Lighting the Christ Candle

Welcome and Announcements 

Call to Worship
O come, let us worship the Lord
We recall the wondrous things God has done in Christ.  The Magi who study the heavens follow a guiding star!
O come, let us worship the Lord
We consider what wondrous things God has done in Christ. The peoples who live in the shadows see a glorious light!
O come, let us worship the Lord
We ponder what wondrous things God has done in Christ who embodies the Word unveils the hidden plan, making us joint heirs of the promise of salvation through the gospel!
O come, let us worship the Lord,
for God has done wondrous things! 

Hymn:  173 We Three Kings

 

Prayer of Adoration
God of all nations, peoples and cultures, this is the day you have made bright with your light and your love destined for all.
Guide us in the new ways of your Son.
Let your kindly light shine everywhere, that all peoples may praise you in their own language and enrich your Church with their own gifts.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior for ever. 
Grace us with the hospitality to open our hearts and homes
to visitors filled with unfamiliar wisdom bearing profound and unusual gifts.   Prepare us to be open and welcoming as we confess before you our sins:   

Prayer of Confession: 
God of Light, we confess that we have gone astray and have left Your light.  We follow the dim lights of the world of success and fortune.   

We follow the dim lights that call us to be more religious by following rules.  We follow the fading light of personal salvation.
Forgive us for not seeking the true Light of Your love for all the world.  Forgive us for not following the ways of Jesus, who commanded us to love one another.    Call us to be light-bearers of love, compassion and justice, in which the Mystery of Your Love is revealed. In the name of Jesus the Messiah, we pray. Amen. 

Assurance of Pardon 

Hear the good news of the psalmist’s proclamation:    If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,  And the light around me will be night,”  Even the darkness is not dark to God,  and the night is as bright as the day.  

The God who promised never to leave us or forsake us HAS come to us in Jesus Christ who binds up the brokenhearted,  heals all our infirmities, and relieves our burden of sin. 

So arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.   

 

Passing the Peace 

The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

Hymn:  171 The people that in darkness

Scripture:

Ephesians 3: 1-12 P 1820
Matthew 2: 1-12  P 1497 

Sermon:  Seeking the Mystery of the Star 

We are familiar with the story.  The Magi had been studying the stars and had seen a star that was new and seemed to be settled above a certain place to the west. 

In their understanding of the prophetic literature they sought out they recognized this star as a sign that a king had been born.  

 

What was the awe and wonder with which they greeted the arrival of the star, and the knowledge it brought?   

From the time I first saw the comet Hale-Bop I made sure to look at it every night.  There it was, always in the same spot in the sky, right above the house that had previously been the manse in Innisfail.  It lasted a good long time, never seeming to move.  I often thought of the Magi, and if it was like what they saw, and if they felt that same awe and pondered its mystery as they traveled what some say were about 40 nights until they found the house over which it rested.   

That is one part of the mystery.    

But, what is the deeper message here?   

Generally, we speak about the visit of the Magi, as the sign that the Incarnation was revealed to the gentiles, as a sign that the Messiah was not for Israel alone.   

This is a revelation that was previously unknown or not understood regarding the Messiah.  It seems that here there is a greater mystery being revealed that ALL people are joint heirs of God’s generous provision in Jesus. 

This is not just of a mystery revealed, but also of a privilege that Paul speaks of having come to him, and to others, as a revelation of the Spirit, which give all people the freedom and confidence to approach God. 

We begin pondering that revelation when we consider the gifts the Magi bring. 

Gold to crown a king.
Frankincense to offer to a King.
Myrrh, a bitter herb which foretold doom and gloom and ultimately death. 

Not only were these gifts prophetic, but many commentators spoke of the high value of these items and how they were sold to fund the escape into Egypt.   

These were gifts fit for a king.  These were gifts that were prophetic of his life and purpose.  These were practical gifts that provided for the safety and freedom of Joseph and Mary and Jesus. 

How could these specific gifts do all that, if not inspired by the prompting of the Spirit? 

 

The next mystery that we ponder is the region from which the Magi came.  It seems this star was only noticed by the people from the East.  This area is commonly referred to in Scripture as the region north of Arabia, about where we would find present day Iraq or Kuwait.  A message not revealed to the people of Israel, but rather to people from among the enemies of Israel. 

In today’s political climate, and as we recall the history of the people of Israel with their Arab neighbours, we have to recall that this gift for all people does include ALL people.   

 

We know that the Sons of Abraham included the offspring of Ismael and Hagar.  They ranged from Egypt and throughout the middle east.  The history they share included many years of war, and occupation and oppression. 

Could the people understand that this reconciliation that God desires include the ancient foe, the enemies for life; or at least generations?  Does God really mean Jesus to be the salvation for our enemies?  Or the enemies of his people Israel?   

 

Or a better question; does God really see all people on earth as his children? 

As we consider the expansiveness of that question, we pause to ponder the message Paul brings to the Ephesians.   

