What Epiphany is for

Recovering a theology of glory

Three Travelors, Elena Markova

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

We are in the liturgical season of Epiphany. If that leaves you scratching your head, don’t feel bad. According to Fleming Rutledge, Epiphany is the least understood and least appreciated of the church seasons. She is probably right, though Ordinary Time is probably a close second. While Epiphany is traditionally a time to reflect on God’s revelation and presence, Rutledge draws our attention to God’s glory. In a recent interview about her new book on Epiphany, Rutledge explains why:

Many passages in scripture stress the transcendent nature of the glory of God and its unlikeness to anything comparable on earth. Karl Barth based his entire theological project on the conviction that knowledge of God is “grounded entirely in the miracle of grace.” Epiphany demonstrates to us that there is no road to the glory of God through human seeking. It cannot be summoned by human endeavor. It comes as a pure gift.

To Rutledge, Epiphany doubles down on the Advent promise. God makes his way to us, not the other way around. In her book, she emphasizes that the purpose of God’s people, now and forever, is to therefore praise the glory that God possesses. Not because we imagine God needs our praise, but because when we give glory to God, we are taken up in it. When we glorify God, we discover that some of that glory has been given to us. And we are changed.

I don’t know if Rutledge can “save Epiphany” from obscurity. But I do appreciate the reminder not to move on too quickly from “the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love” we sang about on Christmas Eve. Hopefully, some of the glory of that experience lives on in each of us.

---

I love to hear from you. Just reply to this email or leave a comment here about what you’re learning or what is inspiring you. Feel free to forward this email to someone you think might enjoy it. If you received this email from a friend and would like to subscribe, please do so here.