An Epiphany Spirituality for Today

There are two sides to an Epiphany spirituality: Christ manifest in us, and Christ manifest through us. The early church fathers interpret the glory of God manifested as the dazzling light to Peter, James, and John as the true vision of the presence of the Divine in Christ, a presence made available to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. There is, of course, a qualitative difference between God present in Jesus and Jesus present in us. Jesus is God incarnate, the one man who participates in the actual essence of God. Thus, Paul tells us, “in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col. 1:19). But Christ in us is accomplished by the Holy Spirit, who urges us into conformity to the image of God perfectly expressed in Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit we are able to enter into a spiritual union with Christ, a union that effects a moral, intellectual, and social conformity to Christ, the model of true humanity. In this sense Christ is manifested in us, in our very being, in our personality, and in the values we choose.

Christ Manifest in US

According to the early church fathers, a decisive way to unite with Jesus is through prayer. While there are many different kinds of prayer, the form of prayer advocated by the fathers to establish union with God is the short form. The short form is a brief prayer drawn from Scripture that is repeated over and over again. The most popular of the short form prayers is the Jesus Prayer, a lengthened version of the prayer said by the publican, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me a sinner” (see Luke 18:13). I have already mentioned this prayer as a spiritual discipline to be used at Christmas for Christ to be born within. It bears repeating as an Epiphany discipline for Christ born within to be continuously manifested within.

The purpose of the Jesus Prayer is to bring a person into union with Christ by fulfilling the mandate of Paul to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17 NRSV). Although it is a verbal prayer, the goal is for it to become a mental and spiritual prayer that is constantly in the mind and heart, a prayer that establishes a spiritual union with God through Christ.

An entire spiritual tradition known as the Hesychast method of prayer developed around the Jesus Prayer. In The Way of the Pilgrim, a spiritual classic on the Jesus Prayer, the prayer is described as follows:

The continuous interior prayer of Jesus is a constant uninterrupted calling upon the divine name of Jesus with the lips, in the spirit and in the heart; while forming a mental picture of His constant presence, and imploring His grace during every occupation, at all times, in all places, even during sleep. The appeal is couched in these terms, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” One who accustoms himself to this appeal experiences, as a result, so deep a consolation and so great a need to offer the prayer always, that he can no longer live without it, and it will continue to voice itself within him of its own accord.[5] 

I recommend Epiphany as a time to enter into an experience of constant union with Christ through the Jesus Prayer. I have listed below some of the rules for using this prayer suggested by the authors of the spiritual classic, Unseen Warfare, for those who are beginners with the Jesus Prayer:

1. Begin and end your current practice of prayer with the Jesus Prayer.
2. Increase the number of repetitions gradually as your enjoyment of the prayer grows.
3. Recite the prayer slowly and recite it as though you were standing before the Lord himself.
4. Repeat the prayer whenever you have free time, doing so in the intervals of your occupation and even in your talking.
5. Make certain the prayer comes from the heart and not merely from the lips.
6. Always act in a state of complete simplicity and great humility, never attributing success to yourself.
7. Do not set a time for achievement in this prayer. Decide only one thing: to work and to work. Months and years will go by before the first feeble indications of success begin to show.[6]

Make union with Christ a sincere goal of your Epiphany spirituality and realize that unless you are in union with Christ in your soul, you cannot manifest Christ in your life. I can attest to the value of the Jesus Prayer, as I find myself frequently saying it as I wait to sleep, as I walk or drive, as I face temptation, or as I find free time in my schedule here and there.

Christ Manifest through us

An Epiphany spirituality is not only Christ in us but Christ being revealed through us to others. As God was manifested in Jesus Christ, so Christ is manifested through the church to the world. Because we are the church, the body of Christ who act as salt and light, we are the continuing manifestation of Christ’s love and redeeming power. Of course there are many ways we can express an Epiphany spirituality. For example, Christ is manifested in us when we live by the fruits of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In the early church the fathers saw these fruits of the Spirit expressed in the gift of hospitality. Hospitality is a very special gift because it is a unique means through which Christ can be manifested. Therefore, the early church fathers had much to say about this gift and commended it as a special way to communicate the presence of Jesus. The fathers ask us to consider how frequently God’s presence is associated with hospitality in the Scripture.

A special case in point is the hospitality Abraham offered to three men who appeared at the door of his tent (Gen. 18:1–15). In Christian iconography this event is interpreted as the visitation of the Triune God and has inspired the most famous of all icons, the icon of the Holy Trinity by Andrei Rublev. Abraham’s hospitality to the three strangers is an inspiring example of the mutual exchange of God’s presence that can occur in the gift of hospitality. While Abraham was manifesting the love of God to these men, they in turn manifested God’s presence to Abraham and Sarah. In keeping with the theme of Epiphany, the time in which Christ is manifested to the whole world, the liturgy of the church calls us to manifest Christ through hospitality.

Hospitality evangelism is the kind of manifestation that may draw a stranger to the gospel into the very heart of Christ. Our world is full of lonely people—students, singles, the disabled, newcomers to town, the shy, the divorced, the aged, and the infirm. Like Abraham and Sarah we need to open up our homes and our lives to them, a hospitality that speaks volumes to the love and warmth of God. Hospitality spirituality stands in the Western tradition of Christian spirituality. In the East, spirituality emphasizes solitude, being alone with the self as a way of practicing the presence of Jesus. But in the West, especially in modern times, there has been a great emphasis on a spirituality that reaches outward towards other people. While both spiritualities are needed for a well-rounded spirituality, Epiphany calls us to move outward toward others to bring them into the life of Christ in the Christian community. All of us know one or more persons or families who live this way as a general rule.

For example, I know of a university professor who purposely located himself at a university with many international students in order to have a hospitality ministry among them. The work of Francis Schaeffer at L’Abri, Switzerland, a ministry to students through his home, reached thousands of people. Covenant House, a ministry to prostitutes, drug addicts, and runaway children in New York, has touched thousands of lives through a hospitality spirituality. While these are well-known examples, the commitment to reach out to one person or one family is no less valuable in God’s eye. I recommend that you make this Epiphany special by choosing a person, a family, or a group of people to host and reach with the Good News. Use the Epiphany season to put into motion a lifelong commitment to reach out. There are a number of ways you can fulfill this calling: Establish a friendship with a stranger; invite a lonely person or family to dinner; begin a neighborhood Bible study and fellowship group in your home.

Conclusion

We gain insight into how Epiphany orders our spiritual lives by looking at the spiritual emphasis associated with Epiphany. It is clearly as the word itself means—a time for the manifestation of Jesus as the Christ, the fulfillment of all Israel’s longing, and the fulfillment of the world’s longing for a Savior. The three great events of the visit of the wise ones, the baptism of Jesus, and the marriage feast at Cana of Galilee express the manifestation of Jesus as the one who accomplishes God’s mission. Because God’s glory has been manifested in Jesus Christ, he calls his disciples and us to manifest his glory by becoming his deeply committed disciples showing forth Christ through our lives. Consequently, for us an Epiphany spirituality is to allow Christ to be manifested in us through prayer and hospitality. May we open our hearts to God’s epiphany within and may we reach out to be God’s epiphany to the strangers in our midst.

Webber, Robert E.. Ancient-Future Time (Ancient-Future) . Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.