The Christmas tree stays up until Epiphany! That’s my family’s rule. One is not permitted to even think about taking the tree down January 1. We still have a week left of Christmas. I recognize it is much easier to observe this seasonal rule with an artificial tree, as natural trees tend to dry out after six weeks of sitting in a water bucket, but commitment is encouraged.

My mom is the queen of holiday decorations. She has spent years building her various holiday collections and seasonal celebrations. Lilies for Easter, rainbows in June, and the classic red, white, and blues in July. There is something special about coming home, no matter the holiday, and there being a home filled with different moments for the season. A showing up for the occasion.

Showing up is what the season of Epiphany is all about. Epiphany stems from the Greek ἐπιϕαίνειν (epiphainein), which means to “Show forth” or “show up.” All four Scripture readings this month are stories demonstrating different points of Jesus’s life and ministry in which people showed up for Him.

The beginning of the month we witness the magi coming to visit the Christ child in Matthew 2:1-12. What we now celebrate as the 12^th day of Christmas, the Orthodox observe as Christmas day, and many around the world celebrate as Three Kings Day, is Epiphany. This is the day the magi, Persian astronomers, traversed countries and kingdoms to bear witness to the prophecy of a king who was promised by the rising of a star in the East. For decades the magi have been studying the sky looking for such a star. The Christmas star is one of my favorite parts of this story because God communicated to the magi in the medium, they knew to share about the incredible birth of Christ!

God communicated to these astronomers through the Christmas star because the magi intimately knew the stars and what they meant. I only recently learned that constellations are only visible for portions of the year (I simply was not paying attention in my 5^th grade visits to the planetarium)! Stars are not a medium of communication for me, but they were for the magi, which allowed them to be able to show up for Christ at his birth. The inclusive invitation of God always comes through an accessible means which allows us to authentically show up as ourselves, which is what God intended.

In the week following, we witness Jesus’s baptism in the river Jordan by His cousin John. Throngs of people have shown up to be baptized and in doing so also get to witness the incredible anointing of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. The people who came did not know what was to happen but because they came and showed up their whole lives where transformed.  Throngs of people filling the banks of the river witnessed an amazing transformative moment of faith, because they answered the call to baptism and showed up that day.

In our tradition when a person is baptized, there are the baptismal vows either said by the one being baptized or spoken on behalf of that person by their parents. But there are also the vows taken by the congregation. In our Baptismal vows we make as a congregation we vow to show up for the faith formation of the person being baptized. For me, this is the most beautiful part of our baptism service. That’s why it is part of our polity to do baptisms in a service in community and not privately, there’s an important role the community plays in dedicating and christening a child. Jesus in his own baptism in Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 was baptized in community.

The following week, the scripture is Jesus’s first miracle or sign, which happens at the wedding in Cana in John 2:1-11. Weddings in the ancient Near East were and are multiple day events. The whole community would show up. While living in the Middle East, most of the weddings I attended I did not know the couple getting married, but I was friends with a distant cousin and was graciously invited into the community to celebrate. In our scripture reading, when it is clear there will soon be no more wine, this was a huge problem. Running out of wine during such a big feast would have been very embarrassing for the family who was hosting the wedding feast and a hospitality taboo. Culturally, hospitality was held up to an importance unrecognizable in our current context.

In seeing the wine running out, Mary knows the embarrassment this would have for the family and not wishing her loved ones or neighbors experience shame or embarrassment for running out of wine goes to someone she knows is perfect for the job and asks Jesus to show up for the family, to help them. When Jesus shows up for the family in this miracle, he does so in a way that is unique to his ability and keeps him in community.

The last Sunday in January is the beginning of Jesus’s ministry in Galilee. Beginnings are often small. We know that Nazareth was a mere fraction compared to the 5,000 we see later in the Gospels. But when we slow down and read the text, we witness that people were already showing up for Christ in the synagogues and were seeking him out for his wisdom. Scripture says, “He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.” “All spoke well of him.”

From the beginning of Jesus’s life and ministry people showed up to witness, venerate, celebrate, and learn from Christ. Our Gospel shows the power of showing up. The incredible moments of faith we witness and get to be a part of when we show up.

Now, I’m writing this reflection from Cleveland, Ohio, where the days are dark and cold in January. And there is the ever-sweet temptation to embrace that social relief of cancelling plans, and staying in my stretchy clothes, eating warm meals and surrounding myself with soft nice things. I get it. Tis the season to cancel plans. Tis the season to recede into ourselves, after holiday exhaustion and bracing for political turmoil with the transition of presidential power. But that is not what the Gospels calls us to do.

The Gospel calls us to “Show up.”

Our faith is not passive. We need you now more than ever to show up. Show up in the lives of the people important to you, show up for communities needing your help and presence. Whether you are the magi, the baptizer, the wedding guests, or neighbors we are called to show up. Show up with our presence, our gifts, and our talents. Called to show up and invest in the communities we believe in, to give generously. The ways we can show up vary on our skills, context, and assets, but if we keep ourselves in a posture of invitation and openness, I believe one will be amazed at the enormous ways we can show up in our communities. I know the winter is often a time when many communities are in need, need of that extra donation, in need of that extra hand. Give that donation, be that hand. I hope in the new year, in this season of Epiphany you choose to show up.