Epiphany Ponderings

“Herod sent the magi to Bethlehem, saying, ’Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the start had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. ” Matthew 2:8-12

Dear siblings in Christ,

      Here we are starting another new year, as we near the end of the Christmas season and about to head into the time after Epiphany. Every year, Epiphany falls on January 6th, the day after the 12th and last day of Christmas. Epiphany is the celebration of when the magi, the wisemen or as we often say, the three kings, visit Jesus and his family. This is a celebration of the revelation of the truth and knowledge of who Jesus is to people who were probably not expected to come to know it, since they were such outsiders to Jesus’ community. Through the revelation to the magi, we celebrate the light being revealed to the greater world. Through the light of that star, the Christ child was made known to the magi, who journeyed on their way to meet him, bringing gifts of great honor, and followed the warning they received from God in a dream.
     The magi seem to be great examples of following their God given calls, whether they realized it or not. First they used their gifts and talents of astronomy to notice the appearance of the star of Bethlehem and to nav-
igate their way towards it, where they must have known some of the lore of the prophecies of old, knowing that the star was leading them to the child who was foretold to be born to be the Prince of Peace. They were lead to where the child was predicted be born, in Bethlehem, and brought from their wealth, expensive gifts to pay their homage to this long foretold child even though they themselves were not said to be Jews, something compelled them to pay such respect. And even though King Herod requested that they report back to him where the child
could be found and who he was, they listened to their dream to not do that since he saw this child as a threat to his own power. The magi, these men who may or may not have been religious, still followed the call of God along their journey to find this child who had been born and whom they knew to be an important and special child, and helped to make known to more people that this child has been born and just how special he must be that God would be willing to use the gifts of outsiders like these magi to make Jesus known.
     Even though we ourselves may not be magi with star charting abilities, or the means to give such precious gifts, we each are called to give what we can, and to follow God’s calls for each of us along the way, not only as individuals but also as a community of believers. The story of the magi seem very applicable as we look ahead towards the end of the month when we gather together for our Annual Meeting, where we have the opportunity to prayerfully consider where and how God through the Holy Spirit is at work in and through our congregation as we look towards the future of how best to use our own gifts and talents within our congregation and out in the community of Clinton that we inhabit and are called to participate within to share and show God’s and Jesus’ love to all our neighbors. How do you feel God’s call leading you and us as the congregation of Saint Paul Lutheran into the future? How might we best share our gifts with others to continue to share and show and make God’s love known out in the world?
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God’s Peace,
Pastor Tamara Siburg