The Stars Align

January 3, 2020 Matthew 2:1-12 John Wesley Covenant Service The Stars are Aligning Epiphany Sunday Opening Song Welcome This is communion Sunday as well as the Sunday where we renew our covenant with God. Opening Prayer O God, Searcher of all our hearts, You have formed us as a people and claimed us for your own. As we come to acknowledge your sovereignty and grace, And to enter anew into covenant with you, Reveal any reluctance or falsehood within us. Let your Spirit impress your truth on our inmost being, And receive us in mercy, for the sake of our Mediator, Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen. Stewardship Moment Leader: Let us gathered here before the Lord now in covenant commit ourselves to Christ as his servants. Let us give ourselves to Him so that we may fully belong to Him. Jesus Christ has left us with many services to be done. Some of these services are easy and honorable, but some are difficult and disgraceful. Some line up with our desires and interests, others are contrary to both. In some we please both Christ and ourselves, but then there are other works where we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. Jesus Christ, we offer You this prayer: People: Let me be Your servant. Let me follow your commands. I will no longer follow my own desires. I give myself completely to your will. Scripture Matthew 2:1-12 Coming of the magi 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. 4 He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel.”[a] 7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” 9 When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route. Sermon The Stars are Aligning So the Christmas Star has come and gone. Saturn does not rise above the horizon, and Jupiter is not really close to the horizon. Of course lately there has been so much cloud cover that you wouldn’t be able to see it anyway. I am looking forward to the spring able to see in the sky. Even Venus is beyond the horizon now, It has been really cool to live in a house that is facing the eastern sky. I just open my front door and the sun, the moon, and anything else that rises in the sky is right there. Everyday morning, afternoon or night there is some heavenly body right there waving at me. Sometimes I truly feel that God is putting on a show meant just for me to see it. That must have been how the magi in Matthew 12 felt. The heavens were speaking with a message just for them. There had been a general feeling that a special king was due to be born. This king would be different, because he would bring change, not just to one land, but to the whole world. This star that they saw was the message for them that the king was here. That was the story of how they ended up in Bethlehem on the doorstep of Mary and Joseph one day. They bought gifts for their new baby. Not practical things that struggling new parents could use – but gold, frankinscense, and myrhh. It is believed that the story of the magi originates in numbers 22-24 when a foreign king blesses the people of Israel. And Psalm 72 speaks of a king that is coming to Israel, and nations from all over will come and bring his gifts because not only does he take care of the people of Israel, he takes care of people in all nations. So if gold, frankinscense and myrhh are a bit much for a baby, seriously, what do you give to a baby that literally has everything? This baby was not just any normal king. This is the son of God. a baby that was present at the creation of everything in heaven and earth. Perhaps the stars followed him because God put each star in the sky one at a time. Jesus was not just the messiah of all in this world – but he is the messiah of the whole universe even the planets and the stars. Here on earth, we place a high value on precious metals like gold, silver and platinum. We place a high value on precious jewels, which is why they are gifts for a king. Many believe that the precious metals that we find on earth are really dust that fell from stars that burned out and exploded. So this baby didn’t really need stardust as a gift, he already had it as king of the universe. Seriously, what gifts do you bring to a baby that has everything? Well his request of us is that we give him everything – everything that we are. Not only does he ask for our gifts, but he also asks for our service, our loyalty, our hearts. Everything that we are – Jesus asks of us. We are made of the same elements as the stars. The divine spark that moves the stars, also moves us and our lives. Our everything is worth a lot –in the hands of God it is worth much more. Christ came to the earth to gather us together as a family, as the children of God, to do the work of God The king works to take care of all nation, based on our gifts – the gift of our heart. The message of this passage is not so much about how God moved the stars to guide the wise men to the doorstep of Jesus. The message was that Jesus was able to unite the hopes of dreams of the Israelites with the hopes and dreams of people of distant lands. Strangers came knocking on the door and they became friends. We are all God’s children – where ever we are in the world. Through Jesus we are able to be united at one. One of my colleagues, Ron Graham put this poem on facebook. I thought it was a great way to