SEASONS OF THE CHURCH YEAR

 

EPIPHANY SEASON: 

THE SECOND SUNDAY after THE EPIPHANY

 

The Church Year is divided into Festivals beginning with Christmas, which includes  4 Sundays in Advent and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  This is followed by Epiphany Season which begins with the Epiphany of Our Lord and ends 9 Sundays later with the Transfiguration of Our Lord.  The Time of Easter follows beginning with Lent, followed by Holy Week starting with Palm Sunday and concludes with Good Friday.  Easter Season begins with the Resurrection of Our Lord and includes the Ascension of Our Lord  and ends with PENTECOST.  

The first PENTECOST took place on the 50th day after Easter Sunday when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, enabling them to testify boldly to spread the Good News of the Gospel. 

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TODAY we observe THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.​​

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'When Luther specifies the Gospel as the means by which the Holy Spirit works, we again notice how the Spirit binds himself to the Word of God and not to human experience. In this, he echoes Jesus, who says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13–14; see also Rom. 10:17).

The verbs Luther uses in his explanation tell us much about the person and work of the Spirit. It is, first, the work of the Spirit to call us to faith in Christ by the Gospel. Nobody can come to Christ on his own. You could sooner believe that the sky was neon green than you could believe the truth of the Gospel without the Spirit first calling you to faith. “To this he called you through our gospel,” Paul writes, “so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:14; see also 1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 4:4; Rev. 22:17). The Spirit also gathers us into one holy Church, the communion of saints, the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:4–6; Matt. 28:19; 1 Peter 2:9). He enlightens dead hearts and blind eyes to recognize and receive their crucified and risen Savior (1 Cor. 2:6–16; 12:3; 2 Cor. 4:6; Rom. 8:7–9). Luther further elaborates upon this work of the Spirit in the Large Catechism: “The Holy Spirit reveals and preaches that Word, and by it he illumines and kindles hearts so that they grasp and accept it, cling to it, and persevere in it” (LC II, III, 42).

Finally, the Spirit sanctifies us. He makes us holy. Sanctification in a wider sense refers to the entire work of the Spirit, from creating faith in us, to helping us lead a devout life, to bringing us to resurrection and eternal life. This leading to faith is usually accomplished by the Spirit’s work in Baptism, when the Word and promises of God, connected with water, wash us clean from sin and unite us to the death and resurrection of Jesus. St. Paul says: “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11, see also John 3:5–6).'

Excerpts from  The Lutheran Witness May 14, 2019 

by Curtis P. Giese

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THE SERMON TEXT:  2025 Jan 19​

1Corinthians 12:1-11 NIV

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12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 

2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 

3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 

5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 

6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 

8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 

10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

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See Notes on the HOLY SPIRIT

On the Beliefs Page

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SERMON THEME for The Second Sunday after the Epiphany:

Using My Spiritual Gifts

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SERMON  HYMN:

Fruitful Trees, the Spirit's Sowing

Author:Timothy Dudley-Smtih, b. 1926

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1 Fruitful trees, the Spirit's sowing,
may we ripen and increase,
fruit to life eternal growing,
rich in love and joy and peace.

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2 Laden branches freely bearing
gifts the Giver loves to bless;
here is fruit that grows by sharing,
patience, kindness, gentleness.

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3 Rooted deep in Christ our Master,
Christ our pattern and our goal,
teach us, as the years fly faster,
goodness, faith, and self-control.

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4 Fruitful trees, the Spirit's tending,
may we grow till harvests cease;
till we taste, in life unending,
heaven's love and joy and peace.

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Hear the Sermon on YouTube

(posted shortly after the Service but not live streamed)

youtube.com/@oslcchatham6321

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