Journeying with the Magi

This is the Sunday when we remember when the Magi, with a sense of urgency, journeyed from the East. They followed the star, traveling first to Jerusalem and then on to Bethlehem, seeking to encounter the Christ Child.

While they were in Jerusalem, they came to Herod and stated their intentions to find this one called the king of the Jews. Herod feared this news but feigned a reverent interest in the baby, stating that he wanted the Magi to return to him after they had located the baby.

But the Magi listened to a message that came to them in a dream: don’t go back to Herod. They went home by a new road as they sought to distance themselves from a second encounter with Herod. By avoiding Herod, they kept Jesus alive. Herod was so threatened by the baby Jesus that he on to murder all the baby boys in Bethlehem

Our dreams can startle us in their clarity, pointing us to a direction we hadn’t intended to take.

Where do your dreams lead you?

Are you willing to step out on a journey that has no clear map, trusting that you will be guided by the Spirit to a place that is both transformative and life-giving?

By taking the unfamiliar road, what will be saved? Perhaps this is a question we most overlook when we are challenged to change direction. We keep looking back at what we will lose. But our actions—like the Magi—have the capacity to bring life to others in ways we can’t even imagine.

Journey with the Magi to encounter the Christ Child. Bring what gifts you can offer. Then, rise from your knees and take the path that will offer you—and others—life!

Hope of The World

Epiphany is the day we celebrate the Magi, bringing gifts to the baby Jesus, recognizing that God’s gift in Christ was meant for everyone.

It is a day of celebration and joy. I like that it always occurs in the very beginning of a new year. It helps me ground myself in hope as I face the unknown possibilities and challenges offered in the days, weeks and months to come.

Are you hopeful as we face the new year?

In his book Agents of Hope: A Pastoral Psychology, Donald Capps says that the primary task of the pastor is to offer hope. For Capps, the threats to hope are despair, apathy and shame. These burdens we carry dash hope and cause the lights within us to dim.

How will you help those around you face into their despair to see glimmers of possibilities? How will you help people shake off apathy and move to engagement? How can you help others heal from whatever shame they carry so they can claim their self-worth?

Hope is an essential element of a human being fully human. Through hope, we see that the past doesn’t have to dictate our future. Through hope, we know that another’s damaging judgement about our worthiness cannot dim the light of God that shines within us. Through hope, we can face whatever challenges us.

This is one reason why I love Epiphany. As John’s Gospel reminds us, the true light, which enlightens everyone, has come into the world. The Hope of the World is with us! May we, like the Magi, find this One who brings us Hope.

Thoughts on Epiphany

Thoughts on Epiphany

I loved seeing the pictures my Hispanic and Latin American friends posted on Facebook today, for it is el Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos—Day of the Three Magi. Today on Epiphany, not Christmas, is the day that gifts are exchanged, as a way to celebrate the three wise men finally finding Jesus in Bethlehem and offering him their gifts.

The wise men had come from the East, looking for Jesus. They had seen the star and knew that the King of the Jews had been born. This frightened Herod terribly, for he knew this King could threaten his own power. So he asked the wise men to let him know when they found Jesus, for he wanted to pay homage as well. At least that’s what he told them. We who stand on the other side of history know that Herod wanted to destroy the One he perceived was his enemy.

The wise men followed the star and kept looking for this King. It is their commitment to this task that moves me so. They didn’t stray and they weren’t distracted from their search, even when it led them to an unlikely place and a baby.

This defenseless baby was the one who Herod feared yet the wise men worshiped. For in this baby, all heaven broke loose as God became one of us. Who could have imagined this?

God continues to come, showing up in our world, infusing it with holiness and offering us a love that will never let us go. Are you willing to have the dedication of the wise men, to keep on the lookout, pursuing God in the most unlikely people and overlooked places? For as the Gospels show us, this is where God is most likely to be found.

May we be extravagant each time we gather for worship, showering one another with joy and love, for Christ continues to dwell among us.

Stay on the lookout, for God will show up!