end. Names Carl Sandburg There is only one horse of the earth and his name is All Horses. There is only one bird in the air and his name is All Wings. There is only one fish in the sea and his name is All Fins. There is only one man in the world and his name is All Men. There is only one woman in the world and her name is All Women. There is only one child in the world and the child's name is All Children. There is only one Maker in the world and His children cover the earth and they are named All God's Children Let us pray. Prayer Of Thanksgiving Let us give thanks for all of God’s mercies. O God, our Covenant Friend, You have been gracious to us through the years of our lives. We thank you for your loving care, Which has filled our days and brought us to this time and place. You have given us life and reason, and set us in a world filled with your glory. You have comforted us with family and friends, and ministered to us through the hands of our sisters and brothers. You have filled our hearts with hunger after you, and have given us your peace. You have redeemed us, and called us to a high calling in Christ Jesus. You have given us a place in the fellowship of your Spirit and the witness of your church. You have been our light in darkness and a rock of strength in adversity and temptation. You have been the very Spirit of joy in our joys And the all-sufficient reward in our labors. You remembered us when we forgot you. You followed us even when we tried to flee from you. You met us with forgiveness when we returned to you. For all your patience and overflowing grace. Song for Reflection - O God our Help in Ages Past Jesus asks for our everything – everything that we are is a gift from God. We are all children of God – we are all called to fulfill Jesus mission of salvation for all. We have to make that step for ourselves. John Wesley did not take that step for granted. We have to constantly be aware of our relationship, he invited us to think every year about our service, our gifts our hearts. Take the covenant before we take communion. Each have a copy so that you can keep it with you all year and review it in your personal study time. John Wesley Covenant John Wesley Covenant Service Commit yourselves to Christ as his servants. Give yourselves to him, that you may belong to him. Christ has many services to be done. Some are easy and honorable, Others are more difficult and disgraceful. Some are suitable to our inclinations and interests, Others are contrary to both. In some we may please Christ and please ourselves. But then there are other works where we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. It is necessary, therefore, that we consider what it means to be a servant of Christ. Let us, therefore, go to Christ, and pray: Let me be your servant, under your command. I will no longer be my own. I will give up myself to your will in all things. Amen. Communion Announcements Benediction May our God, who establishes covenant relationship with those who seek to enter the Kingdom, be with you always. May Jesus Christ, who seals the new covenant with his blood on the cross, bring you peace. May the Holy Spirit guide your life both now and for ever. Go in peace to serve the Lord! Please Put this on the back of the bulletin John Wesley’s Covenant Service Christ will be the savior of none but his servants. He is the source of all salvation to those who obey. Christ will have no servant except by consent; Christ will not accept anything except full consent to all that he requires. Christ will be all in all, or he will be nothing. Confirm this by a holy covenant. To make this covenant a reality in your life, consider these admonitions: 1) Set apart some time, more than once, to be spent alone before the Lord; In seeking earnestly God’s special assistance and gracious acceptance of you; In carefully thinking through all conditions of the covenant; In searching your heart whether you have already freely given your life to Christ; Consider what your sins are. Consider the laws of Christ, how holy, strict, and spiritual they are, and whether you, after having carefully considered them, are willing to choose them all. Be sure you are clear in these matters, see that you do not lie to God. 2) Be serious and in spirit of holy awe and reverence. 3) Claim God’s covenant, rely upon God’s promise of giving grace and strength, So that you can keep your promise. Trust not in your own strength and power. 4) Resolve to be faithful. You have given to the Lord your heart, you have opened your mouth to the Lord and you have dedicated yourself to God. With God’s power, never go back. 5) Be then prepared to renew your covenant with the Lord. Fall down on your knees, lift your hands toward heaven, open your heart to the Lord, Covenant Prayer Lord, make me what you will. I put myself fully into your hands: Put me to doing, put me to suffering, Let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, Let me be full, let me be empty, Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and with a willing heart give it all to your pleasure and disposal. Your Signature: Children’s Sermon Object: Large silver star stickers 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.) CSS Publishing Company, Let The Children Come, by Robert B. Lantz Additional Illustrations

