Looking to the Stars

January 5, 2025 Isaiah 60:1-6 Year C Looking to the Stars Prelude Greeting Call to Worship Children of God, we enter the new year as we ended the last: gathered together for worship! We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light. The prophet Isaiah calls to us from deep in the past: “Arise, shine; for your light has come.” We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light. The magi followed a star to find a small child who is the Light of the world. We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light. So, let us receive the call of Isaiah and follow the example of the magi as we begin this new year turning our faces to God whose glory shows up among us as a vulnerable child, a poor carpenter, and a foot-washing servant who is the salvation of the world. We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light today and every day. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, July 2024. Opening Prayer With joy, Loving God, we tune our hearts and minds to praise, for you have carried us through the past year, and now open to us the whole of 2025. You bring light into the world. You bless us and our children. You fill us with food and rejoice in all who hope in your steadfast love. Accept our joyful offering of thanksgiving! AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song We Three Kings UMH254 A Sermon for all Ages How many of you are afraid of the dark? (Let them answer.) Are you afraid to sleep with the light off? Don’t be embarrassed to admit it! It will be our little secret, just between you and me. What is it that scares you about the dark? (Let them answer.) Maybe it’s the way an ordinary thing in your room like a basketball hoop or a lamp or a large doll can look like a scary monster in the shadows of your vivid imaginations. Maybe it’s the way you lie in the dark and think about something scary you saw on television or in a movie. Maybe it’s the way your house or apartment is quiet when it is dark, which means that you can hear every little noise at night. Maybe you just don’t feel safe because you can’t see, and that is what makes the dark so scary. Well, most people stop being afraid of the dark as they get older, but there is another kind of darkness which scares even grown-ups. I am talking about moral darkness, the darkness of wrong and evil. There is a lot of that darkness in the world, and it is scary because it keeps us from God. Young and old alike, we all must struggle to know and do what is right, to see and follow the light of good amid the darkness of what is bad. Today we celebrate Epiphany and talk about how the light of God appeared in the world when Christ was born and made known to the world. The three wise men who visited the baby Jesus were among the first to see this light, but people had talked about it many centuries before. In fact, an ancient Hebrew prophet named Isaiah had written, "Arise, shine, for your light has come." Elsewhere, he had written, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined" (9:2). For all people who were lost in darkness and couldn’t find their way to God, Jesus has come to be their light and show us the way. When you wake up from a bad dream in the middle of the night, think of how happy you are when your mother comes into your room and turns on the light. Then, after you have calmed down, she leaves the light on, and you aren’t scared any more. That’s sort of how we all feel now that Jesus is in the world. The light of goodness and salvation has been turned on in our souls, and we who were walking in darkness have seen the light. We aren’t scared anymore. Whenever you are tempted to do or say something you know is wrong, you are getting ready to enter this moral darkness I am talking about. It isn’t a darkness you can see, like the night is dark; instead, it is a darkness inside which tries to take you away from God. But now we have Jesus Christ to be our light. Whenever we wonder what is the right or wrong thing to do, we have the example of Jesus to show us the right. Learn the stories of His life. Learn the stories He told and the lessons He taught; talk to your parents about Him. The thick darkness which has covered the peoples no longer is quite so thick or scary, because now that Jesus Christ is in the world, we see that our light has come. Amen. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., More Urgent Season, A, by Erskine White Boys and girls, I have a globe with me. What is a globe? That's right. It's a small representation of our earth. Suppose I shine this flashlight on the globe. What would the flashlight represent? That's right. The sun. Throughout history, when people have talked about the world having problems, they have referred to it as a dark world. The Bible calls it that. But the Bible also says that there is light for this dark world. It is a light that came from outside this world, not from inside. It is the light of God's love which shines through Jesus Christ. When all the world lets the light of Jesus shine in, then the darkness of all the problems of hate, war, etc., will disappear. What happens to darkness when you turn on a light? That's right, the darkness disappears. As we start this New Year, let's give thanks for Jesus who is the Light of the World. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Affirmation of Faith “In Jesus of Nazareth, true humanity was realized once for all. Jesus, a Palestinian Jew, lived among his own people and shared their needs, temptations, joys, and sorrows. He expressed the love of God in word and deed and became a brother to all kinds of sinful men and women. But his complete obedience led him into conflict with his people. His life and teaching judged their goodness, religious aspirations, and national hopes. Many rejected him and demanded his death. In giving himself freely for them, he took upon himself the judgment under which everyone stands convicted. God raised him from the dead, vindicating him as Messiah and Lord. The victim of sin became victor, and won the victory over sin and death for all.” (Presbyterian Outlook, Inclusive Language Text of the Confession of 1967) John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer UMH 607 Scripture Isaiah 60:1-6 Sermon Looking to the Stars When we are in need, where does we look for help? Where does our help come from. The bible encourages us to look up look up to the hills, to look up to the sky – because our help comes from God. In times of need, if we look up – we will find God in some of the strangest places. In order to appreciate the task that Isaiah had in rousing the exiles to trust that God was still in their history, imagine what the rabbis have to do for the Jewish people today after the holocaust. It is one thing to know that generally people should be horrified at the inhumanity that took place with the slaughter of six million Jews. All people should be revolted at that horrible moment of history. Certainly there are segments of the Hebrew population who react to the holocaust only on its humanitarian and political levels. However, the rabbis have to interpret this dreadful catastrophe in the light of their own tradition. A remarkable collection of what some rabbis did teach in response to the Holocaust has been published under the title I Will be Sanctified. One rabbi noted that the question, “Where was God during the Holocaust?” is the question of those who would justify giving up on the faith of their tradition. Some would ask the question in pain, some ask out of sincere doubt, and still others ask insolently and skeptically. However, the one who questions out of faith is like the one who asked his young nephew, a survivor of the Holocaust, if he had seen the smoke coming from the chimneys. But then he also asked, “And did you see God there next to the chimneys?” Faith not only recognizes the judgment of God upon the world, but also recognizes the willingness of God to save and redeem out of the worst of circumstances. That is what the Prophet Isaiah was able to see and what he was able to share with his people in exile. He could tell them that they would be restored as a people and that other nations would recognize them. The prophet could picture this in the most assuring ways. Not only would they be reestablished as a people, but also they would find a prominent and enviable place among the family of nations. The epiphany season is our reminder to look up to look up all the way to the stars for God. Last night as I was looking up at the sky – all four visible planets were out in plain view – this must be a special time indeed. In times of darkness, the first thing we do is look for the light. What's the first thing you do when you awaken from a scary dream? Exactly! Most of us reach for the light. Our rational minds tell us that it was nothing but a dream. It wasn't real. However, our bodies aren't convinced. We want to put our pillows over our heads and bury ourselves beneath all the blankets. But, it won't work. Our hearts are pumping and thumping. Arteries are stretched to the limit by blood racing to our feet and hands. Lungs strain to take in as much oxygen as possible. Adrenal glands work arduously to prepare us to flee or to fight unknown demons of the night. Reach for the light, now, before it's too late! Since the beginning of time humans have sought the light around campfires, candles and torches at the approach of darkness. Light promises hope and warmth, safety and security. Deep within the human heart the onset of darkness stirs up unknown fears of forces of evil beyond our control. Darkness and light call forth contrasts of despair and joy; evil and good; weakness and strength; sin and salvation; shame and glory. Reach for the light, tonight, before it's too late! It is interesting that every culture has some type of light festival. The festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord is a celebration that has reminded Christians since the second century that the light has already reached us. The light has already come in Jesus Christ. His light has vanquished the dark nightmares in our souls. "Arise, shine;" declares Isaiah, "for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (v. 1). Nightmares exist. Evil lurks around darkened corners of our lives, "but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will appear over you" (v. 2). Did you catch the language of both Christmas and Easter here? The Light has come. The Glory of the Lord has risen. It is no coincidence that early Christians selected this text to be read on Epiphany Day, the day on which the appearance of the Light of Christ is celebrated. The Light, born in Bethlehem, rises and shines brilliantly from the empty tomb outside Jerusalem. Epiphany, the Day of Light, connects birth, passion, and resurrection in the Church year. The Light has reached us. The Light shines in our lives tonight. We are reminded that christ is our light that has been sent into the world. God sent Christ, to remind us that God has not forgotten about us and will always send us some type of light. Our scripture reminds us to look up and to look for the light. If you go back to chapter 59 – it is about the darkness in the world. It reminds us that sometimes the world can seem to be a dark place, because of our sin. We can become mired into a life of sin. We forget that we are God’s people. The first words of chapter 60 – are Arise and shine for your light has come. A woman is lying face down on the floor – and God tells her to arise and look up. Even in the darkness, the light has come – sometimes we just don’t see it. I tried so hard not to tell the following joke, but it simply would not keep itself off the computer screen. For those of you who have heard it often, forgive me. It's the story of the man who went into the hardware store in need of a chain saw. He was finally sold on one after being told he could cut up 10 cords of wood a day with it. Excited and eager to get started he took it home and got to work. After several days, however, the man was really discouraged. The best he could do was half a cord a day, and even doing that was an utterly exhausting experience. Discouraged, disappointed, and not a little angry, he went back to the hardware store with his chain saw, plopping it up on the counter. "So, how's it going, Frank?" the store owner said. "Look, my good friend, you told me I could cut 10 cords of wood a day with this [expletive deleted] thing. The best I can do is half a cord and even at that it's incredibly hard work. I want my money back!" "Well, Frank, let's just take a look." With that he adjusted the proper switches and gave a yank on the cord. The saw sprang to life, frightening Frank out of his wits. "Hey," he yelled, jumping back in fear, "what's that awful noise?" My friends, am I wrong in saying that many people have been living by what they call the Christian faith all their lives, yet have never known more than committee work and fund raising, and wonder why the faith means so little to them? Am I wrong in saying that there are those who wonder why they have to get involved in prayer and Bible study and service to the hurting of the world and then wonder why their life is still empty, even when they go to church? This week keep in your mind's eye the picture of