Epiphany Liturgies: Meaning, Readings, and Prayers for January 6, 2027
Epiphany, January 6, celebrates the wise men finding Jesus and Christ shown to the nations. Here are calls to worship, prayers, a house blessing, and readings.
Where it goes in the service
On January 6 itself or the nearest Sunday. The call to worship and the star or light imagery open the service; the gifts theme fits the offering; a house blessing or star words close it. Many churches relight the Christ candle from the Advent wreath one last time.
What is an epiphany liturgy?
Epiphany means "appearing" or "showing forth," from the Greek epiphaneia. The feast falls on January 6, the day after the twelve days of Christmas end, and it celebrates Christ revealed to the whole world. In Western churches the focus is the wise men from the east who followed the star to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12): the first Gentiles to worship Jesus.
In 2027, January 6 is a Wednesday. Many Protestant churches hold an Epiphany service that evening or keep it on Sunday, January 3, 2027; Catholic dioceses in the United States observe it on that Sunday. Churches that follow the Revised Common Lectionary keep the following Sunday, January 10, 2027, as the Baptism of the Lord, and the Sundays after that as the season after Epiphany until Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027.
Eastern Orthodox and many Eastern Catholic churches call the day Theophany and center it on the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Churches that still use the Julian calendar keep it on January 19.
The readings appointed in the Revised Common Lectionary for Epiphany are the same every year: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14, Ephesians 3:1-12, and Matthew 2:1-12. They carry the three images an Epiphany liturgy usually works with: light, the nations coming, and gifts laid down.
7 epiphany liturgies you can use this Sunday
Free to copy, print, and project. Scripture is quoted from public-domain translations, so no permission is required.
Call to Worship: Arise, Shine
Call to worshipLeader: Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. People: For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. Leader: But the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. All: And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Come, let us worship.
Isaiah 60:1-3 (KJV)
Responsive Reading: All Kings Shall Fall Down
Responsive readingLeader: The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: People: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Leader: Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: People: all nations shall serve him. Leader: When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. All: And they fell down, and worshipped him.
Psalm 72:10-11; Matthew 2:10-11 (KJV)
Epiphany Prayer
PrayerGod of the star, you led strangers from far away to a small house in Bethlehem and showed them your Son. Show him to us again this year. Where we are far off, bring us near. Where we are proud, bring us to our knees. And make this church a light that someone else can follow. Amen.
Original
Offering Invitation: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh
OfferingThe wise men did not come empty-handed. When they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. We bring what we have, not because God is short, but because worship always ends with open hands. Let us offer our gifts.
Original, with Matthew 2:11 (KJV)
Chalking the Door: An Epiphany House Blessing
Home blessingWrite above the door in chalk: 20 + C + M + B + 27 Leader: The letters stand for the old names of the wise men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, and for the Latin prayer Christus mansionem benedicat: may Christ bless this house. All: Lord, bless this house in 2027. Bless all who live here and all who come through this door. Make it a place where Christ is found. Amen.
Traditional formula; prayer original
Star Words
SendingLeader: The wise men followed a star they did not fully understand, and it led them to Christ. People: We receive these stars as they did, as an invitation. Leader: Take one word and carry it through the year. Pray with it. Notice where it shows up. All: Lead us, as you led them, until we kneel where Christ is. Amen. (Hand out paper stars, each printed with one word such as grace, courage, rest, or welcome.)
Original
Epiphany Benediction
BenedictionThe light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. Go as people who have seen the light. Go home by another road, as the wise men did. And may the Christ who was shown to the nations be shown through you. Amen.
Original, with John 1:5 (KJV) and Matthew 2:12
How to write your own
- 1Pick one of the three images (light, the nations, or gifts) and build the whole service around it. Trying to do all three in one call to worship is how Epiphany turns into a list.
- 2Use Isaiah 60 or Psalm 72 for the opening; they were written as the response the Matthew story echoes.
- 3If you reuse the Christ candle from the Advent wreath, say so out loud. It ties the two seasons together in one sentence.
- 4Give the congregation something to take home: a chalk blessing, a star word, or the printed house blessing. Epiphany is one of the few feasts with a home practice attached.
How different traditions handle it
Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches keep Epiphany as a principal feast; in the United States the Catholic observance moves to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8. Many Methodist, Presbyterian, and Reformed churches mark it on the nearest Sunday and then follow the Revised Common Lectionary into the season after Epiphany, which begins with the Baptism of the Lord. Orthodox churches keep Theophany with the Great Blessing of Water. Free-church and non-denominational congregations often fold Epiphany into the first Sunday of the new year with a star-words or "new road" theme.
Frequently asked questions
What is Epiphany?
A Christian feast on January 6 celebrating Christ revealed to the world, especially in the visit of the wise men in Matthew 2. The word means "appearing" or "manifestation."
When is Epiphany 2027?
Wednesday, January 6, 2027. Catholic parishes in the United States observe it on Sunday, January 3, 2027, and many Protestant churches also mark it that Sunday.
What does Epiphany mean in the Bible?
The word itself is Greek and is used in the New Testament for Christ appearing (for example 2 Timothy 1:10). The feast is built on Matthew 2:1-12, where the wise men follow the star and worship the child Jesus.
Is Epiphany the same as Three Kings Day?
Yes. In Spanish-speaking and many Catholic communities January 6 is called Three Kings Day (Dia de los Reyes). Matthew does not say there were three or that they were kings; the number comes from the three gifts.
What do the gifts of the wise men mean?
Matthew names gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Christian tradition has long read them as gifts for a king (gold), for God (frankincense, burned in worship), and for one who would die (myrrh, used in burial).
What is chalking the door?
An Epiphany home blessing: the year and the letters C, M, B are written in chalk above the door (20 + C + M + B + 27). The letters recall the traditional names of the wise men and the Latin prayer "Christus mansionem benedicat," may Christ bless this house.
Keep a record of what was actually said
The epiphany liturgy you wrote is in your notes. The sermon that went with it usually isn't. Transcribe every service and build a searchable archive your congregation can go back to: the Church Plan is $19/month for as many sermons as you preach.
Related parts of the service
Advent Candle Lighting Liturgies
Advent wreath candles explained: three purple and one rose (or four blue) plus a white Christ candle, one more lit each Sunday, with ready-to-use liturgies.
Calls to Worship
A call to worship is the opening words of a service: a summons, usually from the Psalms, that tells a gathered crowd it has become a worshiping congregation.
Responsive Readings
A responsive reading alternates lines between a leader and the congregation, turning scripture from something heard into something spoken.
Benedictions
A benediction is the spoken blessing that sends a congregation out at the end of worship, not a closing prayer, but a pronouncement of God's favor over his people.
Everything else in the service
Planning the rest of the service
- Sermon resources for all 66 books: themes, famous chapters, and preaching notes to pair with the readings.
- Sermon length calculator: check the service fits the time you actually have.
- Sermon outline generator: turn a text and a big idea into a preaching outline.
- Sermon series ideas: plan a season, then build the liturgy around it.