Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!: Epiphany Daybook for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
Look: The Transfiguration of Jesus (1997), Augustin Kolawole Olayinka - Source | HT
Listen: Rey De Reyes, (King of Kings), Hillsong Worship and Hillsong En Español - English lyrics | Spotify | YouTube w/ lyrics en Español
You can listen to my playlist for this week in the 2021 liturgical calendar on Spotify: Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
As I curated this week’s playlist, I had a tradition for the final Sunday of Epiphany, “burying the alleluia”. It feels especially fitting this year:
The omission of alleluia during Lent goes back at least to the fifth century in the western church. The association of alleluia with Easter led to the custom of intentionally omitting it from the liturgy during the season of Lent, a kind of verbal fast which has the effect of creating a sense of anticipation and even greater joy when the familiar word of praise returns. We do not use it at church. We do not use it at home. We let it rest, as it were, during Lent, so that when it reappears on Easter, we may hear it anew. In fact, once it returns on Easter, we give it no rest at all, repeating it again and again, in celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. The custom of actually bidding it farewell developed in the Middle Ages in Babylon. Many churches embrace the practice of physically "burying" the alleluia. This ritual practice is especially delightful and meaningful for children.
Read: 1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 27; 2 Peter 1:13-21; Mark 9:2-9
Sunday (2/14) Psalm 148-150; Psalm 114-115; Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Hebrews 12:18-29; John 12:24-32
Monday (2/15) Psalm 25; Psalm 9, 15; Deuteronomy 6:10-15; Hebrews 1:1-14; John 1:1-18
Tuesday (2/16) Psalm 26, 28; Psalm 36, 39; Deuteronomy 6:16-25; Hebrew 2:1-10; John 1:19-28
Pray: Book of Common Prayer (2019), Collect for Transfiguration Sunday
O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Do: Lent begins on Wednesday.
First things first: Lent is mostly about recognizing God’s heart for us and the gaps between what we understand about His heart and what we actually receive. You may or may not need any additional resources beyond meeting regularly with your church for worship.
I’m someone who relishes the “community” of the written word, art, and other resources. I’m also just as likely to avoid God’s heart for me by losing myself in a pile of devotional resources. You might decide that this year you need one Psalm and a good hiking trail or empty journal or a small group of trusted friends to consider God’s heart together. You might only need a Scripture verse to meditate through the 40 days (plus 6 blessed Sundays!) of Lent, and a special candle and bouquet of flowers to catch your attention each morning.
If you decide you’d like some companions for your Lenten journey, each day of Lent (February 17 - April 3) I invite you to lean into the Daybook Meditations arriving in your email inbox each day. In the spirit of Lent’s invitation, I welcome you to walk through the 40+ days of prayerful repentance with us.
If you enjoy the Lent Daybook series, please invite your friends to subscribe, too! The Daybook Meditations provide a beautiful experience to be able to share and talk about together. If becoming a Daybook Meditations member isn't a good fit right now, the Lent Daybook 2021 pdf download is the next best thing. Because of space limitations, there are some minor differences from the blog format, but all of the art, song, Scripture, prayer links are included for all 40 days of Lent.
If you’re new to Lent, here's a simple introduction.
Please feel free to email me your questions. I’ll see you before the sun rises on Wednesday morning.
* Sunday Scripture readings are taken from Year B of the Book of Common Prayer 2019 (Anglican Church of North America). Daily Scripture readings are taken from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and include both Morning and Evening Psalms (Year 1).