Christian, Libertarian, and Pro Life:A New Look at an Old Issue

I used to write frequently on political and social issues from the viewpoint of a Libertarian Christian. During that time, I wrote a four-part series on abortion that looked at the issue from the core belief of libertarianism that promotes the freedom of self-ownership. I’m re-posting these articles over the next three days.

Every year about this time, the voice of the pro-life movement intensifies as America approaches the 22nd--the day in 1973 when the Roe Court deemed abortion a fundamental right under the Constitution.

As a former conservative, I was heavily involved in pro-life organizations from sidewalk protests and vigils, counseling, education and legislative action. My participation stemmed not only from Christian convictions, but also from personal experience. I had an abortion in 1978 before I returned to the faith of my childhood.
 
How am I different today as a libertarian? Well, I am just as passionate about the life of the pre-born, but I just don't tote around an arsenal of preaching Scriptures.

My circle of friends has widened to include folks who don't sing in conservative or Christian choirs, so I'm honing my skills on topics such as personhood, biology, feminism, viability, and right to aggress in order to speak outwardly to more diverse audiences.

All libertarians agree that the Supreme Court had no business hearing the Roe case in 1973. Abortion is not a constitutional issue; hence, jurisdiction over any prohibitions or allowances should have remained within the states, according to the Tenth Amendment.

Many libertarians, however, will argue against legislation even at the state level. They will point out that libertarian philosophy centers around a person's rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of property; but for now, there is no legal consensus on when the fetus actually becomes a person. Therefore, the fetus does not qualify for unequivocal protection and remains the property of the host.

Nobody wants government at any level monitoring their personal choices and doling out consequences. Our tax money can be better spent if we divert it from criminal prosecution of voluntary, victimless pursuits. We should be able to eat as much fat as we crave, smoke whatever we want, drink sodas in New York, and marry whomever we desire in our non-theocratic state.

Notwithstanding, I believe the issue of abortion is critically different because it is not a victimless procedure.  My position is that abortion puts into tension the equal rights of two individuals to life, liberty, and the ownership of property (their bodies). Inalienable rights cannot be transferred or taken away based on someone’s size, location, appearance, or level of function.

In this series, I'd like to zero in on certain topics within the abortion debate. I want to be a better libertarian, able to speak intelligently to both sides of the issue WITHOUT automatically resorting to the Bible. Let me explain:

I spent years on the front lines of the Christian pro-life movement in the ˈ80s. We hurt our cause when fellow workers would frequently fall back on "Well, God says it's wrong, that's why" when asked to explain their position. Our credibility suffered even more when someone in the ranks would start bashing the morals of their pro-choice opponents.

I am certainly not ashamed of the Holy Scriptures, and I know very well the passages that speak of the sanctity of life. However, all pro-life Christians must educate themselves to speak the message in other arenas besides their personal faith.

Aside from my religion, I am compelled to give the fetus the benefit of the doubt after examining the scientific information we have so far regarding human conception. Abolitionists took a similar stand when the Supreme Court in 1857 declared slaves to be chattel (property). This meant that society could legally view slaves as non-persons, devoid of any rights to be acknowledged and subsequently protected.

This court decision did not stop abolitionists from speaking out and working within and (at times) against the system to free the slaves, despite the plantation owner's assertion that he could do what he willed with his property and no one had the right to invade his privacy (the pivotal point of the Roe v. Wade case). Normally, such a claim is honored, especially by libertarians, unless aggression is committed against innocent people while one is exercising his freedoms!

Thus, the entire debate seems to center on whether or not the fetus (Latin for young one) is already a person in utero.

In this series, we'll look at scientific evidence for life at conception, along with the interesting hormone the host's body naturally secretes to stop it from rejecting the fetus as foreign tissue. We'll delve into the issue of viability and potentiality. (Is the fetus biologically complete at conception, or is something added along the way to make “it” human? Does something happen at some critical point that gives us an "aha!" moment?)

