Month: January 2021

The Other Epiphany

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And the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22 ESV

Besides the Orthodox tradition that January 6th is the day the wise men arrived in Bethlehem, the word “Epiphany, as dictionary.com defines it is “a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality.” Not to take anything away from the wise men’s story, but how many know that there in another Epiphany? Locally here, in Tarpon Springs Florida, the Greek Orthodox church, celebrates this day by having their Archbishop throw a white cross into the Spring Bayou. Next a crowd of teen-aged boys dive in and the one who comes up with it receives a special blessing for himself and his family. This locally famous event recalls not the arrival of three men with camels and gifts but rather the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.

All over the world as people think of wise men presenting their gifts before the baby Jesus they get warm fuzzy feelings and wish they could have been there to see a cuddly baby in a manger. A far less cuddly Jesus reveals himself at His baptism thirty years later at the Jordan river. There, as God the Father looked down as Jesus, stood dripping wet from His baptism, He spoke with a voice that He wanted everyone to hear, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!” Just imagine, that the God who spoke the sun moon and stars into existence, was so excited that He spoke again and sent His Spirit down in the visible form of a dove. Now that’s an Epiphany! Jesus Christ was getting ready to heal the sick, raise the dead, walk on water and multiply bread. It was almost as if He was getting ready to go to work. His job however was not to write books, run a business or become a political leader; it was to show who God was to a world full of lonely, hurting and lost people. And considering the crazy year we have all been through we need Him more than ever today. Why not use this other Epiphany as the perfect time to invite Jesus to get to work in your life today?

For those interested to learn a little more about our local Epiphany celebration here is a short YouTube account. Have a blessed Epiphany day everyone!

Complaint Department Upstairs

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Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Luke 23:46 ESV

I have a small confession to make – there are some days that I love to complain! I complain about the weather, my church, my kids and even my wife. Some nights as I lay my head on the pillow and replay the whiny remarks which I made, I wonder how I could have been so unkind and wish I had kept my lips sealed. Jesus on the other hand had no shortage of things to complain about. Think about it; on the worst day of his life, Jesus encouraged a thief; made sure His mother was taken care, forgave His enemies, and with his last breath trusted his life into the Father’s hands. How did He do that? What was His secret?

Some years ago, I was bringing a truckload of branches to our local landfill. As I pulled up to the entrance of the one-story weigh-in station I noticed a small sign by the side of the operator’s window that had an arrow pointed up stating, “Complaint department upstairs!”

But how can we be patient like Jesus when others mistreat or abuse us physically or verbally? The answer is in knowing where the complaint department is located. Telling our neighbors, our family or our enemies the way we feel doesn’t help. Remember those WWJD bracelets we used to wear in Sunday school? They asked the question; “What would Jesus do?” Well today’s verse reminds us of what Jesus did – He gave His life trusting God would work all things together for good. So maybe, just maybe if we stopped looking for the complaint department and started looking to invest in God’s trust fund, we might be amazed at what He could do today!

Belly Aching

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  True Confessions of a Bellyacher
  
 I complained that I was lonely
 Till it forced me to make friends
 And I griped how big my church was
 Till I saw folks came for Him
 I worried over this and
 I fussed too much on that
 Which I had lost control of
 Till I found God had my back
  
 Then in big ways and in small
 That I never understood
 I found God in every circumstance
 Working all things for my good
 So if He soon calls me homeward
 Or if He gives to me long life
 I am choosing to be thankful
 For His great love in Jesus Christ!

True Confessions of a Bellyacher by Peter Caligiuri
Copyright 2020 all rights reserved

Though True Confessions of a Bellyacher has appeared in Purpose Magazine as well as on this blog, I included it today for those of us in danger of a grumpy start for 2021. Whatever way elections, lockdowns or our personal situation is, we need to remind ourselves that praise begins with a bit of humility and reminds us that He who is ultimately in charge has our back.

I’m not exactly sure why I started writing poems. For me it has been a bit like making jam from the blackberries we used to pick on hot Summer afternoons. Once those fresh berries were mixed with sugar and sealed in mason jars, their sweetness could be preserved for the long cold days of Winter. For those interested in having some of my poetry on your own shelf, I released a collection in 2020 titled Seasons of Song. It is available in either e-book or print format from Amazon. I am posting the link below or if you prefer you can find the title by searching Amazon by the title – Seasons of Song by Peter Caligiuri – These times ahead we all need to stay close by the side of Jesus and listen to His opinion before hearing the news. May God bless each of you with a season of the sweetness of His presence this morning.