To modern Christians, the word "epiphany" holds many meanings, some of them quite ancient.
According to the American Catholic Catalog, the celebration originated in Asia Minor. The feast of lights, or Epiphaneia, was a term used by Paul to mean the coming or showing of a king.
Jan. 6, the 12th day of (or after) Christmas, is the day of Epiphany. On the first Sunday in January, throughout the world, Catholics and Protestants will observe Epiphany, in song and prayer, as the day the Wise Men came to Bethlehem. Meanwhile, in Eastern Orthodoxy, Epiphany Sunday commemorates Christ's baptism. (Catholics and Protestants celebrate that event on the following Sunday.)
John 1:32 tells of the baptism of Christ: "And John bore witness, 'I saw the spirit descend as a dove from heaven and it remained on him.' " Father John Kaloudis of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Salt Lake City explains the baptism reveals the Holy Trinity, which is what his church recognizes on the first Sunday in January.
Further, he says, Christ's public ministry began with his baptism. Thus, the word "epiphany" is closely linked to "ministry." In Orthodoxy, when a believer speaks of a personal epiphany, he or she is probably referring to a deepening call to ministry. "The Epiphany is a time of empowerment for Christians, a time of renewal, a rededication to committing ourselves to perform the will of God."
Meanwhile, at the United Church of Christ Congregational Church in Ogden, the Rev. Carla Gilbert plans to incorporate the modern, the secular, as well as the traditional definition of the word into her Epiphany Sunday sermon.
If the secular world uses the word "epiphany" to mean any flash of insight, then, the Rev.. Gilbert says, modern believers are not amiss to say "Aha!" when they recognize God's light in their daily lives.
Another important part of Epiphany is a reminder that Dec. 25 is not the end of the season, she says. The Wise Men did not come, bearing their gifts, until some time after Christ's birth.
The Rev. Gilbert will talk about gifts at Epiphany. She'll talk about God's gifts. "House and home, food and drink, clothing, health, relationships, education, tools, play and rest. And the gift that has the greatest impact, his gift of Christ." On Epiphany Sunday her congregation will donate white gifts, for charity.
In some churches, the Christmas observance includes the coming of the kings. The Rev. Gilbert says, "I tend to leave the scriptures about the Wise Men until Epiphany. To me, they symbolize the long journey. The baby is born, yes. But then it is the journey of a lifetime to reach the star, the full realization of Jesus."