The idea of the fetus as the ultimate immigrant and the host's claimed right to aggress at any stage of pregnancy will be explored. I'm eager to query the feminist reasoning on abortion when, after  years of monumental, historical struggles, a woman will aggress the basic rights of another woman who has yet to win her fight for equal status and opportunities under the law.

What has been the time-honored libertarian position on responsible parenting and the rights of the child? What about abortion and the free market principle?

Why was Roe v. Wade unconstitutional, and exactly how was the decree worded? What were the laws before 1973, and what would the abortion landscape look like across the United States if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned?

At some future point, I'll post parts of my personal story that speaks more to the Church. A report from the Guttmacher Institute indicates that although the overall abortion rate in the United States was dropping until recently, the rates for Christian women, which have yearly been proportionate with the rest of the abortive population, have NOT declined:

37% of abortive women identify themselves as Protestants
28% indicate they are Catholics
13% of abortions (approx. 170,000 per year) are performed on self-described
“Born Again” or Evangelical Christians

Alan Guttmacher Institute and Physicians for Reproductive Choice,
“An Overview of Abortion in the United States,” 2011

I'm convinced Christians must strive to model a more consistent, pro-life message across the board if we want to be taken seriously about our cause for the pre-born; and we must stop distorting facts and relying on scaremongering tactics.

As a whole, the Church has done a great job with crisis pregnancy support, aftercare, and adoption, but we can do more and do it better--particularly when it comes to helping women find educational and career opportunities that will enable them to make responsible choices for the future.

That brings me to another topic altogether. What about birth control? No, I don't intend to meddle. I simply want to ask, "Aren't we libertarians all about taking responsibility for our own actions and insisting others do the same?"

The Guttmacher Institute additionally reports that nine out of ten women having abortions claim to use birth control, but confess they do not use it as prescribed. Overall, 58% of the women having abortions claim a contraceptive failure; 31% had used a method in the past but were not using one during the month in which they conceived, and 11% had never used any method.

The majority of the women among the 42% who were not using a contraceptive method when they became pregnant had most recently relied on either the pill or the condom. Fifty-three percent of prior pill users and 76% of prior condom users became pregnant within three months of stopping use.

By the way, we're not talking about the contraceptive bungling of naive teens. Most women (56%) having abortions are between the ages of 20-24. They are legal adults in an information-saturated country whose government has poured billions of dollars for years into comprehensive sex education in their public schools--along with free condoms, pills, and complete instructions--all surrounded by a sexually driven culture whose exploits can be accessed with ease 24/7. In other words, there is no excuse for negligence.

Uncle Sam's track record is disappointing. In addition, faith-based abstinence programs are successful (depending on which poll you use) in only delaying the onset of sexual activity (usually by two years). However, even Guttmacher reports that once sex is initiated, religious young people are just as likely as their non-religious counterparts to use contraceptives.

So, here we are, America. Billions in government dollars later, thousands of innocent fetuses still pay for someone else's carelessness every day. What is libertarian about that?

Many women say that being forced to carry an unwanted fetus to term is tantamount to slavery--a very un-libertarian idea. Yet, if the authority to regulate abortions returned to the states, statutes would better reflect a community's conscience and vary widely. A clinic offering the kind of abortion procedures a woman desires would never be too far away.

By the way, the hype about returning women to the mercy of back alley abortions is a dishonest scare tactic.

Between 1965 and 1966, the period right before states began to legalize abortion, the numbers of total deaths were down to 120 per year--thanks to penicillin. (The majority of deaths weren't from botched procedures, but common infections. Abortive women today are given prescriptions for antibiotics after the procedure to ward off post-op complications.)

There is a difference between a self-induced or "back alley" abortion and an illegal one. According to a 1960 Kinsey study in 1960, 84 to 87 percent of all illegal abortions in the United States were performed by reputable physicians! Planned Parenthood once went on record to say that the percentage was as high as 90%.

Here's another topic to bring to light: if abortion laws returned to the states, would we have to fear women being arrested as murderers or is there precedence for them to be treated as co-victims? More on that in an upcoming post.