Arise and Shine, your Light has Come

January 5, 2014 Isaiah 60:1-6 Matthew 2:1-12 “Arise and Shine, your Light Has Come” Year A Epiphany Sunday Living to die Walker Percy, is an American novelist who has written several books about the state of affairs if the world today. In Walker Percy’s novel, The Second coming, the major character, Will Barrett is a man who has lost everything. He plans to commit suicide, until he meets a woman as depressed as he is, and he discovers that life is not so bad afterall. Instead of killing himself he finally realizes that the name of the real enemy of American society is death, “not the death of dying, but the living death. The name of this century is the Century of the Love of Death. Death in the century is not the death people die, it is the death people live How many people in the world are living in death, because they are stuck in a pattern, a belief, a lifestyle, a reality that does not really serve them. Man looking for money to get away I was reminded just yesterday how easy it is to live stuck in a pattern. As a man knocked on my door – looking for the pastor of the church next door – because he needed someone to help him think and to pray for him. So I let him in the church, and let him talk. He gave me this really sad story about how he used to be in the Latin Kings, and that he got out and moved away, but that he came back because he wanted to get back with his wife and daughter. He had a job, and was getting it together, oh and while he was in jail he had met a minister that had led him to Christ. Well today he got in a fight with his cousin, who told him that he could not get out of the gang, and that now he could not go home, or go to work, or go this his family because they were looking for him. If I could just put him in the car and drive him as far away – everything would be okay. He was mad a god for allowing all of this to happen to him. I got a little irritated and told him not to blame this on God, but that he got himself into this mess, and that God would not come out of the sky and rescue him, but that God would give him the strength to get out of it. I was not going to help him, but to trust that God would be with him. When I told him that I was not going to give him an answer of what to do next, I told me that he got himself into this mess, needed to figure out how to get out of it. he got up offended and said that I did not understand. And he just walked away. As he was leaving – I couldn’t help but to wonder what makes people stuck in dumb situations. But before you start thinking bad thoughts about that man and how he needs to get himself together and get a life. Let me tell you that I met this same man, who told me the same basic story (the details were different but the premise was the same). And that time I was so caught up into his story that I have him $50 in cash and drove him to a Mexican bus station. He promised me that as soon as he was safe who would send me the $50 back. I even preached a sermon about him, talking about how my faith in helping humanity was making a difference in the world. Needless to say I never heard from him, and was told that he makes his rounds to churches and tells the same story, of needing to get out of town, so he needs money to travel.expecting the same old results? It is not uncommon for us to remain trapped in our lives, our habits, our understandings, our own made up reality? My point for today is that is life without Christ, an illusion, and not a very happy one at that. I am not talking about the Christ that we hold in our heads, our beliefs, our sense of reality. But I am talking about the real Christ – the glorius savior, the unpredictable one who comes in our lives and shakes things up. The God who is so concerned about us that no matter how many times that we make the same mistake, no matter how many situations we cause, no matter what messes we seem to always create, God loves us enough to listen to our sad story, to change us from within, to bring us salvation. And it seems that the more he offers salvation, the more determined we are to stay stuck in our lives and blame God for what we do wrong…. Living without Christ Fred Craddock once told a parable about a man who moved into a cottage equipped with a stove and simple furnishings. As the sharp edge of winter cut across the landscape, the cottage grew cold as did its occupant. He went out back and pulled a few boards off the house to kindle the fire. The fire was warm, but the house seemed as cold as before. More boards came off for a larger fire to warm the now even colder house, which in return required an even larger fire, demanding more boards. In a few days the man cursed the weather, cursed the house, cursed the stove, and moved away. The futility that man felt is the futility of those who try to live the Christian life without Christ. He is the Word that was in the beginning with God and was God. And he is alive today. To those of us who are drowning he is someone we can hold on to. He is someone who can set our feet on dry ground again in this New Year. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com That is why the first words of Isaiah 60 are so important. It is a call to the world – Arise and Shine your light has come. It is time for us to awaken out of death and to enter into the life that God has in store for us. These are words of hope for the isrealites, who had lived in exile for years. And when they were able to come home all they saw was darkness and hopelessness. Everything was destroyed and nothing seemed to be working. And before we start to feel sorry for the Isrealites and their hopelessness. Let me reminds you that they were sent into exile because they had forgot about God, they stopped helping the poor, and living a faithful life. And God’s assurance that it would be okay – was not because they had earned relief, but because God wanted to show that he was God – he sent them into exile and he would deliver them because he was God all by himself. God doesn’t always agree with us, but he always cares enough to save us. in Isaiah 60:10 God says