Epiphany Stars

In the Christian Year, Epiphany follows directly after Christmas, starting on January 6 each year.

During Christmas, we celebrate the coming of Jesus who is Emmanuel, "God With Us". In Epiphany, we celebrate what happens when God is with us. Where do we find him? What is he doing? This is what Epiphany is for: it is a season of noticing where Jesus shows up.

He shows up in many ways: in conversations we have with others, in things we read or hear, in experiences we have, or even in observing other people, such as an act of kindness through which Jesus' love is clearly evident. These are all ways which help us to learn something new about him, or about the life of following after him.

This "Epiphany Stars" activity helps us to notice these moments of Epiphany.

Here is how it works:

1. Put up the Epiphany poster, or create one of your own on poster paper. All you need is a bit of dedicated, decorated space to enable you to collect the Epiphany moments you witness during the season.

2. Cut out some stars, or grab some star-shaped sticky notes from a dollar store.

3. Each time you notice a moment in which Jesus "shows up" in some way, write it down on a star and stick it on the poster. Over time, these stars begin to cluster into a constellation of Epiphany stories.

Watching the stars cover the poster is very encouraging. It is a reminder that God does shows up, and often!

This is part of growing your "Epiphany Muscles" -- the ability to notice where God is and what he is doing around you. If you make a regular habit of this, you will be able to notice Jesus showing up even in the most difficult times of your life.

I invite you to spend some time intentionally noticing where and how Jesus makes himself known to you this Epiphany season.

See also Mystery Epiphaners

Are you celebrating Epiphany with your family?

Here is an introductory video for children: