Evensong - 17/01/2016
Locatie: Nieuwe KerkAanvang: 17:00
Aanvullende informatie:
Epiphany Carol Service sung by Choral Voices
Choir-master: Daniël Rouwkema
Organist: Mattijs de Vreugd
Officiant: Evert Jan Veldman
Download hier het programmaboekje
Epiphany celebrates the appearance of God’s glory in the world through the birth of Jesus, our Emmanuel (‘God with us’), and the revelation of the incarnation to the Gentiles, and indeed the whole of creation. It has been marked since the 3rd century with a Feast Day on the 6th of January and celebrated in both East and West in a rich variety of ways. In the Western Church, the emphasis has been on the nativity itself and the acknowledgement of Christ’s sovereignty over all through the visit of the Magi bringing their gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh. The revelation of his true nature is echoed by the words of the prophet Simeon, the Nunc Dimittis, at the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (February 2nd) that marks the end of the season of Epiphany.
The Greek word epiphany (έπιφάνεια) means literally ‘sudden appearance’ and refers above all to the ‘manifestation’ of a god. It is the moment and the means by which we see that Jesus is so much more than a good human being, a wise teacher and a moral example but in fact God made man, the Word become flesh. It is in this sense that Simeon declares him to be ‘salvation’ and ‘a light to lighten the Gentiles’ and that later Jesus calls himself ‘the Light of the World’, and so the symbolism of light pervades both this season and our service. Christ calls us out of darkness and into light, so that we may recognise the imprints of his divine fashioning in all creation. We pray that our eyes may be opened to see his glory: to have reverence for the whole of creation and respect for every person, for all are made in the image and likeness of God.
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As you leave, you have the opportunity to contribute to a retiring collection (near the main entry to the church) which makes these services possible. Roughly €6 per person is adequate to help us offer this service, but any and all contributions are most welcome! You may also make a tax deductible donation, via bank transfer, to the ‘Wijkraad van Kerkrentmeesters’, account number 2803785, reference ‘Evensong’.