though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion. And it gets better, in verse 20 God says that you sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; and the Lord will be your everlasting light and your days of sorrow will end. That is what life with Christ is all about – seeing the glory of God for ourselves with our own eyes. God’s glory is enough to help us to see clearly. There are two words for “arise”. “Arise, shine” in verse 1 means “Stand up and let us see you in all your radiant glory”. The long night of suffering is over, a new day had dawned for her, a day when she can get up out of the dust where she has lain for so long, forsaken and dejected. The other word for “rise” is usually used of the sun, but here it is twice used of the rising of the glory of the Lord (vv. 1–2); that is to say, “the sun of righteousness...with healing in its wings” (Mal. 4:2). Finally the author brilliantly combines the two when he describes the revival of Jerusalem in verse 3 as the appearance in the blackness of the morning star, proclaiming to the nations that dawn is near Not only do we shine, but Christ shines too. And we are able to see God’s light, and not our darkness. Today is the 11th day of Christmas. Tomorrow is the 12th day of Christmas - it is epiphany – the manifestation of Christ. It took the wise men 12 days to reach the baby Jesus. Matthew’s point is that the light is not just for the Jews, but for everyone who can see it. The wisemen saw the star and knew they needed to follow it. I thought it was important for us to remember the point of epiphany for the first Sunday of January. I didn’t want to do the Wesley Covenant service – you can look it up if you need it. Before we make a commitment to serve Christ, we have to remember the reason for our commitment. Christ is the light not just of our lives, but of the world. When we see the light – we need to make an intentional response. The wise men gave gifts to the baby – gold for a king, myrhh for a priest , and frankensense to make things holy. We give gifts for Christmas, because the wisemen gave their gifts. I wanted us to focus gift giving this year and not goals. Remember when someone gave a gift away or they gave it back to us we call them an Indian giver. I went to an Indian ceremony once and complimented the host on her earrings, she took them off and said that since I liked them, that she had to give them to me. I am not worthy of anyone’s earrings, because I tend to lose them. But I still treasure those earrings, because they were a special gift, given just to show that she care. It is understood in Indian culture that whatever you have, you don’t hold onto it, you give it away. I don’t have those earrings on today, and wouldn’t give them to you if you asked. But the lesson is that we should be able to give as God gives to us – freely. Scripture says that after they gave gifts they kneeled before the baby in adoration. What does “adore” mean? In its Latin roots it means to reverence and honor. But it is a much stronger word than “honor,” or the Latin venerari. It actually is equivalent to the Greek proskunein, which means to “prostrate.” So to say “I adore Chipotle burritos” or “I adore my little brother” is to say something almost sacrilegious. For to “adore” something is to go as far as we can go in worship and praise. You can glorify God, and praise God, and bless God. But when you “adore” God, you go as far as you can go. You take the ultimate step… How do you glorify God in your life? what gifts do you bring to God? How does Christ manifest in your life each and every day? God's "Random" Provision Charles Cowman and his wife were missionaries to Asia. He became fatally ill and they returned to their homeland. For six years he battled his illness. Mrs. Cowman says, "... each time when the testings had reached their utmost limit, God would illumine some old and familiar text, or a helpful book or tract would providentially fall into our hands, which contained just the message needed at the moment. The help from God that an ill person would naturally seek is healing, whether it be through medicine, supernatural means, or a doctor with an epiphany. What one does not necessarily expect to find is the strength to carry on in the illness from random inspirational thoughts, one of which simply fluttered across their path as they walked on the beach." The treasures that carried them through were developed after Cowman’s death into the classic devotional book, Streams in the Desert, which has given inspiration to people all over the world for the last 50 years. My final story is about a lady in a store in search of hope.. Planting the Seeds There was a woman once who wanted peace in the world and peace in her heart, but she was very frustrated. The world seemed to be falling apart and her personal life wasn't that great either. One day she decided to go shopping, and she went to the mall and walked in to one of the stores. She was surprised to see Jesus behind the counter. She knew it was Jesus because he looked just like the paintings she'd seen in museums and in devotional books. Finally she got up her nerve and asked, "Excuse me, but are you Jesus?" "I am." "Do you work here?" "In a way; I own the store." "Oh, what do you sell here?" "Just about everything," Jesus replied. "Feel free to walk up and down the aisles, make a list, see what it is you want, and then come back and I'll see what I can do for you." Well, she did just that. She walked up and down the aisles, writing furiously. There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty. There was peace in families, harmony, no dissension, no more drugs. There careful use of resources. By the time she got back to the counter, she had a long list. Jesus looked over the list, then smiled at her and said, "No problem." And then he bent down behind the counter and picked out all sorts of things, and finally stood up, and laid out the packets on the counter. "What are these?" the woman asked. "Seed packets," Jesus answered. "This is a catalog store." "You mean I don't get the finished product?" "No, this is a place of dreams. You come and see what it