that man, rubbing that chain saw back and forth across a tree trunk, with a silent motor, scratching and rubbing and sweating and cursing. And then picture the millions of people who have a general belief in a general God who gives us general hints about general situations and invites us to live a generally good life following some general rules from a generally all-around-good-guy, Jesus, who lived 2,000 years ago, or so. Where does our help come from – our help comes from God, sometimes we are just not connected to the source. The power is not inside of us – it is inside of God. The prophet instructs us to arise and shine. Sort of like the command ready, aim fire. We don’t just fire. Before we fire, we have to prepare ourselves, we have to make a plan, then we take action. The command for us is to arise then shine. In other words, first we pray, then we look up, then we shine – we let our actions and life be a reflection of God’s actions. It may be dark outside, today is a pretty gloomy day – but God is here – we just have to look and find God. We can find the light all around us – even in the people around us. Light festivals are common for people to look for the light. Light is an important part of our faith – light is a part of Christmas and Easter. Christ is the light in the midst of the darkness. The most moving part of Christmas Eve is the candlelighting, where we turn off the lights, lights candles and stand together in community. Today is not so dramatic, but it is touching none the less. Today we will gather as a community, to celebrate communion. Each person here is a candle lit by God. Nowhere is the truth of Epiphany more evident than in the Eucharist. We gather around the Lord's table as members of the same body of Christ, heirs together of the promises of the gospel. We gather without distinction, at the same level, with the same needs, to eat the same food: young and old, men and women, gay and straight, rich and poor, weak and strong, of every tribe and nation. We look into the faces of our fellow Christians and we see the light of Christ. In such a eucharistic fellowship we are able to truly discern the vision of Isaiah: Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the seas shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. (vv. 5-6). This brings us to the final thing we need to say. Each time we bring light into someone else’s life we hasten the day when the entire world will walk in the glorious light of God’s presence. That has always been God’s will for his world and God will not be defeated! There will be a day when nations shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. There will come a time when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. God is at work in this world in the lives of His people. I like a story Dr. Eugene Brice once told that comes from a time when radio was our dominant form of mass media. A sheepherder in Montana wrote the NBC Symphony in New York, telling of a problem he had. He was an amateur musician, a violinist. He listened to the symphony each Sunday on his radio. But his violin had gotten badly out of tune, and in his isolation, he had no way to tune it. He needed a big favor. And so on Sunday afternoon, June 18, 1938, at the beginning of the program of the NBC symphony, a loud and clear note was sent out across the air. It was a beautiful and clear A note and from that A note a sheepherder in Montana got his violin in tune. Christ, of course, is God’s A note for this discordant world. And we are those whom he has called to sound that note in our time. We do that by modeling in our lives the unconditional love of God for all people. It matters not where they come from or what mistakes they may have made. All people are God’s children and are in need of God’s wondrous and complete love. Christ is the light that calls us all together. Christ is the light of the world – a light that all can see. A light that touches us all. A light that brings us all together, and scatters us all. How will you spread the light of christ this year? 2025 – is a good year to be alive, in the holy spirit. This year may you see the light, find the miracles of God in the strangest of places and marvel at the difference the light makes. Arise, Shine, your light has come. Let us pray……. Song Star Child TFWS 2095 Prayer for Times of Change (At the Threshold) God is creating new paths and possibilities, as we prepare for where we are going. Christ is freeing us with newfound love and grace, as we learn from where we have been. The Spirit is revealing new dreams to guide us, as we start our journey home on a new path. We take courage in the assurance that God goes with us; we affirm our call to go where Christ leads; and we trust the Spirit to guide us through the challenging space between, where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. Surely, we are not alone. Thanks be to God.—adapted from Prayer for Times of Change, The United Church of Canada Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment After all the flurry of gift-giving and gift-receiving throughout the month of December and the many appeals for “end of year giving”, on this first Sunday of a new year, do you feel exhausted by the requests for support? If so, I invite you to bring to mind both the story of the magi who travelled miles to bring gifts to Jesus, and the text in Ephesians 1, which lifts up the ways in which God has destined us for adoption as his children. Because of Jesus Christ, we’ve been given an inheritance! Because we’re claimed by God as God’s own beloved children, we have already received the promised Holy Spirit as a promise of the full inheritance we are to receive. When we stop to realize what God gives us: not only Jesus as our Lord, life-leader, and teacher, and the Holy Spirit to inspire us day by day, but adoption as God’s own beloved ones (!) our response becomes profound gratitude! Let’s begin 2025 with a recognition of being claimed and named by God, which prompts us to generosity. With delight, let’s start this new year with a financial gift of support for this congregation and for the ministries we share every year, including (name one or two ___________________). You can make your gift (list the ways people can give). Prayer of Thanksgiving As adopted children of every age, we offer you our thanks, Holy God. You’ve claimed us, named us, and called us into relationship with you. Thank you! Now we ask you to accept these gifts of gratitude, multiply them for service, and help us use them to strengthen your Realm here on earth. AMEN Star Words New Year’s Communion Christ invites to this table all who are ready to move beyond the limitations of the past, all who are eager to move into the “new thing” that God is doing in our midst, all who are willing to let go of the pain that’s gone. [sung by all] This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember and move on, time to believe what love is bringing, laying to rest the pain that’s gone… And so this is an open invitation to come and receive the bread that will sustain us as we embark on this new calendar year. All are invited to receive the sweetness of the cup as a sign of God’s promise of abundant possibilities. All are invited to this meal, for all are forgiven their past regrets and invited into God’s grace-filled future! Praise to the Living God! The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts in this new day. We lift them up to God. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. Presider: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Creator and Renewer of all life. Time and again you seek us out, breathing again the breath of life into the deflated places our lives. And so, we come to your table again to praise you and taste yet again what your steadfast love can do… Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. He healed the sick, fed the hungry and ate with those others considered unworthy. Through him, faith and hope were born again for so many… On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks for you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you; This is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” And so, as we remember these words and acts of Jesus, we offer our own lives, leaving behind what we do not need, seeking new paths full of risen life in you. As followers of Christ, we proclaim and live out this holy mystery: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, so that we may be for the world the body of Christ, breaking ourselves open to your future. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever! Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Children of God, go forth into the world and join God’s work. May the God of all times and places continue to guide you here and now; may the Holy Spirit that swept over the waters of creation continue to give you strength; and may the light of Christ, through who all things came into being, continue to shine through each of you until we are all gathered together again. Go in peace. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tommy Carrico) Community Time – Joys and concerns Benediction Beloved, go from this place carrying the blessing of the Light who has come among so that the love of the Christ child may shine within you, casting rays of good news wherever you go. Amen. Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, July 2024. Additional Illustrations I tried so hard not to tell the following joke, but it simply would not keep itself off the computer screen. For those of you who have heard it often, forgive me. It's the story of the man who went into the hardware store in need of a chain saw. He was finally sold on one after being told he could cut up 10 cords of wood a day with it. Excited and eager to get started he took it home and got to work. After several days, however, the man was really discouraged. The best he could do was half a cord a day, and even doing that was an utterly exhausting experience. Discouraged, disappointed, and not a little angry, he went back to the hardware store with his chain saw, plopping it up on the counter. "So, how's it going, Frank?" the store owner said. "Look, my good friend, you told me I could cut 10 cords of wood a day with this [expletive deleted] thing. The best I can do is half a cord and even at that it's incredibly hard work. I want my money back!" "Well, Frank, let's just take a look." With that he adjusted the proper switches and gave a yank on the cord. The saw sprang to life, frightening Frank out of his wits. "Hey," he yelled, jumping back in fear, "what's that awful noise?" My friends, am I wrong in saying that many people have been living by what they call the Christian faith all their lives, yet have never known more than committee work and fund raising, and wonder why the faith means so little to them? Am I wrong in saying that there are those who wonder why they have to get involved in prayer and Bible study and service to the hurting of the world and then wonder why their life is still empty, even when they go to church? This week keep in your mind's eye the picture of that man, rubbing that chain saw back and forth across a tree trunk, with a silent motor, scratching and rubbing and sweating and cursing. And then picture the millions of people who have a general belief in a general God who gives us general hints about general situations and invites us to live a generally good life following some general rules from a generally all-around-good-guy, Jesus, who lived 2,000 years ago, or so. Thomas H. Troeger once said this: "To undomesticate God, to see God in places where we are convinced God would never be, is to be able to hope and believe again." Isaiah saw into the future when it would dawn on the nations how great was the God of the Hebrews. And when it dawned on them, they would not keep themselves from pouring out their praise and presents in adoration and worship. The wise men knew that this was the King of kings when Jesus was born, and they could not but search for him, crossing a dangerous desert to find him and worship him. It dawned on them, and they responded. Has it dawned on us yet? Dr. Leonard Sweet, president of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, mentions in his book Quantum Spirituality something that sports journalist George Plimpton had written. Mr. Plimpton had written about a "mysterious component" in an athlete's life. He said that when this component is added to an athlete's natural ability, it gives a player "a kind of boost, like an afterburner kicking in, a psychic energy that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts." He called it the "X Factor" and called it a combination of "adrenaline, intelligence, confidence, concentration, and discipline." The "X Factor." Dr. Sweet then went on himself to say this:For Christians the difference between an ordinary community and an extraordinary, life-producing organism is one word: Christ. Christ is the "X Factor," the "Inner Power" that transforms an assemblage of individuals into a synergic [sic] community of healing and love. (From Quantum Spirituality, p. 137) A synergetic community of healing and love is one in which everyone is working together cooperatively with God and with one another. This happens through the