In the church calendar, the weeks between Epiphany, January 6, and Ash Wednesday (February 14 in 2024) are identified with the preposition, “after”. Unlike Lent (in) and Advent and Easter (of), these are the weeks after an event.

In Epiphany: The Season of Glory, Fleming Rutledge notes that the lectionary for this season “is remarkably faithful in combining the ancient biblical motifs in a narrative sequence, carrying the people of God through a series of episodes that show forth the identity, mission, destiny, and glory of Christ.”

These stories include the baptism of Jesus, the calling of the disciples, the healing of a man in a synagogue, the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and then leaving sick people in one place to go preach in another. The season ends with the story of the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John saw Jesus with unfiltered glory.

The point of reminding us of these stories is to help us answer a question Jesus asked the disciples. After they told him what everyone else was saying about him, “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’”

Every so often, it’s worth reflecting on that question. It takes us away, for a moment, from questions of what the church is, arguments about whether this or that is biblical, squabbles about the most appropriate music or style, debates about what to do.

And it takes us away from speeches and rants and memes (the new version of bumper stickers). It takes us into a conversation. With Jesus.

Sometime, in a conversation with Jesus, the time many people describe as prayer, step away from requests, or pleas, or confessions, or complaints. Instead, listen to him ask, “who do you say I am?”

And then offer an answer or two. To him.