I know. Perhaps many of my anarchist friends will shake their heads in disgust and claim I haven't changed much at all because I still advocate government involvement--just on a smaller level. However, even in a voluntary community with mutually supported, private police and courts, there would still be standing laws that serve to protect people and their property when harmed.

Other libertarians will be in my corner. Conservatives may find me too legislatively weak. That's okay. The bottom line is that libertarianism, and its unswerving respect for the sovereign individual and his or her inherit freedoms--regardless of outward distinctions, limitations, or circumstances--has provided a clear call to my pro-living platform that will prove impossible to shake.

The Declaration of Independence, that enduring document that defines individual freedom civilly, states that all men (humankind) are created, not born equal.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

Is there a difference between human life and a human being? That’s where we’ll go next.

Understanding the Significance of Jesus' Baptism...and Yours!

 This past Sunday (January 12), many churches around the world observed "The Baptism of the Lord Jesus".

The Christmas season began by us celebrating the birth of a babe in a manger.

The Season of Epiphany focuses on the growing child who was worshiped by the Magi and revealed in His adult baptism to be God, the Son.



The Godhead manifested at the Baptism: God, the Holy Spirit alighted on Jesus as a mantle and God, the Father spoke from Heaven--the first time the distinct Persons of the one essence of the Trinity were made visible to humankind:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from Heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well-pleased. (Matthew 3: 13-17)

Ritual cleansing with water was well known to the Jews. Even today, Orthodox men immerse themselves before the Sabbath and holidays. Scribes do so before writing a Torah scroll. Jewish women often follow the Mikvah prior to marriage. Ritual immersion symbolized a renewed commitment to purity and devotion to God. People considered it very important during major transitions of life such as ministry (age 30) and marriage.

John began to preach during human history's greatest transition--from shadow to substance, promise to fulfillment, from works to grace.

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, .Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!' For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'
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Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. (Matthew 3:1-6)

As the 400 years of prophetic silence were drawing to a close, John preached repentance and its accompanying fruits in order to prepare people for Christ's arrival. Obviously, those who had been baptized by John were made ready for the message of the Kingdom. It enabled them to better recognize and respond to their Messiah. That’s what real repentance does. It makes you a ready vessel for God; its corresponding fruit is an amended life.

When John saw Jesus, he questioned why the Sinless One was coming to be baptized. Note Jesus' answer: "It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness".

Jesus already possessed righteousness, but it was important to publicly demonstrate that right standing. In doing so, He established a standard for those who were to follow Him.

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

Prior to this event, the locals knew Jesus only as an ordinary man, the carpenter, son of Joseph and Mary--perhaps wise beyond his years--even a prophet. But when He emerged from the water, Jesus' full identity and purpose was revealed to those who had readied ears to hear and eyes to see!

John had been instructed ahead of time to watch for this sign as confirmation:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for HE WAS BEFORE ME.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."

And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and testified that THIS IS THE SON OF GOD." (John 1:29-34)

The Ceremonial Law was meant to be a lesson in the futility of man's own efforts to become righteous. When he inevitably failed, God's mercy allowed the innocent blood of animals to stand in humanity's stead for judgment. The sights, sounds, and smells of the animals being sacrificed all added to the compounding pain of of man's estrangement from God. But the coming of Jesus changed all of that!

"I (John) indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:11, 12)

John’s baptism unto repentance didn’t save those who went into the water. It made them ready for what was to come. John clearly proclaimed that those who were baptized into the coming Christ would be saved—cleansed to the deepest levels of the heart—by the fiery, transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

If Jesus is our pattern, then let's look at our own baptisms to get a better understanding and appreciation for what God has done for us.

Upon genuine repentance* (conversion), God forgives you for your personal sins.

By the "fire" of the Holy Spirit, you are regenerated into a new creature in Christ--out of obligation to Adam's deficiencies and dysfunctions and into Christ-- thereby removing you from the damning indictment of Original Sin. This is being "born again".

Then you are instantly justified--having Christ's righteousness credited totally, permanently as yours.