Spirit of Christ revealed to us by our loving God. In order to appreciate the task that Isaiah had in rousing the exiles to trust that God was still in their history, imagine what the rabbis have to do for the Jewish people today after the holocaust. It is one thing to know that generally people should be horrified at the inhumanity that took place with the slaughter of six million Jews. All people should be revolted at that horrible moment of history. Certainly there are segments of the Hebrew population who react to the holocaust only on its humanitarian and political levels. However, the rabbis have to interpret this dreadful catastrophe in the light of their own tradition. A remarkable collection of what some rabbis did teach in response to the Holocaust has been published under the title I Will be Sanctified. One rabbi noted that the question, “Where was God during the Holocaust?” is the question of those who would justify giving up on the faith of their tradition. Some would ask the question in pain, some ask out of sincere doubt, and still others ask insolently and skeptically. However, the one who questions out of faith is like the one who asked his young nephew, a survivor of the Holocaust, if he had seen the smoke coming from the chimneys. But then he also asked, “And did you see God there next to the chimneys?” Faith not only recognizes the judgment of God upon the world, but also recognizes the willingness of God to save and redeem out of the worst of circumstances. That is what the Prophet Isaiah was able to see and what he was able to share with his people in exile. He could tell them that they would be restored as a people and that other nations would recognize them. The prophet could picture this in the most assuring ways. Not only would they be reestablished as a people, but also they would find a prominent and enviable place among the family of nations. Darkness is never easily dispelled. The Israelites could have said, "We've heard that before!" At another place and another time they had heard: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them has light shined" (Isaiah 9:2). That promise seemed like a quick fix before the darkness returned; and we know the feeling. We have heard these promises at Advent and Christmas, year after year. Does anything really change? We must ask, have we ever really listened to the promises? It says you must "lift up your eyes and look around" (v. 4a) All the light in the world is no help if you don't lift up your eyes and take a look around. It is a matter of vision, of discernment. What Isaiah saw was a glorious restoration for Jerusalem, a great homecoming for the Jews, a great ingathering of the Gentiles. But the reality did not always seem to match the promise. Nowhere is the truth of Epiphany more evident than in the Eucharist. We gather around the Lord's table as members of the same body of Christ, heirs together of the promises of the gospel. We gather without distinction, at the same level, with the same needs, to eat the same food: young and old, men and women, gay and straight, rich and poor, weak and strong, of every tribe and nation. We look into the faces of our fellow Christians and we see the light of Christ. In such a eucharistic fellowship we are able to truly discern the vision of Isaiah: Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the seas shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. (vv. 5-6). In Isaiah's view, God's good rule has been made flesh in the weakest of human creation, a baby. It is his birth and his Kingdom we celebrate on this eve of Christmas. The story is told of an aspiring young author who was given the opportunity to read a fiction story he had written before a famous author. The plot of the young aspiring writer's story involved the only son of a poor widow who lived in a little cabin in Pennsylvania. The story went something like this: One day the son decided to go to New York to make his way in life. As he got ready to leave, his mother hugged him and said to him: "Son, if you ever get into trouble, come home, and as you come over the hill, look toward home. You will always find a light burning in the window, and I will be waiting to welcome you." The young writer described what happened to the young man with words that produced images of the dark side of humanity. The young man went to prison, and upon his release decided to head home. The boy hitchhiked his way back to Pennsylvania. As he climbed the final hill and started toward home, he saw the outline of a small cottage in the distance. He was filled with hope. But something was wrong, there was no light burning in the window! At this point, the renowned author jumped to his feet and shouted at the aspiring author, "You young upstart! Put that light back."1 The "light" which Isaiah wrote about has not and will not ever go out. For it is the light of God's glory, revealed in Jesus Christ. It is this "light" that we celebrate tonight! He is Isaiah's first light and our "Everlasting Light." Amen! What's the first thing you do when you awaken from a scary dream? Exactly! Most of us reach for the light. Our rational minds tell us that it was nothing but a dream. It wasn't real. However, our bodies aren't convinced. We want to put our pillows over our heads and bury ourselves beneath all the blankets. But, it won't work. Our hearts are pumping and thumping. Arteries are stretched to the limit by blood racing to our feet and hands. Lungs strain to take in as much oxygen as possible. Adrenal glands work arduously to prepare us to flee or to fight unknown demons of the night. Reach for the light, now, before it's too late! Since the beginning of time humans have sought the light around campfires, candles and torches at the approach of darkness. Light promises hope and warmth, safety and security. Deep within the human heart the onset of darkness stirs up unknown fears of forces of evil beyond our control. Darkness and light call forth contrasts of despair and joy; evil and good; weakness and strength; sin and salvation; shame and glory. Reach for the light, tonight, before it's too late! The festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord is a celebration that has reminded Christians since the second century that the light has already reached us. The light has already come in Jesus Christ. His light has vanquished the dark nightmares in our souls. "Arise, shine;" declares Isaiah, "for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (v. 1). Nightmares exist. Evil lurks around darkened corners of our lives, "but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will appear over you" (v. 2). Did you catch the language of both Christmas and Easter here? The Light has come. The Glory of the Lord has risen. It is no coincidence that early Christians selected this text to be read on Epiphany Day, the day on which the appearance of the Light of Christ is celebrated. The Light, born in Bethlehem, rises and shines brilliantly from the empty tomb outside Jerusalem. Epiphany, the Day of Light, connects birth, passion, and resurrection in the Church year. The Light has reached us. The Light shines in our lives tonight. In today's lesson Isaiah pictures Jerusalem (Zion) as a woman prostrate on the ground at the beginning of the New Year covenant renewal celebration. Zion is bidden to rise and see what the Lord is doing and will do in her midst. Perhaps this is the Lord's word for us as well. Arise, wake up from the nightmares in the world around us. The demons in our own darkness will not prevail. With the Magi from the East, look for the brilliant star. "Lift up your eyes and see" (v. 4). Let the true Light overcome our midnight anxiety. But, we have to look up for the Light. We can't discover the Light by hiding beneath the covers of self-protection and fear. The Magi looked up, saw the light, and followed it to a manger, the birthplace of a king. It wasn't an easy journey. They faced all the hazards of a long journey across the wilderness. They faced the evil of treacherous King Herod. Yet they persisted, in faith, proceeding onward, following wherever the light might lead them. This brings us to the final thing we need to say. Each time we bring light into someone else’s life we hasten the day when the entire world will walk in the glorious light of God’s presence. That has always been God’s will for his world and God will not be defeated! There will be a day when nations shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. There will come a time when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. God is at work in this world in the lives of His people. I like a story Dr. Eugene Brice once told that comes from a time when radio was our dominant form of mass media. A sheepherder in Montana wrote the NBC Symphony in New York, telling of a problem he had. He was an amateur musician, a violinist. He listened to the symphony each Sunday on his radio. But his violin had gotten badly out of tune, and in his isolation, he had no way to tune it. He needed a big favor. And so on Sunday afternoon, June 18, 1938, at the beginning of the program of the NBC symphony, a loud and clear note was sent out across the air. It was a beautiful and clear A note and from that A note a sheepherder in Montana got his violin in tune. Christ, of course, is God’s A note for this discordant world. And we are those whom he has called to sound that note in our time. We do that by modeling in our lives the unconditional love of God for all people. It matters not where they come from or what mistakes they may have made. All people are God’s children and are in need of God’s wondrous and complete love. It is like a children’s story that author James Thurber once wrote titled, “The White Deer.” “The White Deer” is about a beautiful princess who had been transformed by a witch into a white deer. A king named King Clode and his three sons (Thag and Gallow, the hunters, and Jorn, the poet) are out hunting game and they come upon this white deer and they raise their bows to slay it. Just before they shoot, however, the deer is changed back into the princess. King Clode and his sons take this beautiful princess home with them but she is unable to remember anything about her past including who she is. It is finally discovered that the only thing that will cause the princess to regain her memory is the unconditional love of a young man. In order to determine who this young man will be--Thag, Gallow and Jorn are each given perilous tasks to perform. It is Jorn the poet who ultimately wins the princess’ hand. He gives her the kind of love that allows her to remember where she came from and who she is. (3) My friends, is this not what God has called us to do for a fallen world? By His grace we are to show the world the unfailing love of God at work in our lives so that the world may truly see where it came from and why it exists. All people are God’s children. God is no respecter of persons. God, however, does select individual persons and groups of persons for particular tasks. That does not mean that God loves us more than He loves anyone else. It means simply that we are fortunate enough to be participants in the greatest adventure in this world. Our calling is to show the world the love of Jesus Christ in such a way that persons are drawn to him and find light for their lives. Professor Harold DeWolf, in his book The Religious Revolt Against Reason, tells of an experience he had as a young man. He went swimming at midnight one night with a friend in the Atlantic Ocean at Massachusetts Bay. He said the water was full of phosphorescent light. Every dip of his hand in the water produced something like “a circle of flashing gems and every breaker looked like a cascade of fireworks.” To ride the waves they went out some distance from the shore. Then turning toward land DeWolf was gripped by a strange fear. The lights from the shore no longer shone. So he looked up to the sky to get his bearings. But the sky was like the water--full of the spectacular confusion of the northern lights. “No star was visible. Then panic overtook him, for in all that glittering display there was no fixed reality. He could not tell the way to shore. He started back with a helpless terror engulfing him.” (4) He learned that, with no fixed star to guide him, it was almost impossible to chart out his course. Thank God we have a star to follow. It is the same star that guided the magi long ago. It is the light of Christ. Christ, who is a dependable guide, whose love never fails. Perhaps you’ve heard of the passenger sitting relaxed on an airplane. A man appeared with a parachute. The man asked the passenger, “Would you like to join me?” “No, thank you,” said the passenger, “I’m very happy where I am.” The reply came back from the man with the parachute, “Do as you like, but I should tell you, I’m the pilot.” I don’t know about you, but if I saw a man on a plane carrying a parachute who invited me to go with him who turned out to be the pilot, I believe I would take that as a sign that I need to move. In 1992 California educator Dr. Norvel Young took his family to the Olympics in Spain. It was exciting for them to see the best athletes from the nations of the world compete in gymnastics, diving, water polo, and track and field. Most of all, Dr. Young