Date: January 6, 2026
Liturgical Day: Epiphany of the Lord
Focus Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6 | Theme: Lift Up

Exegetical Reflection:

Third Isaiah (chapters 56–66) emerges from the rubble of return. The exiles have come home to a devastated Jerusalem, where the temple lies in ruins and social divisions run deep. Into that despair the prophet speaks a word of renewal: “Rise up, be radiant, for the presence of the Holy One dawns upon you.” This is not a triumph of one people over another but the unveiling of God’s healing justice amid exhaustion and loss.
Isaiah’s poetry reframes the world. “Radiance” here is not superiority or whiteness—it is the visibility of right relationship, when mercy and equity become the atmosphere of community. “Shadow” is not evil or color but the systems that conceal truth and prevent life from flourishing. Because the language of light and darkness has been misused through history to justify racial hierarchy, preachers and worship leaders should use it with care. God’s revealing presence enters the obscured places of history so that all peoples may be seen and celebrated.
Verse 5 holds the turning point: “The abundance of the sea shall be brought to you; the wealth of the nations shall come to you.” The sea—once a symbol of chaos and separation—now overflows with generosity. Caravans from Midian, Ephah, and Sheba approach bearing gold and fragrance, echoing the gifts of the Magi in Matthew 2. Creation and culture alike participate in God’s restoration: the earth and its peoples respond together to the dawning of justice.
In our own day, this vision reverberates through scenes of return and rebuilding. We witness families reunited after captivity, convoys of aid entering places long cut off from sustenance, and crowds streaming home through landscapes of ruin—images recently visible in Gaza, where humanitarian caravans and families returning across shattered ground mirror the prophet’s dream of abundance after desolation. Each act of return—each loaf of bread, each hand extended across a border—embodies Isaiah’s promise that the end of justice is joy.
For communities weary of violence, displacement, or despair, this prophecy is gospel. Divine judgment is not destruction but deliverance; it unmasks oppression and restores dignity. The Spirit descending from heaven now rises within humanity itself, calling us to lift up our eyes, our hands, our neighbors, and to let God’s radiance become visible through works of compassion and repair.
Epiphany proclaims that revelation is not escape from the world but God’s joy arriving within it. The task of faith is to join the caravans of abundance—to become bearers of the gifts that make life possible again.

Lighting the Epiphany Candles
(A Ritual of Four Stations)

Purpose
To embody Isaiah 60’s vision of abundance and gathering through four movements of divine desire—Justice, Joy, Compassion, Peace.

Three stargazers and one shepherd carry light from the Christ Candle, symbolizing that God’s dwelling is now among us.

Introduction (Narrator)

Beloved of God, Epiphany is the season of revealing—
the holy moment when what is hidden becomes known.
We light these candles to proclaim the truth we know—
to make visible the God’s Presence already among us.

Four travelers come forward: three stargazers and a shepherd.
Each carries a taper to light from the Christ Candle—
each bears a gift that God desires of us:
Justice, Joy, Compassion, and Peace.

Station 1 – Justice (Stargazer 1)

(Lights from the Christ Candle.)
I bring gold, the finest of what I have,
the gift God asks of us: to do justice.
(walks to station and places candle)
People: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us.
All: The end of God’s justice is joy.

Station 2 – Joy (Stargazer 2)

I bring frankincense, the fragrance of prayer and praise,
the gift God asks of us: to delight in what is good.
(places candle at station)
People: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us.
All: The end of God’s justice is joy.

Station 3 – Compassion (Stargazer 3)

I bring myrrh, balm for the broken and mercy for the world,
the gift God asks of us: to love compassion.
(places candle at station)
People: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us.
All: The fruit of God’s compassion is peace.

Station 4 – Peace (Shepherd / Child)

I bring light for the journey and bread for the road,
the gift God asks of us: to walk humbly and live in peace.
(places candle at station)
People: Look! God’s dwelling is now among us.
All: The fruit of God’s compassion is peace.

Conclusion (Narrator)

The gifts are given, the desires of God made visible—
Justice, Joy, Compassion, and Peace now shine among us.
People of God—lift your eyes up, lift your hearts up.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord!

(Process immediately into the Call to Worship.)

Call to Worship
(L1: Seeker of Radiance)
Rise and shine — the Light is revealed.
Look! God’s dwelling is now among us.
From the sea comes abundance,
from the desert comes hope;
all creation moves toward joy.