Next, because of belonging to Christ, you are adopted by God as His son or daughter with full benefits and privileges as an heir and joint heir with Christ. All of this is accomplished from start to finish by grace as you place your active faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Finally, with Jesus as your pattern, you follow through and also make your 'appearing' to the world and validate who you are by baptism. Folks may have known you for years as the sad drunk, wayward son, abusive father, or drug addict, but now the Godhead declares you to be brand new and devotedly THEIRS!

Our baptism is meant to be earthly evidence of our Heavenly status, where our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Adoptees on earth have legal proof of their new identity and home and so do we. Earthly adoptions cannot be formalized in solitude; neither can Heavenly ones. BOTH must be public.

Some people say baptism is not necessary for Salvation; they are right. But it IS necessary to fulfill all righteousness! Jesus was sinless, yet went into the water to demonstrate the importance of baptism.

A genuine convert already has imputed righteousness, but still must follow through in baptism in order to not complete the righteousness, but 'fill" it (Greek-Pleroo..."to fill, as a house with perfume or a net with fish.)

Both vivid examples of perfume and fish indicate evidence that can be weighed with one or more of our five earthly senses. The house or net is already yours--now fill it!

Did you know that the Father spoke over you at your baptism? What did He declare? If Christ is our pattern, then here it is:

"This is my beloved son (daughter), in whom I am well pleased."

God's acceptance of you is not based on your performance. He loved you from the foundation of the world. Now that you are restored to right standing, there is nothing that remains in the way of you walking in that love as His adopted child. What you could not become by human nature, He made you by divine grace.

In fact, you are as righteous now as you ever will be! As you grow in Christ, the reality of what you have been given will manifest more and more here on earth, but your standing with God cannot increase through good works or decrease through faith's struggles.

The Holy Spirit anointed Jesus, launching Him into His public ministry:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)

At your baptism, you were also anointed to go about doing good and continue the earthly ministry of Jesus with particular gifts and callings. Some abilities may have already been evident or in use. However, following your obedience into baptism, the Holy Spirit anoints all your gifts (even the dormant ones that will surface as needs arise),  placing a special grace of favor and effectiveness upon them that you cannot achieve on your own. God’s purpose for your life becomes clearer!

In summary, at your baptism:

God, the Son affirms you have been legally redeemed out of corrupt Adam and safely into Him.

God, the Father officially receives you into the family and places you under an “Open Heaven” whereby “His Kingdom can come and His will be done” in your earthly life. He identifies you as His beloved child.

God, the Holy Spirit begins to equip and prepare you unto service in the world and unto sanctification for Heaven.

Did you realize all of this?

Growing up as an evangelical, I recall that the act of baptism seemed to center around what the people were doing. Very little thought was given to God’s perspective. Some of my friends have been re-baptized in order for the experience to be more 'meaningful'--even traveling to the Holy Land’s Jordan River--as if the setting or their later maturity in Christ makes it really count.

I say, God got it right the first time!

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit. ( 2 Corinthians 1:21) 

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel  of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13)

Proof of this sealing is baptism. You do not seal the commitment--God does! What do repeated baptisms say of the integrity of God's sealing power? Can it be eroded through the ups and downs of the Christian life or stolen by the devil? No!

Consequently, we must be careful to faithfully represent God and His intents to a watching world. Is the focus more on what we want, think, or feel, rather than on what God has said and done through our baptism?

Hank Hanegraaff, in his excellent article on baptism, notes that Charles Hadden Spurgeon, often referred to as the Prince of Preachers, said that he was afraid to confess Christ before his baptism.

Thereafter, he lost all fear of man and never hesitated to boldly profess his faith. He likened his baptism to "burning the boats". "No retreat was possible after that,” he said, "nor have I ever wanted to go back to the world from which I then came out." (Spurgeon at His Best, Baker Book House)

Hanagraaff reminds us that while baptism is not essential to salvation (nor its modes), the mandate of baptism is essential to obedience. Although it is not the means by which we are saved, it is the means by which we are set apart. Read the entire article

Are you a believer who has yet to be baptized? Fulfill all righteousness, make the path straight, and be baptized. Show yourself publicly to be set apart from the world and unto Christ. Show your “legal papers”, so to speak, of being adopted out of doomed Adam and into the abundant life in Christ. Baptism, if properly understood, can become the anchor that steadies us.