was thrilled to see the love and goodwill exhibited between outstanding representatives of the many nations. It's a small world after all, says Dr. Young, and the Olympics are an example of goodwill and hard work. As they entered the stadium for the closing ceremonies, Dr. Young and his family were given a packet of items, including a flashlight. After a thrilling program, including the best of Spain in every area, such as music by Placido Domingo, all the lights were extinguished. A hush moved over the vast audience; then a shout of "Ah!" The entire stadium was lighted as thousands of spectators turned on their individual flashlights. From darkness to light not because one person flipped a switch on some giant stadium floodlights, but because each member of the audience did their part by turning on their tiny, individual lights. It was a poignant and powerful moment one Dr. Young says he will never forget. He compares it to Neil Diamond concerts he has attended, when Diamond begins to sing in his gravelly voice, "Turn on your heart lights." And one by one, people in the audience turn on different kinds of small lights whatever they have with them flashlights, candles, lighters. By the end of the song, the darkness in the auditorium has been dispelled, and light is glowing warmly everywhere. (4) And that is our purpose in the new year. As Jesus said to us, "No one lights a candle and puts in under a bushel, but on a lampstand . . ." (Matthew 5:15) We are to move boldly into this new year, because the light of Christ floods our hearts, giving us hope and wholeness. And then we are to shine our light so that others may know that the light of Christ still shines into our world. The darkness has not overcome it. A student was crossing the campus of a college on a cold, rainy day, raining cats and dogs. He saw the college president walking across the campus. The student asked the president what he was doing out so early on a rainy Sunday morning. The president said, "I'm going to church." The student asked, "What made you decide to go to a church on a day like this?" The president said, "I didn't decide to go to church today. I made the decision many years ago." What discipline means is that you will do those things that you should do even if you don't feel like doing them. People say you ought to be honest about your feelings. I believe that. Your feelings are a part of you, and you ought to take your feelings seriously. But there is more to you than your feelings. There are also your hopes, your aspirations, your dreams, your visions, your responsibilities and your obligations, and there is now, because of the gospel proclaimed to you, a new life that is being offered to you. That is a part of your life, too. You ought to be as honest about those things as you are about your feelings. It is like John Wesley, who went to Peter Bohler and complained he couldn't preach grace because he said he had never experienced it. Bohler told him, "Preach it until you do experience it." There's a story about a man who had experienced a seven-year series of setbacks in business and in his love life. Every decision that he made, every relationship that he had, seemed to end in failure. One evening as he was walking home he saw a bright spotlight on the porch of a previously abandoned home. As he approached the house, he noticed that the light was illuminating a sign advertising the presence of a fortune-teller. "Fantastic futures forecast inside," he read. So, thinking that nothing else seemed to offer any hope, he walked through the door. The fortune-teller placed her hands on the crystal ball on the table between them. As she did so, a frown spread across her face as she predicted, "The next seven years will be just like the past seven ... filled with despair, unhappiness, and disappointment." "Oh, no," said the young man. Still clinging to a tiny spark of hope, he asked timidly, "Then what?" "You'll get used to it," responded the fortune-teller. Her porch light was on, all right! But there was no hope in that home. Isaiah's message, God's Epiphany message, to all God's children, shines brightly tonight. The good news here is that God's true light of everlasting hope has already come into our midst. The light of Christ has arisen upon us. The glory of the Lord has appeared to us and shines upon us this very Epiphany day. This is the light that led the wise men to the Bethlehem manger. This is the light that inspired them to bring gifts of gold and frankincense to God's baby, God's own Son. This is the light that "proclaims the praise of the Lord" to all the world, to you and me (Isaiah 60:6). This is the light that shines from the cross and ascends from the empty tomb. So what? What can we do to overcome the darkness that is descending on our darkening world? Wrong question, folks! The right question — the Epiphany question — is what has God already done, is doing and has promised to continue doing to overcome that darkness? And the answer — God's Epiphany answer — is, "Here is Jesus, my Son, my very self, my forever and promised light of love." So what? So that "you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice" (Isaiah 60:5). So that in and through God's Epiphany light shining above and within you "nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:3). God's light shining above and within is contagious. That light that guides our journey through darkness will gather others along the way.

The Light is Here, Let's Go

January 2, 2022 Epiphany Sunday Isaiah 60:1-6 The Light is here, Let’s Go Year C Opening Song Welcome Invocation O Christ, pass through the doors of heaven into our presence. You were not created by the Most High to recline upon the clouds in the company of angels. You were fashioned to make your home among the creatures of God. God has chosen the place where you shall erect your tent. There we shall meet you. And where you go we shall go, and where you lodge we shall lodge. Your people shall be our people; your God, our God. Stewardship Moment Invitation to the Offering We have seen the light of the world. We have been called to follow the star of promise. Like the Magi, let us bring our gifts to honor the babe of Bethlehem and bring the light to all the dark places in our community and our world. Offertory Prayer God of this day and all days! We can only imagine the darkness of the world into which you sent your son – a world that believed that salvation rested on our ability to follow the rules. Jesus came to bring light into that darkness, and into our darkness. As we bring our tithes and offering to you this day, transform them into light for the hungry, for the hopeless, for the forgotten and the oppressed. We will share his light in us! In Christ, we pray. Amen. (John 1:(1-9), 10-18) Scripture Jerusalem’s coming radiance 60 Arise! Shine! Your light has come; the LORD’s glory has shone upon you. 2 Though darkness covers the earth and gloom the nations, the LORD will shine upon you; God’s glory will appear over you. 3 Nations will come to your light and kings to your dawning radiance. 4 Lift up your eyes and look all around: they are all gathered; they have come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters on caregivers’ hips. 5 Then you will see and be radiant; your heart will tremble and open wide, because the sea’s abundance will be turned over to you; the nations’ wealth will come to you. 6 Countless camels will cover your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah. They will all come from Sheba, carrying gold and incense, proclaiming the LORD’s praises. Sermon – The Light is here, Let’s go I have mentioned several times before, that it is always a challenge to know that theme to focus on for the first Sunday of January. Is it still Christmas, is it the New Year, is it epiphany. We just can’t cover everything. And even if I were to focus on the gospel lesson of the three kings, there is still a lot to cover. The lectionary scriptures for epiphany are always the same. I usually go with Isaiah 60 for this week. It is a lesson that we as the church have to be reminded of over and over again. The first line of Isaiah 60 – Arise! Shine! Your light has come! On a cold wintry day when the storms are raging outside and inside it is a message that we need to hear today. It is time to get up, to get to work, because all of the hope, the resources, the purpose that we have been waiting for is here. Isaiah needed to give that message to a nation that was overwhelmed with the work of rebuilding. Israel that of itself as the underdog. All of the nations around them had more people, more money, more power. They have been invaded and destroyed by these nations twice now. It actually took a strong king of another nation to have mercy on them and not destroy them, but let them go home. He even gave them the money to rebuild. Finally after years of praying to God they were free – but the task of getting back to normal seemed impossible. Until Isaiah reminds them to Arise Shine your light has come. The Christian church too has whethered a lot of storms. We too have to rebuild, we too are overwhelmed and wondering about resources and strength to do what needs to be done to move forward. Arise, Shine, your light has come. When I looked at this scripture this year, what stood out to me was that the light did not represent a great event, or a great celebration. After Isaiah’s words there was no great influx of resources or even a change in their situation. Isaiah was trying to tell them that the light they were looking for was God. God had been there all of the time. A customer service agent for a utility company in Rochester, New York, wrote about working during a horrible storm, when thousands of customers were without power and utility crews were working 16-hour days to repair the damage. One customer called the customer service line and complained about the power outage, then stopped raging long enough to ask, “How will I know when my lights are back on?” The customer service agent remained silent for a second, debating about the best way to answer such an obvious, even ridiculous question. How will you know when your lights are back on? Finally, she just said, “Um, it’ll be brighter than it is now.” The customer hung up on her. (5) Isaiah is telling us that the light has been there all along, we just have to see it. Epiphany is the oldest season of the church – it represent the time in our lives when we came to realize that God has been with us all along – we just didn’t realize it. Interestingly I learned last week that where ever there is electricity and light there is also magnetism. They go hand in hand. What is cool is that is the message of this passage. Light and magnetism. Isaiah’s second lesson is that as the people struggle to rebuild the kingdom of God, then other nations will be attracted to God and bring resources with them. The Luxor hotel was built in Las Vegas in 1993. It is a hotel and casino that is built like a pyramid. There is a single light beam that shines in the middle of it. That beam of light is actually the brightest light in the world – airplanes can see it for 257 miles away. Today, at sundown it only shines half strength and it is still the brightest light in the world. One thing that they discovered when they turned on the light – that it was a powerful attraction to moths. Moths from all over flock to the light. All of those moths attract bats. And all of those bats attract lots of owls. So now there is a whole new ecology surrounding the brightest light in the world. Of course there is a light brighter than the Luxor Sky beam and that light is Jesus Christ. And spiritually a lot of us Christians are like that lady calling Com Ed asking how will we know when the lights come back on. Many who heard Isaiah's summons surely responded, "What nonsense. How can I let my light shine?" "I've had a rough year." "I'm old and feeble." Or, "I'm young and restless." Besides, "I don't see any evidence of the deliverance of God." Perhaps there is someone here this morning who is of a like mind. You doubt that this can be a great year for you. You're too old for fantasies. Too cynical for fairy tales of better days ahead. Like many in Isaiah's audience, you see no evidence of the deliverance of God. Let me offer some items in evidence if I might--some reasons why you and I can have the best year ever. Here is why we are to arise and shine. The world is waiting for our witness. The world needs to see in us the truth of what we believe. Words are cheap. Too many people are trying to sell us that which they do not possess themselves. "Do you know," asks Maggie in her poem, "do you understand that you represent Jesus to me?" That is the cry of a world which is in "gross darkness," as the Scriptures put it. So this is our call for the new year. Arise, Shine. And when we do shine not only as individuals but as the family of Christ then the world will be a brighter, more inviting place. The light is not in us, it shines through us. As Isaiah reminds us again, "Arise, shine; for your Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (v. 1). Reach for the Light. Christ, the Light of the world, shines now in and for you." In 1992 California educator Dr. Norvel Young took his family to the Olympics in Spain. It was