Refrain
I lift my eyes up.
We lift our eyes up.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

(L2: Seeker of Prayer)
Like frankincense, we offer our prayers,
that our longing may breathe with God’s longing,
that our voices rise with all who seek peace.

I lift my eyes up.
We lift our eyes up.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

(L3: Seeker of Healing)
Like myrrh, we offer compassion—
balm for the broken, mercy for the wounded.
Where rivalries have ruled, grace now gathers;
the scattered come home, nations share their treasures.

I lift my eyes up.
We lift our eyes up.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.

(L4: Seeker of Joy)
Let us desire what God desires—
life for all creation,
justice that sets every captive free,
and joy where justice is fulfilled.

The end of God’s justice is joy.
The end of God’s compassion is peace.

(All Leaders)
Look! God’s dwelling is now among us.
I lift my eyes up.
We lift our eyes up.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord!

Invocation
Radiant and Revealing God,
you dwell not in temples or thrones
but among us—
in caravans of mercy,
in the faces of those returning home,
in the shimmering abundance of the sea.

You are the star that stirs our seeking,
the Presence that refuses to be hidden,
the Word made flesh in neighbor and stranger alike.

As we gather,
let your justice take root in our hearts,
your joy rise on our lips,
your compassion steady our hands,
and your peace settle upon this world you so dearly love.

Lift our eyes, O Holy One,
so that we may see as you see—
creation radiant, humanity restored,
and your dwelling now among us.

Amen.

Prayer for Transformation and New Life
Leader:
Holy One who dwells among us,
you call us to rise, to see, and to rejoice—
yet too often we turn inward,
protecting our comfort instead of pursuing your justice.

When your radiance invites us to lift our eyes,
we close them against the pain of the world.
When your abundance flows like the sea,
we grasp rather than share.
When your caravans of mercy draw near,
we hesitate to join the journey.

Forgive us, O God.
Lift us once more into your light of love.
Transform the fear that keeps us small
into courage that acts with compassion.
Renew the weariness that dims our hope
into joy that moves us toward peace.

All:
Look! God’s dwelling is now among us.
By grace, we are made new.
Amen.

Words of Grace
Leader:
People of God, hear this good news:
The Holy One has not remained distant or hidden.
Look! God’s dwelling is now among us—
radiant with mercy, generous with forgiveness,
overflowing with new life.

In every act of justice,
in every gesture of compassion,
in every moment of peace,
Christ is revealed.

All:
We lift our eyes and see.
By grace, we are forgiven.
By love, we are made whole.
Thanks be to God!

Invitation to Generosity
Leader:
People of God,
the caravans are moving again—
hands open, hearts lifted,
bearing what creation has always longed to give.

From the abundance of the sea, gifts rise;
from the fragrance of the earth, praise ascends.
We come with the treasures of our lives—
our time, our care, our courage, our hope—
the offerings that make justice visible
and joy possible.

Let what we bring become blessing,
a sign that God’s dwelling is among us,
that generosity itself is revelation.

All:
Holy One, receive the gifts we share.
Turn them toward compassion,
stretch them toward peace,
and let your joy be known through all we do.

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication
Leader:
Radiant God,
you have revealed your dwelling among us—
in bread shared,
in mercy offered,
in justice imagined and begun.

We thank you for the gifts that flow like rivers,
for the abundance that rises from the sea,
for the courage to give and to receive.

Bless now these offerings
and the hearts from which they come.
Let them join the caravans of compassion
moving through this world,
bringing joy where despair has lingered,
and peace where fear has taken root.

All:
Look! God’s dwelling is now among us.
May our lives shine with the glory of God,
our hands carry God’s grace,
and our gifts become good news for all creation.
Amen.

Benediction
Leader:
People of God,
lift your eyes and see:
the Holy One’s presence fills the earth.
The sea still carries abundance,
the caravans still bring gifts,
and the world still waits for the radiance you bear.

Go now as stargazers of the Spirit—
seeking justice,
sharing compassion,
celebrating joy,
and walking in peace.

Let your lives be light enough to travel
and bright enough to reveal love’s way.

All:
Look! God’s dwelling is now among us.
We lift our eyes and go in joy.
Amen.

Lift Up: Service Prayers for Epiphany Year A was written by Rev. Michael Anthony Howard who serves as Minister of Faith in Action for Living Water Association, Ohio NorthEast. Michael’s work supports congregations as they weave theology, justice, and place-based ministry into faithful action that bears prophetic witness to God’s dwelling among us.