January 11, 2026
The First Sunday of the Epiphany Season
What If Epiphany Never Happened ?
I’m fairly certain that it escaped your notice (…..it definitely would’ve escaped mine if I hadn’t been writing this service flyer introduction…..), but this past Tuesday was officially the “Twelfth (and last) Day of Christmas.” It marked the formal end of what the Christian Church refers to as “the Christmas Season.” At that point, the Church moves forward from our specific celebration of Jesus’ birth in order to continue our annual “Church Year journey” that ultimately takes us to Jerusalem, Calvary and Jesus’ open grave on Easter.
While you and I are undoubtedly grateful for the Gift of the Baby born in Bethlehem Who became the world’s Savior (and ours), this morning we’re going to adjust our worship focus on Christ just a little bit as we observe the beginning of what is known on the church’s calendar as “the Epiphany Season.”
This season of “Epiphany” is the third season of the Christian Church year — which began on the first Sunday of this past December (the first two “seasons” were the recently-completed Advent and Christmas seasons). The Epiphany season varies in length from 3 to 8 Sundays, depending on the date of Easter. An early Easter means a short Epiphany cycle, and vice versa. For example, for us this year’s Epiphany season will be longer about average in length….including today, 6 Sundays in length….from now through February 15th.
The Historical Background of the Epiphany Season
With the exception of the Festival of the Resurrection of our Lord (Easter Sunday), the “Festival of the Epiphany of our Lord” is the oldest of the Christian church’s formal observances or celebrations.
Almost 2000 years before the birth of Christ, January 6th marked the date of a celebration dedicated to the birth of the heathen sun-god, Aeon. By the close of the second century A.D., Christians “took over” this date and “reformed” it into the Festival of the Epiphany of our Lord — replacing any and all pagan overtones connected to the sun-god, with Christian meaning, significance, and the worship of the “Son of God,” Who is the true “Light of the world.”
The word “Epiphany” is actually taken from a Greek word, “epi-pha-neh-oh” which means “to reveal,” “to make known” or “to manifest.” The Epiphany season should remind us of the manifestation, or revelation, of God’s glory to mankind through the Father’s sending of His Son into our world. That Son took upon Himself our human nature to be our Savior from sin and our Guarantee of eternal life in heaven – through faith in Him. Until the inauguration of the observance of Christmas in the 4th century AD, both the birth of Jesus and the occasion of His baptism were commemorated together on January 6th. After the majority of congregations eventually changed their celebration of Christ’s birth from January 6th to December 25th, the Eastern Church (today’s Eastern/Greek Orthodox Church) decided to use the Festival of Epiphany to celebrate the significance of Christ’s baptism. They have continued with that emphasis over the centuries to this very day.
The Two General “Emphases” of Epiphany
On the other hand, in the Western Church (initially the Roman Catholic Church – but subsequently also our Lutheran church and the various Protestant churches) the Epiphany season was given two general emphases. The first emphasis, tied to the visit of the Gentile Wise Men to worship the Christ-child, stresses the work of Evangelism – the vital task of Christians personally bringing the Gospel to people near and far, so that everyone might share in the blessings of Jesus’ redeeming work. The second emphasis for this season shows us how Jesus “revealed” His Deity (the fact that He is the Savior-God) through His miracles and His message. In connection with this second emphasis, we can use the Epiphany season to continue our celebration of the incarnation of Christ as we give our attention to selected Biblical accounts which deal with some of the tangible ways (preaching/ teaching, plus His miracles of healing and provision) that Jesus – during His public ministry – manifested Himself to His followers then and now as the Promised Messiah Who is truly God and truly human, and the one and only Savior of the world.
Today’s Scripture Readings
Our three main Scripture lessons today (the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel Lessons) are the historic/ traditional readings for January 6th (this past Tuesday)….which, officially, is the Day of the Epiphany of our Lord. They serve to emphasize God’s grace in sharing the mystery of the Gospel also with the non-Jewish (Gentile) peoples of the world – which include the vast majority of us!
Our Old Testament Lesson for today is a prophesy about the Messiah’s entry into the world in order to become our “Light,” both by His revealing the true God to us, and by redeeming us from the darkness of sin, unbelief, and damnation through His sinless life and sacrificial death. We also see here a prediction that would take place over 700 years in the future, when God fulfills it in today’s Gospel Lesson/Sermon Text, the story of the Wise Men being miraculously brought by God to worship the infant Jesus.