Are you a baptized believer? Seek to understand and appreciate your outward sign of an inward grace. The next time you’re tempted to doubt your salvation, be reminded of your baptism and what reverberated through the Heavenlies as you came up out of the water: “This is my beloved!”


A few notes on true repentance, and the problem with altar calls for salvation:

Repentance differs from mere regret or remorse. We are normally regretful when our behavior brings difficulties upon others or ourselves. We might experience profound remorse when the consequences of our actions result in horrible pain or loss.

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation..." (2 Corinthians 7:10a)

Being exposed, getting caught, or coming to an end of one's means or wits produces only worldly sorrow. The focus is entirely on how the uncomfortable consequences are disrupting our lives and pleasures.

Godly sorrow is experienced when we have come face to face with the goodness and love of God, and we break for breaking the heart of God. The focus has now shifted to how God sees the sin and resulting estrangement.

A crisis can certainly lead us to the place of true repentance, but we often confuse regret or remorse for repentance. We cut short the conviction process when we ask others to pray for us so we can simply feel better. There's nothing wrong with lingering conviction that's allowed to work its way down into the deepest motives of our hearts.

Don’t be so quick to always end pain in your life or in the lives of others. Pray first, and see if God desires to use it for a greater, redeeming purpose!

**The first altar calls and "sinners' prayers" in the Church were introduced by Evangelist Charles Finney in the 1800s. Prior to Finney, a person under conviction would come into the church through the witness and prayers of others, and arrange for instruction and baptism. It became a relational journey of prolonged conviction (letting the Holy Spirit do a thorough job), learning, and readiness to enter the Kingdom.

For over 1,800 years in the Church, baptism itself was the public renouncement of the old life, accompanied by the convert's first public profession of faith.

His new church family participated from start to finish--much as midwives--in bringing the new convert along to a successful birth. Baptism was the proof, not an afterthought. It was not an empty ritual or ceremony; baptism was (and is) the public signing and sealing of the covenant of redemption between God and the new believer.

How different from most of our modern altar calls and baptismal services, where the congregants are mere spectators who often remain relationally detached from the convert before and after his "decision".

"Church wide, there's an 84% to 97% "fall-away" rate among those who make decisions for Christ at the altar. The most logical inference is the 20th century evangelism practice of telling everyone they are saved at the altar without regard for their true condition is producing a staggering number of stillborn--not born again Christians." (Society for Effective Evangelism)

The Society for Effective Evangelism also reports that 90% of those who come to crusades and evangelistic meetings for conversions do not join themselves to a church afterward. (It also stands to reason that most people within this 90 percent have not been baptized.)

Also disturbing is the organization’s revelation that 74% of Americans who once walked an aisle and shook a pastor's hand claim they are born again and have been told they are secure for eternity!

At least Finney (and later D.L. Moody) had inquirers' rooms where counselors would spend time with seekers to determine true conviction BEFORE leading them in the sinner’s prayer. A prayer of commitment was never spoken at the altar, and both Finney and Moody believed that only a few of the people who filled the rooms were actually ready to be saved (10% or less).

Those who did make a decision for Christ were assigned a local pastor who personally followed up with the new convert in discipleship for several years to make sure the “birthing” process into the Kingdom of God was authentic and complete.

All of this changed with Billy Sunday’s meetings in the first half of the twentieth century. He was frustrated with the labor-intensive inquirers’ rooms and developed the “prayer at the altar” shortcut without prior assessment of the seeker’s heart. Everyone who came forward to shake Sunday’s hands at the altar was considered saved by an act of faith.

“What I want and preach,” said Sunday, “is that a man can be converted without any fuss.” He later boasted that he had so streamlined the salvation process that he could make converts for two dollars a soul.