exciting for them to see the best athletes from the nations of the world compete in gymnastics, diving, water polo, and track and field. Most of all, Dr. Young was thrilled to see the love and goodwill exhibited between outstanding representatives of the many nations. It's a small world after all, says Dr. Young, and the Olympics are an example of goodwill and hard work. As they entered the stadium for the closing ceremonies, Dr. Young and his family were given a packet of items, including a flashlight. After a thrilling program, including the best of Spain in every area, such as music by Placido Domingo, all the lights were extinguished. A hush moved over the vast audience; then a shout of "Ah!" The entire stadium was lighted as thousands of spectators turned on their individual flashlights. From darkness to light not because one person flipped a switch on some giant stadium floodlights, but because each member of the audience did their part by turning on their tiny, individual lights. It was a poignant and powerful moment one Dr. Young says he will never forget. He compares it to Neil Diamond concerts he has attended, when Diamond begins to sing in his gravelly voice, "Turn on your heart lights." And one by one, people in the audience turn on different kinds of small lights whatever they have with them flashlights, candles, lighters. By the end of the song, the darkness in the auditorium has been dispelled, and light is glowing warmly everywhere. (4) And that is our purpose in the new year. As Jesus said to us, "No one lights a candle and puts in under a bushel, but on a lampstand . . ." (Matthew 5:15) We are to move boldly into this new year, because the light of Christ floods our hearts, giving us hope and wholeness. And then we are to shine our light so that others may know that the light of Christ still shines into our world. The darkness has not overcome it. Dr. Wingeier was one of my professors in seminary, says that the book of Isaiah is a book of encouragement written over several centuries by several different people, intended to remind God’s chosen people of the times when God was there and they did not realize it. Isaiah reminds them of light and magnetism. If you look in the dictionary,” writes Pastor Scott Coltrain, “the first definition for ‘light’ is ‘something that makes vision possible.’ In other words, light makes it possible for us to see. Without light, we are hopelessly blind--blind to our surroundings, blind to our situations and circumstances, blind even to ourselves. Light makes it possible for us to see clearly--things as they really are. Isaiah also has a challenge for the people of God. And it is a very important choice that not everyone makes. The challenge is are we going to keep our blessings for ourselves or share them with others. Do we become a community that serves ourselves or others? Jesus makes that choice for us. The light is for everyone. There appear to be several significant factors present in healthy, vital, faithful congregations. Although there are many variables, one principal feature has emerged. This is the eagerness of members to share faith stories, their journey in the Light with one another and in their neighborhoods. Members eagerly share "Where Is God In All This?" stories for themselves and their congregations. They share them as part of committee and choir devotions, in temple talks during worship, in Sunday School classes, and in parish retreats. No, they are not "fanatics." They are just like you and me, struggling against the darkness that threatens to overcome us all. More than today's typical "sideline" Christian, these folks have let God become the subject of more verbs in their vocabularies. They have taken seriously Isaiah's call to arise, and shine, for they know that their Light, our Light, has indeed come. How did they develop this amazing power of witness? In each congregation opportunities were provided for persons to share, at whatever level they felt comfortable. And share they did. They described their own experiences of darkness and their own perceptions of seeing the light of Christ shine through. There was no gimmickry here. There were no terrific techniques for this. They simply took advantage of every possible opportunity. The Light did the rest. The Light beckons; we do not. The Light gathers in; we do not. You and I are not contagious; but the Light is. Share the Light. Reflect it to others who walk in darkness. Reflect it to those who wake in chaos. As Isaiah reminds us again, "Arise, shine; for your Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (v. 1). Reach for the Light. Christ, the Light of the world, shines now in and for you." CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, Where Is God In All This, by Tony Everett Amen. Prayer Almighty God, as we consider your omnipotent power, we stand in awe. Called into your presence we can do nothing but join with all your people on earth and cry ‘Glory’ to your Name. You sit enthroned above all you have created, and you bless your people with peace. All praise to you this day and forever. You have promised your people that you would be with them in every trial of life. Too often we ignore your presence and rely upon our own strength. You count us as precious in your sight, and you have ransomed much for us. We do not act as honored people, and too often dishonor you. You have redeemed us, but we continue in our wayward paths. In your infinite mercy, O God, forgive and restore us to be your precious children. We have named before one another, and we name before you many, whose lives are in our hearts. In your power, give strength to those who are weakened by disease and injury. May your abiding presence comfort those who are alone. By your grace, attend those who are passing through the doorway of death. Hear now your people as we come to you in trust, for we ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Timothy J. Crouch, OSL, Nancy B. Parks, OSL, Chris E. Visminas, Mark R. Babb, OSL, And Also With You: Worship Resources Based on the Revised Common Lectionary Year C, (OSL Publications, 1994), 25. Lord’s Prayer Song Lord of the Dance Celebration of Holy Communion Invitation to Communion (you don’t need to print all of this) This is Holy Communion for a Journey Sunday. It is the Second Sunday after Christmas, the Sunday three days after New Year, and three days before Epiphany, and, in the old song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” it is the ninth day – the day when the “gift” is nine people dancing. So come to this table of … one star for following, bread and cup for sharing, three days of New Year at least four still-traveling camels, and many, many hopes for the world. Come to this table, even if you want to be laying everything down because you are so weary of being fearful, isolated or essential to everyone but you. Come to this table if you are swimming in Zoom, virtual education, financial risk, or grief. Come to this table if you milked all the joy from Christmas – enough to carry you into 2021 … or not nearly enough. Come to this table, if you have stopped dancing, even though you are carrying many gifts, or you need to be healed by watching for the dance in snowflake or pohutukawa* in friend or stranger, in the old story of another path home, and the warm bread and sweet cup shared right now. Words of Remembering We remember in this New Year with the fearfulness of the pandemic and hope that it will be ended — not only the journey of the magi guided by a star, but all the oases where they rested and the people they met, who lived in those places, and shared their food. We remember a Child born to change everything and the endangerment of many children, and we remember that the baby named Jesus, grew up to help people in their hurting and loss, traveled as many roads as we do, and taught us with simple words we can understand, and stories we come to many times to find new meaning. At Passover he blessed unleavened bread. and poured wine and love freely. At Emmaus, he prayed and broke the bread, but sent us to find the cup in the world. Communion Page 13 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook We pray for confidence to share your Word with others and for the opportunity to proclaim it. Forgive our reluctance, our timidity. We pray for wisdom to know what should be said and the moment in which to say it. Forgive our reticence, our anxiety. We pray for knowledge of the fullness of your Grace and the willingness to live it. Forgive our ignorance, our self-reliance. Be the centre of all we are The Light by which we walk The blessing we bring to others Through Jesus Christ alone we ask. Amen Community Time Benediction O Christ, we know that the gifts of our hands are no substitute for the loyalty of our lives. As we leave this sanctuary, enable us to serve your creation as we have worshiped you, with ourselves as well as our gifts. Children’s Time Hello, children of God… Have you ever taken a trip? What kinds of things help you prepare to travel? Do your parents use something to help find their way? Maybe you use a map…there are many different kinds of maps (take out a few while you describe): you might have a big road map like this, that shows you which highways to take if you’re driving somewhere. Maybe you go to an amusement park or a small place, and you get a map like this that shows you how to get around. Or you might go hiking and get a little guide like this, that helps you follow trails and not get lost. You might also use a compass like this, that points to the North to show you where things are. Well, these days a lot of people have electronic versions (hold up phone or GPS), so all you have to do is tell it where you want to go, and you can get turn by turn directions and even voice commands that guide you along your way! Consider this, though: have you ever followed a STAR for guidance? Has the night sky told you where and how to go? That probably sounds a little strange, doesn’t it? Well, a long time ago, a little bit after Jesus was born, God sent some special visitors to Him. There were men who lived far away, and they had studied Maybe you go to an amusement park or a small place, and you get a map like this that shows you how to get around. Or you might go hiking and get a little guide like this, that helps you follow trails and not get lost. You might also use a compass like this, that points to the North to show you where things are. Well, these days a lot of people have electronic versions (hold up phone or GPS), so all you have to do is tell it where you want to go, and you can get turn by turn directions and even voice commands that guide you along your way! Consider this, though: have you ever followed a STAR for guidance? Has the night sky told you where and how to go? That probably sounds a little strange, doesn’t it? Well, a long time ago, a little bit after Jesus was born, God sent some special visitors to Him. There were men who lived far away, and they had studied Scripture and watched stars. They knew that God had promised to send a Messiah to rescue people. We sometimes call them “wise men” or “Magi.” These men saw a brilliant star shining in the sky, brighter than any other star. They knew this was something important, and they believed God sent the star to show them where to find the Messiah. They traveled a long way to find the place the star led, and they finally found Him. Well, they first came to Jerusalem and saw King Herod (there’s another story there…), and then made their way to where Jesus was. When they found Him with Mary and Joseph, they gave Him special gifts: valuable gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They knew Jesus was important and wanted to honor Him. They were willing to take risks, sacrifice their time and money, and go to a lot of hard work to find the Messiah, and trusted God to lead them. Well, we may not have brightly shining stars to guide us, but we do have a special instruction manual to show us where to go. Do you know what map God has given us for direction? (Hold up a Bible) This! God has given His word, the Bible, for us to follow. It is our compass, map, and recipe for life! When we read the Bible and seek to understand what it says, we can better understand what God tells us and what ways we should live our lives. Just like a compass always points North, the Bible points to Christ. All of its stories are true, and they guide us to Jesus just like the star guided the Magi. So whatever else we look to for direction, let’s look to the Bible for spiritual guidance. Ask God to help you understand the Bible. Study it, put it in your heart, and remember its significance. It will never steer you wrong! Additional Illustrations Dr. James Dobson once told about a friend of his who was piloting a small single-engine plane one evening just about dusk. He was headed toward a small country airport. Night fell more quickly than he anticipated, however, and by the time he reached the airport, it was impossible for him to distinguish the paved landing strip in the darkness. His little plane was not equipped with lights and no one seemed to be around the little airport to turn on any lights on the runway. He started circling the airport, uncertainly. For two hours he circled around in the darkness not