looks like, and I give you the seeds. You go home and plant the seeds. You water them and nurture them and help them to grow, and someday someone else reaps the benefits." "Oh," she said. "And she left the store without buying anything." John understood that he was planting the seeds. The message is we must wait. Are you willing to do the work and wait? Brett Blair, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com We cannot invent God, or create God, we cannot invent life, or create life. we can only discover what God has already done. We can only realize what has been true from the beginning of time, for ourselves, for others, for the world. That is why epiphany is so important – for us to finally see the light that has been there all along. Epiphany is about planting the seeds to heal our illness, to light our darkness to fulfill our hope. The story of the wise men is a familiar story – we know they bought gifts, we know that they kneeled in adoration. They were led by a star, they talked to a king. A king who promised that he too wanted to come and worship the new king. But scripture says that they were warned in a dream to go home another way. May you also, no leave the way you came – go home another way. The 7 most dangerous words for a church is we have never done it that way before. Don’t get stuck on your reality. Witness and see the glory of Christ. Arise you light has come. But make sure when you go home, don’t leave the way that you came. Be changed, glorify God do something different this year – Go home another way! Amen. In the book, “Let Us Break Bread Together” Fred Daniel Gealy writes, “The word Epiphany is a great Christian word. The grace of God has appeared is the testimony of every page in the New Testament. My eyes have seen God has not just shown himself in the past; nor is his coming simply some far-off divine event. That the one who manifested himself to the fathers is here. The coming one has come. The light shines. And in the presence of this revelation we see ourselves as we are in our true relations to the world, to one another, and to God. In showing himself to us, God shows us ourselves. Light is not to look at but to see by.” Let’s begin with a little survey. How many of you have you have taken down your Christmas tree and packed up all the festive decorations until next December? How many of you are still living with your Christmas bling-bling? I thought so. There are not too many of us who hold on and hold out until the passing of Epiphany to take down our Christmas décor. This year Epiphany, January 6, falls on Thursday, a nondescript day of the week. We are back at work. Kids are back at school. Post-Christmas and New Year’s sales are over. It’s too early to plan for “President’s Day” or Valentine’s Day. We find Epiphany, the day the Magi finally reached Mary and Joseph and offered their extravagant gifts to the baby Jesus, slightly off-putting. Maybe it is because we’ve jumped the gun and have already opened up . . . used up . . . eaten up . . . even broken up . . . all our presents by now. Maybe we have a sneaking sense that “we should have waited.” So we crate our crèches even before the wise men get a chance to show up for the celebration. But maybe there is something else about epiphany that makes us uncomfortable. When the Magi finally reached their destination, what was the first thing they did? They “knelt down and paid him homage” (Matthew 2:11). Specifically Christian worship begins here, and on the Sunday closest to Epiphany. These were rich, respected, wise men. They were on speaking terms with the king. As astrologers they were privy to the secrets of the stars, and the stars held the secrets to the universe. They were not even Jews. In this East meets West moment, the Eastern cults and traditions of the magi were far removed from the messianic traditions of the Hebrews. Yet when they came into the presence of this little star-born baby, what did they do? They threw themselves down on the ground without hesitation but with abject humility. Think of that crèche you put away. Wasn’t at least one of the wise men kneeling? Here was one to be offered praise and glory. Here was one whose greatness was to be honored. Here was one born to be “adored.” “Oh, come, let us adore him.” ___________________________ Finally, the Wise Men brought gifts. They did the thing that people in the East or in Africa or in India would do when visiting royalty. They brought gifts. Gold was the kind of gift that you brought to a king. Frankincense was the kind of gift that you would bring to a priest. Myrrh was given to someone who was about to die. On This Twelfth Day, or Three Kings Day, otherwise known as Epiphany, think of the gift that you will offer to God in the coming year. The gift of time? The gift of your talents? Your service in the community? Your witness and testimony? The gift of undying love and devotion? Their greatest gift comes to us in the form of a realization. The Wise Men were the first Gentiles to recognize that Jesus belongs to everyone. Good news is for everyone, not just a select few. Star of wonder Star of light Star with royal beauty bright Westward leading Still proceeding Guide us to thy perfect light. Amen. On Epiphany we celebrate the original gift-giving, the gifts of the magi, whose example is why we give gifts at Christmas. January 5, the eve of Epiphany, is actually the twelfth day of Christmas. Today, Christmas seems to be over in one day, and Christmas trees are out at the curb the next day. Festive lighting is extinguished on December 26. The Pilgrims who landed in this country discovered that Native Americans passed gifts on and this came to be called "Indian giving." Today many "regift" items they have received, but have no use for, when they need a present. We have inherited a European understanding of gifts, but Jesus, like Native Americans, wants gifts to keep on giving. Even today gold is the essence of hard currency. Frankincense was once used for the purification of holy things, but Jesus expands holiness to include even ordinary sinners such as us. Myrrh was used for sacred anointing...