At first, Billy Graham brought back the private inquirers’ room prior to the sinner’s prayer and attempted to strengthen follow-up with local churches. However, as the crowds attending his crusades grew, Graham, like Sunday, streamlined by leading those who came forward in a corporate, open sinner’s prayer before ushering people to the rooms.

The number of counselors available in Graham’s crusades has often been woefully inadequate, and many volunteers publicly bemoaned the fact that they’ve watched as people grew tired of waiting in line and walked away. Yet, those who left had been assured by the famous evangelist that they were saved and headed for Heaven!

Having worked in many follow-up rooms myself, I can personally attest to restless seekers walking out of the room and the pressure on us as counselors to “hurry up". I also know how easy it is for names on a card to get lost or carelessly neglected.

I am convinced relational evangelism within a community of believers is the best way to bring someone authentically into the Kingdom of God. It is neither easy nor convenient. It requires commitment to attend to the convert from conception to gestation, then on to birth and into a healthy spiritual childhood.

Do You See What I See? The Feast of Epiphany

Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
(From “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Gloria Shayne and Noel Regney

Today is joyous Epiphany! Did you almost miss it? Other people did...long ago. Although God chose to first reveal Himself to and through the Jews, the religious leaders were so busy deciding how many steps constitute work on the Sabbath that they didn't seem to care about the unusual star that appeared in the Heavens.Astrologers from the East, however, were watching. Led only by natural signs, not divine revelation, they were compelled to follow with open hearts. Hmmm...outright pagans found the Child. And at His feet they emptied their treasures and worshiped. Back in Jerusalem, the religionists still had their noses so glued to the right applications of Scripture that they missed the arrival of the Living Word.

Epiphany means "Manifestation; Appearing". The Twelve Days of Christmas have come to a close as the Church now turns her focus from the arrival of Christ in the world to His manifestation and revelation to the world--first, to the Gentile Magi and then at His Baptism.

The season of Epiphany begins tonight at sunset (the time of evening prayer) through the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas) on February 2. In some cultures, the Christmas decorations and greenery are not taken down until Candlemas.

I grew up in a non-liturgical church and never heard of Epiphany, although Christians began observing it in 361A.D. However, it is important because it helps us understand the significance of the Magi’s worship, which can enrich our lives and witness in the world.I ask myself during this time, "What gifts did I give Jesus this past year? Were they the quality of the Wise Men's?

gold (costly)
myrrh (sacrificial)
and frankincense (a true heart of worship)

What about this year?

Can I leave my status and comfort, as they did, and travel to wherever God leads? Can I keep looking up, regardless of the difficult road before me? Can I humble myself before someone who appears "smaller or lesser" than me? Can I refuse the commands and enticements of a Herod? As a new year arrives, so does the opportunity to begin a renewed journey.

Epiphany also celebrates our Lord's "appearing/manifestation" as the Son of God as He stepped out of His baptism in the Jordan River and began His public ministry.

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?'

Jesus said to him in reply, ‘Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed him.

After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him.

And a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased'." (Matthew 3:13-17)

Epiphany observes beautifully Jesus Christ as Son of Man (identifying as one of us by becoming human in every way) to His unveiling as the Son of God.

So, what special celebrations are underfoot in the Goin household?

Honestly, I'm not much of a cook. But in years past, I’d call the bakery ahead of time and order a batch of star-shaped cookies, sprinkled with glittery-good sugar in three colors:

gold
red (frankincense-because it burns on coals)
blue (myrrh-although actually brown in appearance, it represents sacrifice. It was used to anoint bodies for burial; hence, the use of a “colder” color)Epiphany is celebrated is many colorful ways around the world:

The Dutch and Flemish call this day Driekoningen, while German speakers call it Dreikönigstag (Three Kings' Day). In the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and neighboring Germany, children in groups of three (symbolizing the three kings) proceed in costume from house to house while singing songs typical for the occasion, and receiving a coin or some sweets at each door. They may each carry a paper lantern symbolizing the star.