knowing what to do and expecting at any moment he might run out of fuel and plunge to his death. What happened next had to be an answer to prayer. Someone on the ground heard the little plane circling the airport and guessed what the problem was. Immediately he jumped into his car and headed for the airport. Not knowing how to switch on any of the airport’s lights, he settled for driving his car up and down the runway with his lights on high beam showing the pilot the dimensions of the runway. Then he pulled his car off the one end of the runway with his headlights still beaming to guide the pilot to a safe landing. (2) Wouldn’t you like to beam such a saving light into some person’s darkness? It may be a friend having family problems or battling an alcohol or drug addiction. It may be helping a child get into a Sunday School program where he or she will be loved and nurtured in the Christian faith. It may be involving yourself in the life of a resident of a nursing home who has no one to talk to or with whom to share God’s love. God does not love Christians any more than he loves anyone else, but he has chosen us to accomplish the most challenging and rewarding task in the world--to be His body in the world. I like a story Dr. Eugene Brice once told that comes from a time when radio was our dominant form of mass media. A sheepherder in Montana wrote the NBC Symphony in New York, telling of a problem he had. He was an amateur musician, a violinist. He listened to the symphony each Sunday on his radio. But his violin had gotten badly out of tune, and in his isolation, he had no way to tune it. He needed a big favor. And so on Sunday afternoon, June 18, 1938, at the beginning of the program of the NBC symphony, a loud and clear note was sent out across the air. It was a beautiful and clear A note and from that A note a sheepherder in Montana got his violin in tune. Christ, of course, is God’s A note for this discordant world. And we are those whom he has called to sound that note in our time. We do that by modeling in our lives the unconditional love of God for all people. It matters not where they come from or what mistakes they may have made. All people are God’s children and are in need of God’s wondrous and complete love. It is like a children’s story that author James Thurber once wrote titled, “The White Deer.” “The White Deer” is about a beautiful princess who had been transformed by a witch into a white deer. A king named King Clode and his three sons (Thag and Gallow, the hunters, and Jorn, the poet) are out hunting game and they come upon this white deer and they raise their bows to slay it. Just before they shoot, however, the deer is changed back into the princess. King Clode and his sons take this beautiful princess home with them but she is unable to remember anything about her past including who she is. It is finally discovered that the only thing that will cause the princess to regain her memory is the unconditional love of a young man. In order to determine who this young man will be--Thag, Gallow and Jorn are each given perilous tasks to perform. It is Jorn the poet who ultimately wins the princess’ hand. He gives her the kind of love that allows her to remember where she came from and who she is. (3) My friends, is this not what God has called us to do for a fallen world? By His grace we are to show the world the unfailing love of God at work in our lives so that the world may truly see where it came from and why it exists. Following a long and bitter congregational conflict, a pastor was asked what kept her going until reconciliation and renewal finally resulted. She replied, "The Five P's of ministry: Prayer, Persistence, Prayer, Play, and Prayer." Notice that prayer was at the beginning, middle, and end of her list. Prayer connects us to the true Light. Prayer keeps the vision of the true Light in view as darkness threatens to overcome it. Prayer enables us to place one foot in front of the other in the long and difficult journey through unknown darkness. Reach for the true Light in prayer. Lift up your eyes to see the guiding light of Christ along your life journey. Pay careful attention to what our text says happens when we journey in this light. Using vivid imagery here, Isaiah states that nations surrounding Jerusalem will see what the Lord has done and come to pay tribute and join in the celebration. "And nations will come to your light ... They all gather and come to you" (vv. 3- 4). Listen again to this important promise: "... nations will come to your light. They will gather and come to you." Dr. Leonard Sweet, president of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, mentions in his book Quantum Spirituality something that sports journalist George Plimpton had written. Mr. Plimpton had written about a "mysterious component" in an athlete's life. He said that when this component is added to an athlete's natural ability, it gives a player "a kind of boost, like an afterburner kicking in, a psychic energy that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts." He called it the "X Factor" and called it a combination of "adrenaline, intelligence, confidence, concentration, and discipline." The "X Factor." Dr. Sweet then went on himself to say this:For Christians the difference between an ordinary community and an extraordinary, life-producing organism is one word: Christ. Christ is the "X Factor," the "Inner Power" that transforms an assemblage of individuals into a synergic [sic] community of healing and love. (From Quantum Spirituality, p. 137) A synergetic community of healing and love is one in which everyone is working together cooperatively with God and with one another. This happens through the Spirit of Christ revealed to us by our loving God. Have we forgotten the X Factor in our lives? Have we failed to keep up front in our minds and hearts the total life-changing power of God's love and life as revealed to us in Jesus of Nazareth? Have we gotten sucked into the worst of the institutional church that keeps us busy doing good things, and forgotten the best of the church, its very purpose, which is bringing salvation and hope and joy and new life specifically through God's love known in Jesus, and then offering it to all the world? Early in January in northern Canada the sun peeks above the horizon for the first time after six weeks of hiding. An important dawn for Canada. Imagine how the lives of people in the northern latitudes would be different if they got used to the darkness and never even expected that a dawn would ever lighten their horizon again. The people to whom the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah witnessed and preached so long ago were a people whose hope for dawn had been all but extinguished. First the northern kingdom, Israel, had been conquered by Assyria and sent into exile in 721 B.C., and then the southern kingdom, Judah, was conquered by the Babylonians in 587 B.C., and exiled to Babylon, hundreds of miles to the east. A generation of Jews then lived with waning hope of ever seeing their homeland again, of ever walking through the gates of Jerusalem again, of ever stepping onto the porch of Zion, the temple of God, again. In 539 B.C., however, Cyrus, the leader of the Persian Empire, conquered the Babylonians, and in 538 B.C. decreed that the Jews should be allowed to go home (Ezra 1:2-4; 6:3-5). The experience was overwhelming, exhilarating. What was important just prior to this, though, was the vision of the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, who, right in the midst of the worst of times, kept the vision of God's mercy and forgiveness alive. They predicted tthat the time would come when God would move the hearts and wills of appropriate leaders, and the exiles, the captives, would go home again to Jerusalem and Zion, the Mount of God. Rev. Richard Fairchild tells the harrowing story of an event that occurred on Sunday afternoon, June 1st, 1975. A man named Darrel Dore was on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Suddenly the rig wobbled, tipped to one side, and crashed into the sea. Darrel was trapped inside a room on the rig. As the rig sank deeper and deeper into the sea, the lights went out and the room began to fill with water. Thrashing about in the darkness, Darrel accidentally found a huge air bubble that was forming in the corner of the room. He thrust his head inside it. Then a horrifying thought sent a shiver down his spine. He was buried alive. He began to pray—out loud—and as he did, something remarkable happened. He said later: “I found myself actually talking to Someone. Jesus was there with me. There was no illumination, nothing physical, but I sensed him, a comforting presence. He was real, he was there.” For the next 22 hours that Presence continued to comfort Darrel. But now the oxygen supply inside the bubble was giving out. Death was inevitable. It was just a matter of time. Then a remarkable thing happened. Darrel saw a tiny star of light shimmering in the pitch-black water. Was it real? Or after 22 hours was he beginning to hallucinate? Darrel squinted his eyes. The light grew brighter. He squinted again. He wasn’t hallucinating. The light was real. It was coming from a diver’s helmet. Someone had found him. His 22-hour nightmare was over. Rescue had come. He was saved. (1) We are in a series of messages we have titled “Seeing God More Clearly in 2020.” It’s a little play on words, of course. But seeing God more clearly is what the season of Epiphany is all about. This is the Day of Epiphany, but it is only the first day of the season of Epiphany, a season in the church year that lasts until the beginning of Lent. The primary symbol of Epiphany is the star that led the Magi to the place where the Christ child lay. You were made to live in the light. You know that’s true if you’ve ever had the power go off for a few hours. No one has to tell you when the lights come back on. Your eyes, your mind, your very being is instantly aware when even the tiniest sliver of light enters your darkness. In the same way, when you understand that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God, you have a new vision for a life that reflects the reality of God. ravel writer Hugh Morris has an interesting online story about the Luxor Sky Beam. This beam of light—the strongest in the world—shines straight up from 39 xenon lamps on top of the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The Sky Beam has shone continuously into the Nevada sky since 1993. On a clear night, it is visible to aircraft 275 miles away. But what is fascinating to me is that the Luxor Sky Beam, this brilliant light in the evening sky, which shines straight up into the sky from a Las Vegas casino has become a waypoint for pilots, a kind of GPS marker to serve as a backup to their highly sophisticated navigational tools as they make their way around the world. Morris explains that the sophisticated technology at the center of modern aviation means planes basically fly themselves. And even when pilots are called upon to navigate, it’s mostly done by studying instruments and reading data. But when the cockpit’s inhabitants are called upon to look out of their window, there exists a system that helps pilots to find their way from A to B using what are called “waypoints.” While most waypoints are mere GPS markers, some are real, actual geographical landmarks—like the Luxor Sky Beam in Las Vegas tower and the Carowinds Amusement Park near Charlotte Airport, North Carolina. (2) Now we may not get all that excited about a beam of light in the night sky over “Sin City,” Nevada that serves as a waypoint for pilots. But I am excited about a solitary waypoint that points the way for all humanity to be saved. That waypoint is, of course, Christ. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it . . . The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Quite obviously it is our task to take the light of Christ to them. There is a time-honored story of a little girl who was shivering her way along a main street in one of our great cities. Seeing the beautiful lights of a church building and hearing the music coming from within, she went in and warmed herself as she listened. The preacher’s text was, “I am the light of the world.” At the close of the service, the little girl went to the minister and said, “Mister, did you say you are the light of the world, sir?” The minister replied, “No, young lady. Christ is the light of the world. I simply try to reflect his light.” The little girl looked at him for a moment, and said, “Well, sir, I wish you would come down and hang out in our neighborhood, ’cause it’s awful dark down there!” Followers of Jesus are, indeed, as the Master said, “the light of the world.” And we are to shine our light into all the dark neighborhoods of this world. (4) Jesus is the light of God that gives life and vision. Without light, there is no life. In Genesis 1:3, the first thing God creates to fill the heavens and the earth is light. God didn’t have to create darkness. Darkness is simply the absence of light. Darkness has no power and no purpose, except to obscure what exists. Light has both power and purpose. Light can nourish, it can illuminate, it can provide power and warmth. And repeatedly, the Bible equates light with the presence of God. “Did you know that an absence of sunlight causes blindness? Animals who live out their lives in a complete absence of light are commonly blind, even eyeless. Mules kept in mines also become blind. Horses kept in dark stables and denied sunlight become blind. Those who live in dungeons, cellars, prisons, mines, and similar places that are denied sunlight lose their sight. n one of his many books, Philip Yancey tells the story of Commander Richard Byrd. Bird once spent six months in a metal hut at the South Pole. The sun made no appearance during four of the six months he was there. Talk about darkness. Here is how Commander Byrd described that experience in his journal: “I find that I crave light as a thirsting man craves water . . . A funereal gloom hangs in the twilight sky. This is the period between life and death,” Byrd wrote. “This is the way the world will look to the last man when it dies.” Three weeks before the sun was due to shine again, Byrd wrote in his journal: “I tried to imagine what it would be like, but the conception was too vast for me to grasp.” When the sun finally did make its appearance, Byrd found it to be overwhelming. (6) Should we find ourselves in the presence of Christ, we would find ourselves overwhelmed as well--overwhelmed with his holiness, overwhelmed with the light of his love. Back in the 1770s or 1780s, a man named John Morris built a house in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. Using flint and steel, John Morris started a fire in his fireplace. And nobody knows why, but it became a point of pride in the Morris household not to let that fire go out. When John built another cabin for his family later on, coals from the original fire were transplanted to the fireplace of the new house. Members of the Morris family proudly declared that they would keep the fire going, to honor the wishes of John, who had charged his family, "The fire must never be allowed to go out." That fire became the catalyst for passing down family history through the generations. In the 1920s, the care of the fire rested with one man, William Morris --the great-great-grandson of John Morris. William had never married or had children, and he was nearing eighty. He tried to inspire his nieces and nephews with tales of the family fire, but none of them seemed interested in keeping the fire alive after William was gone. The fire was 150 years old by now. It marked a proud family tradition, one that everyone in the area admired. Would that tradition end once William died? William took it upon himself to see that it didn't. From an interview in the Spartanburg Herald, his story spread to newspapers all over North Carolina. William was invited to Washington, D.C., to tell the story over a national radio program. He began getting phone calls and letters from all over the country, many from people with the last name Morris. The National Park Service considered buying William's cabin, fireplace and all, and moving it to one of their national parks, where it could become a tourist attraction and the park rangers could tend to the fire. By now the "Saluda fire," named after the town where William Morris lived, had sparked the public imagination. Preserving the Saluda fire seemed like a noble undertaking. One day, not long after the publicity stir over the fire had started, one of William's neighbors came to see him. The neighbor, Hamp Alexander Owen, had only one thing to say that day, "I've come to tell you that I'll keep your fire going." Owens wasn't doing it for the publicity or the glory. He just admired the legacy, and believed that it was worth preserving. We don't know when William Morris died. But when Hamp Alexander Owens died in 1948, his obituary stated that he was "the keeper of the Saluda fire." The fire itself had been burning continuously for more than 170 years. But that is the last record anyone has of the Saluda fire. Did it die out? Or is it still burning somewhere, tended by some anonymous soul who believes in what it stands for? We just don't know. (4) We are the keepers of a fire that has been burning for 2,000 years. That is a remarkable phenomenon, is it not? Wars have been fought, revolutions have turned history on its head, numerous secular philosophies have claimed their place in the sun, but the flame of Christ has kept shining through the darkness. "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you." This is our call as the body of Christ. BUT IT IS ALSO OUR CALL AS INDIVIDUALS. "Arise, shine; for YOUR light has come."

It is Time to Get Up

January 4, 2020 Epiphany Sunday Isaiah 60: 1-6 It is Time to Get Up Year A Announcements Children’s Time Good morning, boys and girls. (It may be appropriate to say a few words about the meaning of Advent or Epiphany.) One of the most interesting and familiar stories about what happened at the birth of the baby Jesus is told to us by Matthew. It is the story about a special star and of a group of men who were led by it to where the young child was. We even sing a song about these men. Who knows the name of the song? (Response -- "We Three Kings.") The three men were known as Magi. They were followers of a man named Zoroaster, and they were astronomers. Can you tell me what an astronomer is? (Response -- You may get some guesses but someone will say it's someone who studies the stars.) These men were wise. They not only studied the stars, they also studied the writings of the prophets. They knew that a new leader was to be born to Israel, and they wanted to come and worship him. When they followed their special star, do you know what happened? (Response.) Yes, it led them right to the place where Jesus was, and they presented very precious gifts to him out of their joy and respect. We may not have special stars in the sky to lead us to Jesus today, but we can find our way to him, too. The Bible tells us all about who Jesus was and is, and what He did when He came into the world. We can come to him in faith and receive him as the King of our lives today, even as wise men did so many centuries ago. (Prayer to encourage us to seek Jesus in our lives today.) (Give them a star to remind them of the Wise Men and the star of Bethlehem.) Stewardship Moment This is the twelfth day of Christmas, well tomorrow is the 12th day of Christmas. This is the day when we celebrate the three wise men coming to bring gifts to Jesus. Gold Frankincense and Myrrh. These were the gifts needed to fulfill his mission to the world. On this modern day epiphany – we have a chance to find Jesus and give gifts, but gifts that facilitate ministry a willing spirit and gold – still takes gold – cash and checks, but they work just as well. Perfect time for stewardship. Scripture People Returning for the Reunion 60 1-7 “Get out of bed, Jerusalem! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight. GOD’s bright glory has risen for you. The whole earth is wrapped in darkness, all people sunk in deep darkness, But GOD rises on you, his sunrise glory breaks over you. Nations will come to your light, kings to your sunburst brightness. Look up! Look around! Watch as they gather, watch as they approach you: Your sons coming from great distances, your daughters carried by their nannies. When you see them coming you’ll smile—big smiles! Your heart will swell and, yes, burst! All those people returning by sea for the reunion, a rich harvest of exiles gathered in from the nations! And then streams of camel caravans as far as the eye can see, young camels of nomads in Midian and Ephah, Pouring in from the south from Sheba, loaded with gold and frankincense, preaching the praises of GOD. And yes, a great roundup of flocks from the nomads in Kedar and Nebaioth, Welcome gifts for worship at my altar as I bathe my glorious Temple in splendor. The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson Sermon The first of the year is always a busy time with a lot of things going on. Every year, I always wait to see what ball will drop at the beginning of the year. 2020 seems to have bought huge changes to many areas of our life. With all of the big news stories, there are a lot of pastors who have even taken the time to change their sermons in order address some of the stories that we have seen on the news. Lucky for me, I don’t start writing to late Saturday night, so I don’t have to change. There are a lot of different themes that a pastor can focus on at the first of the New Year. We can do the Wesley covenant service, we can think about the second Sunday after Christmas, today I thought it would be important for us to think about epiphany. This is actually the oldest season of the Christmas year. Winter solstice used to be celebrated on January 6th – but they moved it to December 25th. That is when they celebrated the twelve days in between. Traditionally, we can take our Christmas decorations down tomorrow. I also learned recently, that January is women’s Christmas – women work so hard to make Christmas special for everyone else, so January 6th is a day of rest and celebration. An epiphany is an awareness that makes all of the difference. An aha moment. It is also the time of the year when we celebrate the return of the light – even though it is still dark most of the day- each day we get more and more sunlight. I think that the season of epiphany is important – because it is a time to look at who we are as a church, to recommit to our mission, to think more about what it means to follow Jesus, and to get one step closer to the son – the son of God – Jesus Christ. This year epiphany will be six weeks – lent starts the first Sunday of March – Easter is April 12th. Epiphany is that dark time before, where we relive the story of Jesus life, and examine our walk with Jesus to the cross. It is more important than ever, for us to think about who we are as a church. One of the big news stories of the New Year has been the fact that the Methodist church is splitting. When stories hit the news, it is easy for things to get sensationalized and blown out of proportion. Therefore, I wanted to clarify the news. • There was a small group of people who met together to hash out a plan for the church dividing. At this point, this is just a proposal. The only body that can make official decisions for the church is general conference. General conference meets every 4 years. So the next general conference will be this May. • Every year certain people meet behind closed doors to make some grand proposal for restructuring the church to present to general conference – and it always changes once it is debated • We had a special general conference in 2018 to talk about the churches views on sexuality – it was decided to keep the language in the book of discipline that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, and it was voted that anybody who is gay or performs a gay marriage would have tough consequences. • Many churches and pastors felt that it was unfair, that they needed to serve and welcome all people. • Those who want to keep the traditional language, have already met, wrote their own book of discipline, and are prepared to form a new denomination. • The agreement is that they can leave and they will get 25 million dollars to start this new denomination. • The united Methodist church will stay the same- and meet again next year to restructure. If a church does not make the effort to join this new denomination, they will automatically stay a part of the united Methodist church • We don’t know what the final proposal will be until after general conference, and any changes that are voted on will not take effect until January of 2021. I know that is a lot to process, there is a lot of written material on it on the website, and I will make sure that we as a church have access to the information. Nevertheless, listen to the facts, not the emotion. With all that is going on I felt that the message of our scripture for today was more important than ever. Arise and shine for your light has come. It is a wakeup call for the faithful – that even though it is dark that the light is already here. I saw on Facebook, a posting that said that we all should have found the baby Jesus by now, if we were looking. Somewhere in our lives, we should have seen Jesus presence of love and light. Isaiah wrote these words to a people who had come back to Israel to discover that everything was in shambles, and they were looking for their faith. They were at a loss of what to do. They were waiting for some miracle to happen – that would change their faith. And this scripture was written to remind them to stop waiting for change – and be the change they are waiting for. I think those words are important for our church. In the midst of all of the changes, it is most important now for us to focus on who we are as first united Methodist church of Wilmington. Who is God calling us to serve, what does it mean to be Methodist in this context, what does it mean to be a church that welcomes all. In addition, to stay focused on what we must do locally. But more important to wake up, arise and shine – to stand up and to realize that the Jesus we are looking for is inside of each of us. Not in outside forces. Epiphany – let us arise and shine and be the people who have seen God for ourselves. Additional Illustrations

What's in your Bag?