In our Epistle Lesson, Paul rejoices because of the privilege God has given him of bringing the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentile world. Today, you and I are entrusted with proclaiming that saving message, formerly a mystery to all but the nation of Israel, throughout our community and the world.
Our Children’s Lesson will use the work of making a peanut butter sandwich, and the efforts of the wise men who traveled so far to worship Jesus to help us understand why we go to church….and why we worship Jesus.
And our Gospel Lesson is the story of the Gentile Wise Men and their trek following the star to worship Christ. Arriving in Jerusalem, they were sure that the newborn King of the Jews would be born in King Herod’s palace. Of course, He wasn’t. However Jewish scholars knew of the prophecy of Micah 5:2 which promised the Savior-King would be born in Bethlehem. The Wise Men were sent there and worshiped their Savior, even presenting Him with gifts. After which God sent them home without bringing them back to King Herod, thereby saving the life of the Boy and his parents, since Herod intended to murder the Baby as a Rival to his throne.
Scripture quotations in this worship flyer, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Evangelical Heritage Version of the Bible. Copyright 2019 by the Wartburg Project;
The Service of the Word and Sacrament has been reprinted from Christian Worship, A Lutheran Hymnal, c 1993, with permission from Northwestern Publishing House, Milwaukee, WI
Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
Prayer Upon Entering Church – Heavenly Father, You displayed Your grace by bringing me to faith in Christ through the work of Your Holy Spirit, and then by giving me the blessing of being called Your child. Though what I offer You today is so small compared to all You have done for me, please accept my humble offerings of praise and thanksgiving, as well as my gifts that I will be bringing before You today. Also, Lord, help me gladly to hear and take to heart all that You offer me in Your Word this morning – particularly the Good News of salvation from sin for me and all people through faith in Your Son, my Savior. Renew and invigorate my faith through Your Holy Spirit today and every day, that I might live a confident life of faith and love to Your glory, and so that I might share with others, by all possible means and at every opportunity, the same Good News of salvation through Christ which has filled my life with peace, purpose, and the promise of eternal life in heaven. Amen.
The Service of The Word
Silent prayer
Pre service music
We Worship our Lord
The Service Introduction
and Invitation to Worship Invocation
P: We make our beginning this morning,
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Hymn Hymn 83 “As With Gladness Men of Old”
1 As with gladness men of old Did the guiding star behold,
As with joy they hailed its light, Leading onward, beaming bright,
So, most gracious Lord, may we Evermore your foll’wers be.
2 As with joyful steps they sped, Savior, to your lowly bed,
There to bend the knee before You whom heav’n and earth adore,
So may we with willing feet Ever seek your mercy seat.
3 As they offered gifts most rare At your cradle, rude and bare,
So may we with holy joy, Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to you, our heav’nly King.
4 Holy Jesus, ev’ry day Keep us in the narrow way;
And, when earthly things are past, Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide, Where no clouds your glory hide.
5 In the heav’nly country bright Need they no created light;
You its light, its joy, its crown, You its sun which goes not down.
There forever may we sing Alleluias to our King!
After which the Congregation will rise for
The Blessing
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.
C: And also with you.
The Confession of Sins
Pastor God, our Heavenly Father, invites us to come into His presence and to worship Him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us now turn to Him, acknowledging our sinfulness and seeking His forgiveness for all our sins.
Congregation Holy and merciful Father, + I confess that I am by nature sinful + and that I have disobeyed You in my thoughts, words, and actions; + I have done what is evil in Your sight + and have failed to do what is good. + For this I know that I deserve Your punishment, + both now and for eternity. + But I am truly sorry for all my sins, + and trusting in the perfect life + and innocent death of my Savior, Jesus Christ, + I plead: + God have mercy on me, a sinner.
Pastor Our gracious Lord and Master has shown us His mercy: He has given His one and only Son to save us from all our sins. And now, carrying out my office as a called servant of Christ, and according to His command and authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May the peace of God rest upon all of you.
Congregation Amen.
Lord Have Mercy (Christian Worship, pages 27-29)
P: For all that we need in life, and for the wisdom to use all Your gifts with gratitude and joy, hear our prayer, O Lord.
C: (sung) Lord have mercy
P: For the steadfast assurance that nothing can separate us from Your love and for the courage to stand firm against the assaults of Satan and every evil, hear our prayer, O Christ:
C: (Sung) Christ have mercy.
P: For the well-being of Your holy Church in all the world and for those who offer here their worship and praise, hear our prayer, O Lord
C: (Sung) Lord have mercy.
