Our Epiphany service is held on January 6, following the twelve-day festival of Christmas, which ends on January 5. We begin in the narthex, where chalk is used to write the initials of the Magi -- C, M, B (traditionally Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar) -- above our sanctuary door. These letters may also be interpreted as representing the Latin phrase, “Chirstus mansionem bendicat” -- “may Christ bless our house.” Each celebrant is given a candle; they are lit in the narthex. We then enter the sanctuary with our candles for a service of light, reflecting that Christ is the light of the world. The individual candles are brought to the chancel, where they are placed in cups of sand. Other candles, distributed around the sanctuary, are already lit within the sanctuary to provide additional light for the service. Our gold Christmas drapings are used as a backdrop for the chancel. For 2008, the unusual occurence of "The Epiphany of the Lord" coinciding with Sunday worship prompted a new transformation of the sanctuary. The gold silk streamers from Christmas were overlaid with slightly narrower purple silk streamers, while leaving the gold gauze hanging as a backdrop. A purple runner joined the gold runner from Christmas on the Table. Worship was introduced by processing a chest of "gold," a ceramic urn of "myrrh," and a ceramic tray filled with sand and "frankincense." White flowers were used as an accent in front of the pulpit, with white poinsettias strategically adorning spots around the chancel.