A Story Much bigger than us

Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 Epiphany Sunday Year C January 6, 2013 For Mission Sunday A Story much bigger than us By now, Christmas is over and we are all taking down our christmas decorations. Isnt the rule that they should be down by the second week of January. After that things get kind of old. The stores have already moved on the January. Christmas is not just a day, Christmas is a season – there are twelve days of Christmas. Many of the kids in my neighborhood will be getting presents today – epiphany. The day that the wise men arrived to give their gifts to Jesus. We don’t sing the song 12 days of Christmas in church very often – it is not thought of as a hymn of the church. But I am told that there is a hidden meaning behind the song – that all points to our relationship with God.. Partridge in a pear tree Jesus Christ, symbolized as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from helpless nestlings. Two turtle doves Old & New Testaments Three French Hens Faith, hope, charity Four Calling birds The Four Gospels Five Golden Rings The Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy) Six geese a laying Six days of creation Seven Swans a swimming 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit Eight maids a-milking 8 Beatitudes Nine Ladies Dancing Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit Ten Lords a-leaping 10 Commandments Eleven pipers piping The 11 faithful disciples 12 drummers drumming 12 articles of the Apostles Creed And my one true love, who have me all of this – is God the almighty. The song is to remind us that everything that we have is a gift from God. Even his son Jesus Christ. One woman said that every Christmas as she is putting away her Christmas decorations, she always leaves one out – to remind her of the story of Christmas. And that Christmas is much more than a season, it is a way of life. and the story is much more that something we live through once a year, but that we live in all of our lives. Usually, we cant end the story of Christmas, until we hear about the wise men, who came from afar and bought gifts to the baby as we they were led from afar. Every year we read this same story on January 6th – it is an important reminder for us – that as we sit together for Christmas – that the true meaning of Christmas is not just for us. that jesus is for everyone. We are not the only ones seeking wisdom from the lord. And that what we seek and speak goes far beyond us today. Matthew starts our his story – telling about wise men who come from afar to see the baby jesus and bring him gifts. It ends with that baby sending people out in the world telling us to go out and make disciples of all nations. Matthew is not so concerned about what happened, as much he is about what will happen. He is not talking about history, but about the future. And he is not talking to those who are listening, but to those who are to come. He as each of us, where do we fit into the story of god’s salvation. What is our destiny, if God has already come. "The Church is the body of Christ, which consists of called out people building God's kingdom on earth. As beleivers in Christ, we are empowered by the holy spirit to provide a plce of refuge and to reach out to touch the lives of others by loving, caring, sharing, giving of one's service and talents. As we grow spiritually through grace, we allow our lives to illustrate the glory of knowing Christ. It is therefore our mission to life up the name of Jesus to our congregation, our community, and people of the world through evangelism, worship, stewardship, teaching and fellowship." Our mission statement reminds us that we are those people are who responsible for spreading the name of Jesus to the world. a baby in a manger. He is not a character in a children’s story. He is far more. The first time he came, he came veiled in the form of a child. The next time He comes, and we believe it will be soon, He will come unveiled, and it will be abundantly and immediately clear to all the world just who He really is. The first time He came, a star marked his arrival. The next time He comes, the whole heavens will roll up like a scroll, and all the stars will fall out of the sky, and He himself will light it. The first time He came, wise men and shepherds brought Him gifts. The next time He comes, He will bring gifts, rewards for His own. The first time He came, there was no room for Him. The next time he comes, the whole world will not be able to contain His glory. The first time He came, only a few attended His arrival – some shepherds and some wise men. The Next time He comes, every eye shall see Him. The first time He came as a baby. Soon He will come as sovereign King and Lord. (Autoillustrator.com, CHRISTMAS) The story of God is a mystery that we will never understand, and yet we are called to be a part if it. the Wise men--seek Him the Wiser men--find Him the Wisest men--follow Him May use the wisdom that God has given us- to tell the story of salvation to future generations. Amen.