We see hints in this letter that Paul speaks of the mystery of the Incarnation as a mystery that brings heaven and earth together.  The commentator Bragg suggests that the one star, has become all the stars, and that all of us who stop to gaze at the stars are pulled into this gift given to angels and humans.  When this happens, we can understand the mystery of God’s mind and heart in revealing the Incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus as the gift meant for all of us. 

This means that the real mystery is that our resurrection is brought into being through his resurrection AND more than that, reunites heaven and earth.  

That entire star-studded sky is the place to which all look, both down from heaven and up from earth.   

.. One of the things Bragg talked about, and I admit that I am struggling to understand it, is that even those humans who have already claimed crown and throne beside Jesus look down at the stars and understand more fully what that Incarnation means.   

That may be part of the mystery of the star and the stars.  As long as I am here looking up at the stars, I don’t have the additional  understanding of those who look down at the stars.   

In our day we have known the gift of space travel photos, through which we look down on earth, and have a closer glimpse of the planets in our solar system.   

Through these photos we gain a fuller understanding of the greatness and grandeur of God’s creation.  WE can see how we are such a small part of creation; and also, that we are the core of God’s love given to creation.  There is awe and mystery and wonder in this revelation.   

But what we don’t gain is the perspective on looking down at the stars.  No matter how amazing those photos from space are, they are still from the perspective of our own solar system. 

That new perspective of looking down on the stars to understand the incarnation will only be fully revealed in our resurrection.   

We are called to understand that mystery is at the core of our faith.  We believe, but we don’t fully understand.  There are so many things that we know; but the mystery still holds so many amazing surprises for us along the way.   

Bragg sums it up this way.  The mystery of Christ cannot be found by human understanding or detective work or inquiry.  The mystery can only be understood through the revelation of the Holy Spirit…and the Spirit only reveals what we need to know—when we need to know it. 

 

The Spirit revealed the star and its meaning to the Magi.  The Spirit called them to follow the star to its resting place.  The Spirit revealed to them the perfects gifts for a king, a refugee and a sacrifice.  And then, as they prepared to go home, the Spirit warned them not to go back to Herod therefore they returned home via another route. 

 

I wonder if that is what it means to live in the mystery?  To live in the faith that leaves us open to the Spirit and what will yet be revealed in the stars to empower our journey and ministry on earth. 

Let’s trust the Spirit and follow that star and see where it leads us and discover the mysteries it will yet reveal to us.  

Amen 

 

Hymn:  172  As with gladness men of old

 

 Offering and Doxology

Offertory Prayer
We offer you our gold: The shining moments that brighten our lives. 

We offer you our frankincense:  

The grace of care and friendship and our heart’s yearning in prayer. 

We offer you our myrrh:  

The shadows through which we stumble. 

Transform our inadequate gifts,  that they may be an acceptable sacrifice of praise,  and transform our lives to reflect more deeply your justice and joy In the life of the world.  Amen 

 

 

  

Gathering Prayer Requests
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession 

God of revelation and epiphany— 

Through the words of the prophets You have shown us the world 

of your dreaming and longing:  A world built on justice,  overflowing with plenty, and crowned with joy. 

 

Thank you that through the coming of Emmanuel - his living and loving, his words and actions—you have shown us how such a world might be fashioned. 

 

Help us to take, hold and grow into these understandings;  and, like Jesus, may we always be ready to live generously, love expansively, speak boldly and act courageously, that the Kingdom of your dreaming, with its justice, abundance and joy, may  become the present reality of all the peoples of this world. 

 

We are still people in the dark,  and the darkness looms large around us,  beset as we are by fear,   anxiety,   brutality,               violence,  loss — a dozen alienation's that we cannot manage. 

  

 

 

We are — we could be — people of your light. 

     So we pray for the light of your glorious presence as we wait for your appearing; 

In the rejoicing of your people: 

 

 

 

 

 

For those who struggle with the burdens of life: 

 

 

 

 

 

For the world whose pain, needs the touch of your light: 

Ukraine
Israel
Palestine
Japan 

  

 

 

 

 we pray for the light of your wondrous grace and we pray for your gift of newness that we may see and know and hear and trust in your good rule. 

That we may have energy, courage, and freedom to enact          your rule through the demands of this day we pray together as Jesus has taught us, saying,  

         Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever.  Amen 

Hymn:  174  Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness

 

Benediction:   

Go now as a light to the nations.  Honour the Lord; preach what you know of the risen Christ, and fulfill all righteousness. 

And may God strengthen you and bless you with peace;  may Christ Jesus bring forth justice for you and among you; and may the Holy Spirit alight on you and affirm you as God’s beloved ones. 

Blessing Song:  Lead me Jesus 646 BP  Sing twice

 

Lead me Jesus I will follow,
down the dusty pathway
all along the sea
Teach me Jesus to be loving
your disciple I will be  

CCLI 11394548