P: Merciful God, Maker and Preserver of life, uphold us by Your power, and keep us in Your tender care:
C: (sung) Amen.
P: The works of the Lord are great and glorious; His name is worthy of praise.
(Sung) O Lord, our Lord,
How glorious is Your name in all the earth.
Almighty God, merciful Father,
Your crown our life with Your love.
You take away our sin; You comfort our spirit;
You make us pure and holy in Your sight.
You did not spare Your only Son, but gave Him up for us all.
O Lord, our Lord, How glorious is Your name in all the earth.
O Son of God, eternal Word of the Father,
You came to live with us; You made Your Father known;
You washed us from our sins in Your own blood.
You are the King of glory; You are the Lord!
O Lord, our Lord, How glorious is Your name in all the earth.
Prayer of This Morning
Almighty and eternal God + direct our actions through Your Holy Spirit, + that we might always please and glorify You. + Thank You, Lord, + for graciously calling us out of the darkness of sin and unbelief + into the light of saving faith in Christ Jesus. + Keep the eyes of our faith open by the power of Your Holy Spirit + that we may continue to see and confess Your Son, Jesus Christ, + as truly God and truly Man, + and as the one and only Redeemer of the entire world. + Continue to lead us by the light of Your Word + giving us the spiritual wisdom and strength of faith we need + to live each day to the honor of Your glorious, saving name. + We ask this for Jesus’ sake + Who lives and rules with You and the Holy Spirit + as the one true God, now and for ever. + Amen.
After which the Congregation will be seated as
We Give Our Attention to the Word of God
The First Lesson Isaiah 60:1-6
1 Arise, shine, for your Light has come, and the Glory of the Lord is dawning upon you. 2 Look, darkness covers the earth, and deep darkness covers the peoples, but the Lord will dawn upon you, and His glory will be seen over you. 3 Nations will walk to your Light, and kings to the Brightness of your dawn. 4 Look up. Look all around and see! All of them have been gathered. They are coming to You. Your sons will come from far away, and people will carry Your daughters on their side. 5 Then You will look and be radiant. Your heart will race with excitement and burst with joy. For great riches from the sea will be delivered to You. The wealth of the nations will come to You. 6 Caravans of camels will cover Your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah. All those from Sheba will come. They will carry gold and incense, and they will announce the good news of the praise of the Lord.
The Epistle Lesson Ephesians 3:1-12
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 Surely you have heard of the administration of God’s grace given to me for you, 3 namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation (as I have already written briefly). 4 When you read this, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5 This mystery was not made known to people in past generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and people who also share in the promise through the Gospel.
7 I became a servant of this gospel, in keeping with the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of His power. 8 To me—even though I am the very least of all the saints—was given this grace: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ 9 and to enlighten everyone about the administration of this mystery. In past ages this mystery remained hidden in God, Who created all things. 10 He did this so that, through the Church, the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was done according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In Him we can freely approach God with confidence through faith in Him.
After which the Congregation will rise for
The Gospel Lesson Matthew 2:1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, when Herod was king, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, 2 “Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 He gathered together all the people’s chief priests and experts in the law. He asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because this was written through the prophet:
‘6 You, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are certainly not least among the rulers of Judah: because out of you will come a Ruler, Who will shepherd My people, Israel.’”
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the Wise Men and found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child. When you find Him, report to me, so that I may also go and worship Him.”
9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. Then the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them, until it stood still over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with overwhelming joy. 11 After they went into the house and saw the Child with Mary, His mother, they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and offered Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Since they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.
The Children’s Lesson John 8:12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, when Herod was king, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, 2 “Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.”
Why Follow the Star?
The Public Confession of our Christian Faith
according to the words of the Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light. Very God of Very God. Begotten, not made. Being of one substance with the Father, By Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary And was made man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried; And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father; And He shall come again with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one holy Christian and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, And I look for the resurrection of the dead, And the life of the world to come. Amen.
Hymn of the Day Hymn 82 “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise”
1 Songs of thankfulness and praise, Jesus, Lord, to you we raise,
Manifested by the star To the Magi from afar,
Branch of royal David’s stem, In your birth at Bethlehem.
Anthems be to you addressed, God in man made manifest.
2 Manifest at Jordan’s stream, Prophet, Priest, and King supreme,
And at Cana, Wedding Guest, In your Godhead manifest;
Manifest in pow’r divine, Changing water into wine.
