrating the journey of the Magi who shared gifts with the Christ child. In some communities, Three Kings Day is complete with a pageant to reenact this story, feasting and gift giving. The scripture readin  gs for Epiphany take us to Matthew 2, [00:01:00] the account of the Magi and John 1 that implores us to lean into the light.

As the new year begins. But before we shift gears into this new year, let's take another moment with the Magi. The Magi are on the move following the Star of Bethlehem. Word of the traveling Magi gets around to the movers and shakers, and even to King Herod, who called the Magi to meet with him. On our side of the story, we know King Herod is not to be trusted.

That he is determined to hold on to his power by any means necessary. Herod commands the slaughter of the innocents to remove the possibility of another king coming to take his place. At that time, the Magi didn't know Herod's intentions. They were [00:02:00] dedicated to their task. They followed the star that took them to Bethlehem and has been prophesied to find a ruler who Who is to shepherd my people.

In due time, the Magi search and find the Christ child. They offer him gifts fit for a king, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but they do not tell Herod where the child is to be found. After giving their gifts to the child, they have a dream warning them to not return to Herod, to not tell him where the child is.

And so, the Magi courageously go home another way, never speaking to Herod about the child. The Magi fulfill their intentions and stay true to their word. There are lots of traditions around Epiphany that I love, [00:03:00] including a blessing for Epiphany called Chalking the Door. This honors the efforts of the Magi, it blesses the home, and it calls those who abide in that home to step into the new year with good intentions and actions.

This simple blessing requires some chalk, a doorway, and a little liturgy that will be included in our show notes. With a piece of chalk, the blessing is written on the doorway of the home like this. The number 20, a cross. Then the initials of the Magi c plus M plus B, another cross, and then the year 25 chalking.

The Door is a visual way to remember the story of the Magi, but I also think it's a reminder to take up the characteristics of [00:04:00] Casper Meur and Balthazar, and to follow Christ into the new Year with courage, wisdom, and grace. Courage, like the Magi, who took actions to find the ruler who would shepherd the people.

Wisdom, like the Magi, who did not take the attention or the power or the schemes of Herod, who stayed committed to their calling. And then Grace, like the Magi, who were willing to change their travel plans because of a dream and to go home another way. As you think about the account of the Magi. Other characteristics might stand out to you as well, but for me, I think of courage, wisdom, and grace.

If you were the magi in the story, what [00:05:00] characteristic or word would guide your journey? To help you answer this question, I share a second New Year's tradition I've embraced over the past few years. Choosing a star word. For the new year. A star word can be more than a word. It can be a phrase or an image, but it is a focus point of meditation and prayer in the year to come.

This word is to help light the path into the new year with an intention to seek and foster good in the world, much like the Magi did. If you are looking for help with choosing a star word, drop us a text at our Buzzsprout page and we'll be happy to offer one for you. But when you discover your star word, I invite you to consider how it can be a guide as you travel this new year, just as the Magi were led by a star in the sky.

We [00:06:00] too can use a word of direction in 2025. As you seek your star word, consider how it can be a challenge and a source of inspiration to bring more love and compassion into the world. Good little words of encouragement. and challenge add up. As the gospel of John states, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.

Desmond Tutu said this, do your little bit of good where you are. It's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. In this new year, a little blessing of your doorway and discovering a star word word. Can help you move and live into 2025 with courage, wisdom, grace, and [00:07:00] more. You might be wondering if I've discovered my star word for the year.

I've been praying and listening for a way to express the feeling of it. And this is what comes to mind. When I was a child, I remember loving to play outdoors on a windy day to fly kites, to feel the wind rushing around me. Not in a way that disrupted, but made me feel supported, uplifted, inspired. There is a Hebrew word for wind that helps capture what I'm feeling.

Ruach. This word has more than one definition, which I love. It can mean breath, wind, spirit, and mind. It is also partnered with Elohim. Ruach Elohim means the Spirit [00:08:00] of God. And for me, this is a wonderful start to a star word. Ruach to inspire my journey into 2025, to support my breath, wind, spirit, and mind.

So what is your star word for 2025? If you need help discovering one, drop us a text at our Buzzsprout page. And if you've already chosen one. We'd love for you to share it there as well. As I went about my epiphany journey, searching for a star word, other words came to the surface in the form of a poem.

What is the word with breath, wind, spirit, and mind? What is the word for this time? Is it a call to silence and sanctuary? [00:09:00] To see beauty in all its forms? The words could be many. The words could be three. The word could be one. What is it called to be? A word defined and lived, I think, best. Not scattered about in a useless mess.

A word with meaning not to curse, but to bless. Choose your words wisely. Define what is true. Knowing a word's meaning makes them of real use. I I am your Holy Shenanigans Muse, Tara Lamont Eastman. Thank you for joining us for Holy Shenanigans that surprise, encourage, [00:10:00] redirect, and turn life upside down, all in the name of love.

This is an unpredictable spiritual adventure that is always sacred. But never stuffy. Thanks to Ian Eastman for sound production. To support Holy Shenanigans podcast production costs, go to www. buymeacoffee. com Backslash Tara L. Eastman. Until next time, keep following the star of Epiphany into the new year, and may little good things bring a blessing to your breath, your spirit, and mind.