Epiphany Blessings!

The Closing of the Christmas Season.

The Wise Men have arrived.

2024 Epiphany Home Chalk Blessing

Today, Saturday, January 6, 2024 is Epiphany. 

A part of church history is the custom of blessing homes at the New Year. 

A family would hold a short service of prayer to ask God’s blessing

on their dwelling and on all who live, work with and visit them.

Take chalk and mark above the entrance

or on the doorstep of your front door as follows:  

20 + C M B + 24. 

C M B above the door also stands for Christus Mansionem Benedicat, 

which is Latin for “May Christ Bless this House.

While doing the marking, someone says:

“The magi of old, known as Caspar (mark the C),

… Melchior (mark the M),

… and Balthasar (mark the B)

… followed the star of God’s Son who came to dwell among us

two thousand (mark the 20)

… and twenty-four years ago (mark the 24)

May Christ bless our home (mark the + after the 20)

… and remain with us throughout this coming year (mark the + before the 24). “

Prayer of Blessing

Holy God, you revealed your beloved Son to every nation

by the guidance of a star. Bless this house and all who inhabit it. 

Make it a place of welcome and peace to all who enter.

Fill us with the light of Christ, so that our concern for others

will reflect your love. We ask this through 

Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

If you wish, you can also read a passage from Scripture

(John 1:1-14 is always good) and/or end with the Lord’s Prayer.

I Love this simple blessing of our home each year.

Thanks to Stacey Crosson for the reminder

and this writeup about

"chalking the door".

 

Epiphany Blessings

 

Vintage Epiphany Cards.

This day- January 6 is known as the feast

 that honors the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child,

and the physical manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

Sometimes it is called Three King's Day.

It is known as Theophany in the Eastern Christian churches

 as the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ

The Wise Men have found the Christ Child.

Let us also move our hearts to center 

on the manger with the babe- born for each of us.

Epiphany Blessings

Working on our Epiphany stars with 3 grandsons.

We practiced cutting and one 

was very interested in the glue.

They also decided we should put eyes 

on the stars so that the wise Men 

could see Baby Jesus.

We talked about the traditional blessing

 we could put above the doors in our homes.

20+C+M+B+22

The letters stand for the "traditional" 

names for the Wise Men.

Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.

They also mean Christus Mansionem Benedicat-

May Christ bless this house.

We can say a prayer for our families

 in the New Year and ask the Lord to be with us.

The Wise Men have traveled far...

Worship into the Week

Epiphany Readings-Epistle-Ephesians 3: 1-12

New Testament- Matthew 2: 1-12

As we prepare to return to Israel,

may I remember the STAR that the wisemen saw

 and rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

May that JOY of this Christ-Child

 be the center of my worship. 

Thanks to daughter -Laura Schumacher-

 for your images for the readings for Worship into the Week.

 Vintage Epiphany postcards-

 most over 100 years old

gathered around a folding ruler

made into a STAR.

No need to travel far-

the Christ Child lives in my heart.

May you be blessed by our Heavenly Father

 in this New Year of 2022.

 

Worship into the Week- Epiphany

 

Worship into the Week-

Matthew 2: 1-12

The Visit of the Magi

Epiphany

Rejoiced exceedingly with great JOY.

 Lord, may I see the Star that brings LIGHT.

That I may go there!

Today I have thought about the Magi

 riding camels to Bethlehem.

(me last year in Petra)

John and I thought about following a star 

when we were in Petra last year.

 In our family Zoom worship this past week, 

we talked about camel riding tips.

So on this Epiphany day I will place this sign

 over the doorway to our home.

Epiphany comes from the Greek word- 

epi pha neia

It means appearance, manifestation.

One of the oldest festivals in the Christian world.

When Christ was made 

manifest to the Gentile world.

The blessing is:

Christus Mansionem Benedicat

May Christ Bless this House.

20+ C+ M+ B+ 21

Preferred is to include a cross

 between all of the symbols.

And Lord, may you bless this nation.

Worship into the Week-Behold!

Matthew 2:10

The Gospel reading for Epiphany.

Reflecting on the Journey,

the Finding and the Knowing.

The trip home- 

 how could their lives not have changed?

What would you tell your family?

How could you explain what you saw?

 What about that young babe you brought gifts to?

May that wonder move

 right into this new year-

that I may cling to the King

 who gave up all for me.

Supplies:

 Visual Church Year Printable
matthew-210-1619
sermon-notes-matthew-210

Colored pencils

Junk Mail

Stamps 

Epiphany Blessing Printable
epiphany-blessing

Epiphany Blessings!

 Today- the Wise Men have arrived. 

Epiphany Blessings to all. 

Sometimes Pinterest is a way to 

find things you didn't know about.

I found the practice of chalking the door for Epiphany.

There is a whole liturgy for that available.

Above our front door is brick-

 so that doesn't work really well. 

I decided to use the chalkboard

 in our "carport" as the place to mark the spot.

 This notecard explains

 a bit more about the practice.
(link to printable is below)

Here is a liturgy to use 

for this special day of "chalking the door".

I believe that these resources 

allow a bit more of a reflective time for

ending the Christmas celebration.

A fitting way to end the year

 and begin the new one. 

One that marks a very VISUAL way to say-

May Christ Bless this home.

Here are links to some resources:

Epiphany liturgy

Epiphany-blessing