January 6, 2019 Isaiah 60 What’s in your Bag? Year C Epiphany "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you." Theme: Revelation; light; brokenness; life. Visual Aid: An acorn which has begun to sprout and a plain-looking rock which has been split in two to reveal a bright red interior. (A geode would also be very useful for this sermon.) Lesson: "I have a word I would like to ask you to think about this morning. It may be a new word for many of you. It's 'Epiphany.' Can you all say 'Epiphany'?" Dutifully the children respond in chorus, "Epiphany!" "That's very good. Now, does anyone know what it means?" The children look thoughtful. Then two boys' hands shoot up almost simultaneously. I nod to the first, who says, "I think it has something to do with love." And so it does. "That's true, Tommy," I answer. I nod then to the second boy whose hand is still aloft. "I think it's before Easter," Alex responds. Realizing he must have Epiphany confused with Lent, but not wanting to tell him his answer isn't right, I quickly review his words in my head and reply, "Yes, Epiphany is before Easter. In fact, it's way before Easter. It's just twelve days after Christmas!" Alex grins as if to acknowledge that I appreciate his risking a "wrong" answer in front of the entire congregation. "Epiphany is also called 'Twelfth Night,' " I continue, "coming, as it does, twelve days after Christmas. It is set apart on the church calendar as the day the wise men traditionally arrived at the stable in Bethlehem and found Jesus, the Messiah, the Light of the World. And because Jesus is thought of as the Light coming into human darkness, light is a symbol of Epiphany. "We all need light in our lives, don't we?" Most of the children nod in agreement, but some look doubtful. So I add, "Just think about it for a moment. Think how grumpy many of us get when we have cloudy weather day after day after day. We get grumpy because we aren't getting enough light! Do any of you ever get grumpy?" "Oh no!" David assures me with a big grin. Most of the others laugh as Jonathan announces: "Well, I get grumpy sometimes." "Ah! An honest man! How wonderful!" I respond. "Well," I continue, "all living things need light to survive. I was out walking in the woods yesterday and came across this acorn. Now I know most of you have seen acorns, but we usually don't see them after they have started to sprout. As you can see, the plant inside of this acorn, which would become a big oak tree some day if it were left in the ground to grow, has split the shell. It had to split the shell in order to get to the sunlight. It needs the light to grow. "On another walk a couple of months ago, I found this rock." I hold up an nondescript-looking rock. It's not very pretty, is it? In fact, it's an ugly rock. So you may wonder why I picked it up at all. But you see, it was split into two pieces when I found it." I separate the pieces and hand them to the children to pass around as I continue. "As you can see, the rock is quite pretty on the inside; it's bright red. Now I never would have bothered to pick it up, I never would have seen its beauty, if it hadn't been split open -- to the light. That makes me think about the things in life that split us apart sometimes. Sometimes we get hurt or something we like a lot breaks and we feel hurt. But I wonder if it's not those events in our lives, the ones that split us open, that cause us to grow like the seed, or cause us to reveal our inner beauty like the rock, or cause us to turn toward the Light of Jesus in our pain and hurt. We need light in our lives, and as Christians, we need Jesus, the Light of the World, in our lives in order to be truly alive. As Tommy said, Epiphany has to do with love -- the love of God, who sent his son into the world to bring us light. That's what Epiphany is all about. One more time now, so you don't forget, let's say the word we've been talking about together: 'Epiphany!' Yes, Epiphany. May its Light shine brightly in your lives this week." CSS Publishing Company, Inc, Cows In Church, by B. Kathleen Fannin Isaiah 60:1-6 Common English Bible (CEB) Jerusalem’s coming radiance 60 Arise! Shine! Your light has come; the LORD’s glory has shone upon you. 2 Though darkness covers the earth and gloom the nations, the LORD will shine upon you; God’s glory will appear over you. 3 Nations will come to your light and kings to your dawning radiance. 4 Lift up your eyes and look all around: they are all gathered; they have come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters on caregivers’ hips. 5 Then you will see and be radiant; your heart will tremble and open wide, because the sea’s abundance will be turned over to you; the nations’ wealth will come to you. 6 Countless camels will cover your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah. They will all come from Sheba, carrying gold and incense, proclaiming the LORD’s praises. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Today is the twelfth day of Christmas – epiphany. Every year we have epiphany Sunday. But rarely is epiphany actually on Sunday. The church has celebrated epiphany much longer than Christmas. Epiphany was the time when you got gifts, because it was the time when Jesus received gifts. – the time when we remember the wise men who followed a star to a place where they would see the messiah. Advent was the season of promise, Christmas is the season of fulfillment, epiphany is the season of salvation and grace. The star has been on our altar all throughout those seasons. Today I will take the star down.- even though the stars are the most important part of the epiphany season. The star represents the light of God come into our lives. In the season of darkness and cold, we rely on the light of God for guidance. Epiphany means manifestation, realization, discovering something that was there all of the time, but you never saw it. In order to have an epiphany in life you have to have light – but not just any light – but God’s light to shine upon your life and give you a new understanding. The scriptures for epiphany are the same, every year. The gospel lesson is about the journey of the wise men to see the new born king. The psalm speaks about the glory or light of God in our lives. Ephesians speaks of the reaction of the gentiles when they learned about the light of God. And we have the old testament lesson – Isaiah 60. I love the message of this verse. Arise my people your light has come, the glory of the light is upon you. That is such a powerful message. It was God’s message to those who had been kicked out of their country – that it was time for them to stop living in darkness, to be encouraged and to see the light of God, to get up take action, to live. Things would get better with God – but this was our moment in history to be a part of life and to make a difference. What a powerful message that is for the church. That our time has come. All those people who left are coming back, all those things that we lost we will retain. There will be a time of reunion for those who we have been cut off from. All we have to do is arise and shine. Sometimes life gets in the way of that. My favorite epiphany story actually comes from asia. There once was a man who lived in a village in Asia. He got married to a wonderful woman, and they had a wonderful son. The man built a house – and built a wonderful life for his family. He was so happy to go to work every day so that he could take care of his family. One day, he went off to work, and returned home to find that his house and his entire village had been destroyed. Thieves had come that day and pillaged the neighborhood and burned down all of the houses. The man was devastated to see that his wife and son had been killed in the horrible fire. In his grief, he ashes of his young son – he picked them up and sewed a cloth holder so that he could keep the ashes with him all of the time. It was the memory of these ashes that inspired him to rebuild his house and his life. He continued to go to work every day, with his shoulder bag of ashes with him. He continued on his life and yet never remarried, because he wanted to stay close to his family which had perished in the fire. But in reality his son did not die in the fire. The thieves had kidnapped him as a toddler so that they could take him home and make him slave. This little boy spent his whole childhood waiting until he would be big enough and strong enough to escape. That day finally came – and he ran for three days back to his village. He would recognize his house anywhere- he knew that his dad had rebuilt the house. Eagerly he ran to the door and knocked - dad it’s me please open the door. His dad was in the house reading a book when he heard the knock. Unlike Mary when she heard the knock at the door – he got defensive. Young man –I don’t know who you are- but this is a very cruel trick for you to play – you are not my son, please go away. The son tried to explain what had really happened, that he had not died, but had been kidnapped. The father’s natural response was to hold onto his bag of ashes – his real son. He told the young man to please go away. Dad – if you will just come and open the door all of this will make sense. The father replied – I don’t know who you are but you really must stop knocking at my door- But dad – I am not going to tell you again – go away! The son went away and lived his life – very sad that he would never have a relationship with his dad. Meanwhile, his dad held onto his bag of ashes and finished reading his book. Living his life never even aware of the opportunity for new life and a new relationship that he had just missed. What are you holding in your bag? In order to hold onto life what it is that you have been holding onto, believing that it was sustaining you? For many of us – we are holding on to the way things are, when a bright new future, a new understanding is knocking at our door, asking to come in and we don’t listen. That is how Jesus comes into our lives- always in unexpected ways, always bringing alternatives that we didn’t think about, calling us to accept things in a brand new way. That is an epiphany – a new realization of life. Arise my people and shine – the glory of the lord is upon you. Arise is both a directive and an invitation from God. The scripture goes on to say that people will come to restore the city of Zion. People will flock to help to make a difference. They are not coming to see you, but to see the God around you. It wont be the light of people that will hold them, but the glory of God present in this place. It says that your children will come back and there will be a reunion. Life in the presence of And we are all invited to take part in that party – we have been through the promise, we have seen the fulfillment, and now it is time for the celebration. We just have to be willing to see the light and to renew our commitment. This year our covenant service will be a modern litany – inviting us to be a part of God’s plan for this church. I also included a bookmark in each bulletin, so that people don’t have to sign the bulletin, but keep the bookmark in your bible. To remind you of your commitment to your relationship with God. And that God always invites us to be active participants in his plan for salvation.