A Song for Epiphany

Listen to "Glimpse of Your Glory," a song for Epiphany

Happy new year! We kick off the season of Epiphany with the coming of the Magi, and we begin to see glimpses of the glory of God on earth, feeling the love of God in an entirely new way.

I love the tradition of house blessings on Epiphany. It wasn’t until I moved to London that I learned about them. You mark your door with chalk (ideally blessed by a priest on the Feast of the Epiphany) and write above the entrance of your home: 20 + C + M + B + 24.

The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi - Caspar, Malchior and Balthazar - who came to visit Jesus in the place where he was born. They also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat, which translates as “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represents the cross, and the “20” at the beginning and the “24” at the end mark the year. (source)

Our door last year with three crowns for the Magi

This is my attempt at a sort of house blessing hymn, offering prayers for seeking God in the year to come and celebrating the glimpses of glory we get in the epiphanies like the star, the Magi, the Wedding at Cana.

I’ll be sharing a liturgy for a house blessing tomorrow if you’d like to do one for your home! Subscribe below to make sure you get that. Any old chalk will do :)

Glimpse of Your Glory

Give us peace in the shelter of this home
May You bless all the folks who come and go
Like myrrh, frankincense and gold
May all my treasures be Yours

Give us faith on the threshold of this door
It is marked by the ones who came before
Like the star burning in the sky
May You always be my guiding light

In the new year I just wanna be here
So I can catch a glimpse of Your glory

Let my arms hold open the door
May I always make room for more
Like the water turned into wine
I wanna join You in Your great delight

In the new year I just wanna be here
So I can catch a glimpse of Your glory

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Credits:
Music & lyrics by Allie Levanway
Mixed by Meg Settle
Mastered by Edsel Holden
Allie Levanway: baritone ukelele, piano, voice
John Mark Painter: guitar, upright bass, harmonica, drums
BGVs from Murdock Jones, Zac Settle, Chase Floyd, Casey Perkins, Claire Brown, Teddy & Tallulah Levanway