Arise and Shine, Your Light has Come!

January 2, 2011
Isaiah 60:1-6
Matthew 2:1-12
Epiphany of the Lord
Covenant Service
Year A

New Year’s is the only holiday that his celebrated in some form or another by every culture. It is also the oldest celebration known to humanity – dating back some 4000 years.

For most of our history, we have been an agricultural people, who needed to plant the crops over and again every year. When the crops were planted, and began to grow again in the spring, the people would celebrate new birth and a chance to start again.

Every culture celebrates some form of New Year, just not at that same time, and in the same way.

We celebrate New Year’s on January 1st – because when the Romans came up with the calendar that was the day they picked as the first day of the year.
Tradition says that January 1st is 8 days after December 25th. Jesus would have been circumcised and named on January 1st. The truth is however that Mary had her baby in the spring. December 25th is the day that the church commemorates Jesus birth. The official name of Christmas is the feast of the incarnation, the day we acknowledge that our light has come and that God is indeed present with us.

Actually, in the early days of the church, more important than Christmas is the season of epiphany. Epiphany means manifestation or appearance. Epiphany is on January 6th – 12 days after Christmas.
This is the day we acknowledge three wise men whom followed a star to Mary and Joseph’s house in Galilee to visit,
Worship and give gifts to a 2 year old. Note that I am speaking of Matthews’s story in chapter 2 and not confusing it with Luke’s manger as we traditionally do.
In spite of all of that long history – the point of the story is that Epiphany is the day that we recognized the glory of God in our lives. Christ was glorified as a King. Finally there was something in the world worth putting everything else aside – and giving our hearts to. Our light has come.

Isaiah 60 says Arise, shines, your light has come, and the glory of the lord has risen upon you.
These are beautiful poetic words with a very dark story behind them. We have been reading the story of Isaiah all year. We know the Israelites were cut off from their land, and then they were taken away, and not allowed to go home. Hundreds of years later, after they had adjusted to life they went home.
Isaiah was excited, hopeful; he gave a call to freedom, joy, peace, and a life they had always wanted, a life living fully the promises of God.
Unfortunately, all that people say was abandonment, destruction, what was stolen from them. They were overwhelmed at all of the work that needed to be done. They saw no way that things would change. More significantly, they had gotten complacent. Used to the way things were, they had adjusted to circumstances, they started to justify failure, and to accept the craziness of life as normal.

Isaiah’s message to them and us was it was time to come out of complacency- time to get up - arise, shine, your light has come.

You are the people of God, the keepers of the light, not only will the light heal the past, but others will see the light and seek you out, they want to be near the light of God too….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. They will worship and praise god also.

I don’t want to be long, because we have a lot to do in service today, but I want to share a story, a story that good for a new year…..

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?

Arise, shine people for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Time to come out of your complacency and acceptance of the way things are – and prepare for something different. Times to stop complaining about what other people are doing and to live up to the mission that Jesus gave us.

We have the light of the world, and the world is seeking a way out of darkness and looking for the light too. We need to be prepared to let our light shine.

Someone said that the worst thing in life is not in death by dying, it is in choosing to live a dead life.

What is it that it is time to let go of. We need to realize that it takes just as much energy to hold onto the bag of ashes as it does to let it go and get up and answer the door. We have to be willing to come out of our comfort zone and take a risk. Jesus knocks at our door all of the time- a New Year is a good time to get up and answer.

The world uses this as a time to set new goals and to make resolutions. The thing is that we can become so over focused on goals that we set for ourselves, that they box us in and prevent us from realizing God’s will for our lives.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism saw the New Year as a time for us to get in touch with our relationship with God and to commit ourselves in the New Year to listening and living the will of God. God’s will is not always what we want, or even what we think we need – God’s will for our lives is bigger than that.
God’s will is bigger to my service to the church, then my service to others. I serve the church, because I choose to honor God’s will. My goals, my resolutions, my dreams, my hopes, my service, my integrity – are all in keeping with God’s will for my life.

The doors of the church are open….

Now I invite all of us to covenant prayer together….