In some places, especially Holland, these troops gather for competitions and present their skits/songs for an audience. As in France, Koningentaart (Kings' tart), puff pastry with almond filling, is prepared with a bean or coin hidden inside. Whoever finds the bean in his or her piece is king or queen for the day. A more typically Dutch version is Koningenbrood, or Kings' bread.

In Britain, the celebration of the Night before Epiphany is known as Twelfth Night (The first night of Christmas is December 25–26, and Twelfth Night is January 5–6), and was a traditional time for mumming (a form of folk entertainment in which bands of masked and costumed merrymakers roam the streets singing, dancing, acting out stories, or simply engaging in horseplay) and the wassail. The Yule log was left burning until this day, and the charcoal left was kept until the next Christmas to kindle next year's yule log.

A traditional dish for Epiphany was Twelfth Cake, a rich, dense, typically English fruitcake. As in Europe, whoever found the baked-in bean was king for a day. Anything spicy or hot, like ginger snaps and spiced ale, was considered proper Twelfth Night fare, recalling the costly spices brought by the Wise Men. Another English Epiphany dessert was the jam tart, but made into a six-point star for the occasion to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and thus called Epiphany tart.

In the German-speaking lands, groups of young people called "Sternsinger" (star singers) travel from door to door. They are dressed as the three Wise Men, plus the leader carries a star, usually of painted wood attached to a broom handle. Often these groups are four girls, or two boys and two girls for the benefit of singing their songs in four-part harmony, not necessarily three wise men at all.

German Lutherans often note in a lighthearted fashion that the Bible never specifies that the "Weisen” (Magi) were men, or that there were three. The star singers will be offered treats at the homes they visit, but they also solicit donations for worthy causes.

Germans eat a Three Kings cake which may be a golden pastry ring filled with orange and spice representing gold, frankincense and myrrh and forming a crown. Or they may be made of typical rich Christmas bread dough with cardamom and pearl sugar in the same seven-bun crown shape. As in other countries, the person who receives the piece or bun containing the trinket or whole almond becomes the king or queen for a day.

Epiphany is also an especially joyful occasion for the young and young at heart as this is the day dedicated to plündern – that is, when Christmas trees are "plundered" of their cookies and sweets by eager children (and adults), and when gingerbread houses and any other good things left in the house from Christmas are devoured.

The Irish call Epiphany the Feast of the Epiphany or traditionally Little Christmas or "Women's Christmas" (Irish: Nollaig na mBan). On the feast of the Three Kings, the women of Ireland in times gone by had a bit of rest and celebration for themselves, after the cooking and work of the Christmas holidays. It has long been a custom for women to gather this day for a special high tea.

Today, Irish women may spend the day shopping, take a meal at a restaurant or spend the evening gathering in a pub. Women may also receive gifts from children, grandchildren or other family members on this day. Other Epiphany customs are popular in Ireland, such as the burning of the sprigs of Christmas holly in the fireplace which have been used as decorations during the past twelve days.

In other countries, children leave grass and water by the door for the Magi’s camels on Epiphany Eve. They awake to find gifts from the travelers. House blessings are common on this day as well.

Johann Sebastian Bach composed two cantatas for the feast:

Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65 (1724)
Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, BWV 123 (1725)

Part VI of his Christmas Oratorio, Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben, was also designed to be performed during the service for Epiphany.

And of course, we’re all familiar with “We Three Kings of Orient Are”, written in 1857 by Rev. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., an Episcopal deacon. (Wikipedia)

Regardless of the activities associated with the celebration of Epiphany around the world, the most important thing is why we choose to observe this special day: We are thankful for the call to "whosoever will" to come from afar and worship the Messiah.

In the middle of the world's turmoil, a light still shines; and as it has been said many times, "only the wise see it". Epiphany is a time to pray for wisdom--an ability to see and be led by God. It is a day to examine the goods we bring along on the journey...for just as gifts were laid at the feet of a lowly Child, so they will be one day be laid at the feet of our glorified King.

Have a blessed Epiphany! Enjoy your merrymaking, and may the Lord ever increasingly manifest in and through your lives in 2014!