We create sacred spaces to experience the living Christ as
a community, being formed into the image of Christ together.
By Justine Paolo “Jep” Parcasio, Associate Pastor, Baguio, Luzon, Philippines
For the past ten years, Grace Communion Baguio has been journeying into the life and ministry of Jesus throughout the year. We do this by following the worship calendar and the Revised Common Lectionary, intentionally planning and preparing the liturgy. In every way, liturgy is formational, transformational, and experiential in nature. As a congregation, we create sacred spaces and moments for our congregants to experience and encounter the living Christ as a community, being formed into the image of Christ together.
Beginning after the twelve days of Christmas, the season of Epiphany (from the Greek word epiphaneia, meaning “an appearing”) represents a beautiful message of how Jesus is being revealed, is manifesting and appearing to the world as the Lord and Savior. Epiphany includes three significant worship days commemorating how Christ was revealed through receiving the Magi, His Baptism, and His Transfiguration.
The following are liturgical activities that the congregation can do as a spiritual formation practice.
Epiphany of Our Lord — Monday, January 6, 2025
On this day, celebrated every year on January 6, we remember the visit of the Magi to the child Jesus and their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Gospel account in Matthew 2 lends us several symbols that are useful for object lessons and contemplation.
This can be a meaningful time to reflect on the star that led the Magi to Jesus in the manger. Have a candlelight service where each person lights an individual candle from one large candle that represents the star. The candle can also represent Jesus, the light of world, whose light fills the earth.
Questions are a powerful way to include people and encourage participation. Ask: What “stars” has the Spirit employed to lead you to Jesus? You can use your imagination within your context to determine how best to use prompts. For a small gathering, each person might respond. Medium-sized groups can answer on a slip of paper, attaching it later to a wall or cross or placing it in a jar. For large groups, people may write the answer and discuss it later in a connect group.
Baptism of Our Lord — Sunday, January 12, 2025
The celebration of the Baptism of the Lord can be a wonderful opportunity to talk about the significance of Jesus’ baptism and its relevance for us – He was baptized on our behalf for all humanity. With prior planning, you may be able to include baptisms as part of your service. Have people read the Apostle Creed together as a way to renew their previous baptism vow. Allow people to remember their baptism by writing the date/year on a shared display.
Presentation of Our Lord — Sunday, February 2, 2025
This day is not included on the GCI Worship Calendar as one of the three main celebrations during Epiphany season. But you may still choose to emphasize the significance of our Lord being presented at the temple. The prophets Anna and Simeon participated in another manifestation of Jesus. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they both proclaimed that Jesus is our redeeming Messiah. (Matthew 2:22-40)
Consider the unifying act of communal recitation. That’s the practice of the congregation reciting in unison a verse or prayer, like the one below.
Almighty and everliving God,
we humbly pray that,
as your only-begotten Son
was this day presented in the temple,
so we may be presented to you
with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.[1]
Transfiguration of Our Lord — Sunday, March 2, 2025
We celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday which marks the end of Epiphany and the beginning of Lent/Easter Preparation. The liturgical color for this Sunday is white, reminding us of light, purity, completeness, and transformation. On the mountain, Jesus’ face and clothes shone white as light (Matthew 17:2). The worship hall can be adorned with the color white or drapes of white cloth. With even small details, we can create a sacred space for people to be immersed with the theme of the season.
In Luke 9, we read of the Father saying, “listen to Him,” at Jesus’ transfiguration. Prompts to encourage participation could be: How is Jesus speaking today? How are we listening?
Liturgy coupled with different creative expressions of worship ushers the congregants to appreciating the relevance of the season – the revealing, manifestation, and appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let this season of Epiphany be meaningful as the light of Christ continue to shine to us, in us, and through us.