Anthems be to you addressed, God in man made manifest.
3 Manifest in making whole Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight, Quelling all the devil’s might;
Manifest in gracious will, Ever bringing good from ill.
Anthems be to you addressed, God in man made manifest.
4 Sun and moon shall darkened be; Stars shall fall, the heav’ns shall flee.
Christ will then like lightning shine; All will see his glorious sign.
All will then the trumpet hear; All will see the judge appear.
You by all will be confessed, God in man made manifest.
5 Grant us grace to see you, Lord, Mirrored in your holy Word.
May our lives and all we do Imitate and honor you
That we all like you may be At your great epiphany
And may praise you, ever blest, God in man made manifest.
The Pre-Sermon Greeting
Grace be yours, and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Sermon Ephesians 3:2-12
(Today’s Epistle Lesson)
What If Epiphany Never Happened?
The Post-Sermon Blessing
May the God of peace, Who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, now equip you with everything good for doing His will! Amen.
After the sermon the Congregation will REMAIN SEATED as
We Offer Our Gifts and Prayers to the Lord
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
We will be passing an offering plate through our chapel at this point. For those unable to worship with us in person, if you would like to participate in this offering, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to Grace Lutheran Church (415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745)
2) Or, go online to our website (www.gracelutherannwa.com) and use the giving option there.
As the offerings are brought forward, the Congregation rises for prayer
Today’s Special Prayers
Included in our prayers this morning are:
Prayers of Intercessions on behalf of our brother
George Layton, who is in Mercy Hospital, contending with pneumonia;
and for
John Talbert, (Mary’s son) who is hospitalized in California,
dealing with the effects of a stroke that occurred during his recovery from a recent operation;
plus
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Wilma Jean and Rob Carr,
who will celebrate their wedding anniversary this Thursday.
The Responsive Prayer for Epiphany
P: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Mary’s Son, in the fullness of time You came into our world to save us from sin and death.
C: You ushered in the day of grace so long foretold.
P: Beloved Son of the Father, revered by the Magi, baptized by John, You came preaching and teaching, healing and comforting, forgiving and encouraging.
C: You brought the light of life to those walking in darkness, and the joy of salvation to those doomed to death.
P: Prince of Peace, shine like a beacon for us and the people of our world. Let the good news of salvation be heard in the most remote corners of the earth. Open our own lips to speak Your name to those around us who still live without faith or hope.
C: Arouse us and our missionaries to flood the world with the light of Your gospel.
P: Preserve Your truth among us and by that truth preserve us until You appear in dazzling splendor to bring us to the glory of heaven. Let our anticipation of the heavenly kingdom ennoble our thinking and speaking, enrich our conduct, and increase our joy in all aspects of our earthly lives.
C: Be gracious to all and lead us to reflect Your love in everything that we say, think, and do.
P: Also hear us, Lord, as we bring You our private petitions and praises
Silent prayer.
P: Finally, bring us and all Your believers to the heavenly home where we will stand in the full light of Your glory and with all Your saints and angels join in singing your everlasting praises. All this we offer in Your name, dear Savior, and now we continue by offering the prayer You have given us:
C: Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Now Dismiss Us, Lord
The Closing Blessing
Brothers and sisters, now go in peace.
Live in harmony with one another.
And Serve the Lord in gladness.
The LORD bless you and keep you,
The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you,
The LORD look upon you with favor, and grant you His peace.
Amen.
The Closing Hymn Hymn 64 “Let Us All With Gladsome Voice”
1 Let us all with gladsome voice Praise the God of heaven,
Who, to bid our hearts rejoice, His own Son has given.
2 To this vale of tears he comes, Here to serve in sadness,
That with him in heav’n’s fair homes We may reign in gladness.
3 We are rich, for he was poor; Is not this a wonder?
Therefore praise God evermore Here on earth and yonder.
4 O Lord Christ, our Savior dear, Bless us and be near us.
Grant us now a glad new year. Amen, Jesus, hear us!
+ + + Thank You + + +
Thank you for being a part of our worshiping assembly this morning. We invite you to join those around you for some good conversation and fellowship at the conclusion of today’s announcements. We also invite you to join us for coffee and other refreshments in our gymnasium/ fellowship hall after the close of today’s service.
Finally, we encourage you to remain afterwards with us
for further study in the Word of our Lord through our Bible Classes and Sunday School. May the comfort of God’s love and His forgiveness through Jesus Christ be with you throughout this day and this week.