Welcome, Three Kings

"We three kings of Orient are; Bearing gifts we traverse afar, Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star…"--We Three Kings written by John H. Hopkins, Jr. (1820-1891)

 Matthew 2:1-11: "Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. At about that time some astrologers from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the newborn King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in far-off eastern lands, and have come to worship him.' King Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, and all Jerusalem was filled with rumors. He called a meeting of the Jewish religious leaders. 'Did the prophets tell us were the Messiah would be born?' he asked. 'Yes, in Bethlehem,' they said, 'for this is what the prophet Micah wrote 'O little town of Bethlehem, you are not just an unimportant Judean village, for a Governor shall rise from you to rule my people Israel.' Then Herod sent a private message to the astrologers, asking them to come to see him; at this meeting he found out from them the exact time when they first saw the star. Then he told them, 'Go to Bethlehem and search for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too!' After this interview the astrologers started out again. And look! The star appeared to them again, standing over Bethlehem. Their joy knew no bounds! Entering the house where the baby and Mary his mother were, they threw themselves down before him, worshiping. They opened their presents and gave him gold, frankincense  and myrrh."

 Happy Epiphany! With all the commercialization of the Christmas season, this most important holiday in the Christian church gets swept away with all the decorations, cards, and trappings. But Epiphany is such a lovely time. The Kings have finally arrived at the manger.  What a wonderful Biblical lesson to share with children of all ages--recognizing  that the 3 Kings were not present at the manger on Christmas Eve, but were far away in the western part of the world. They wanted to visit and worship this new-born King so strongly that they made the long trip east to a far-off land to a tiny little town named Bethlehem, led by an incredible star in the sky. They brought with them priceless gifts; once they arrived and beheld this miraculous child, these gifts paled by comparison. This wee baby was their--and our--salvation. Life would never be the same again.

 So when that manger scene comes out with next year's Christmas decorations, be sure and keep it out and truly celebrate the miracle of Epiphany--one of the first stories of Christ's life that we can share and celebrate with one another.

 Peace be with you.

It's Not All About the Anticipation

Reading: James 1:17--"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

 

I always get a kick out of hearing about how people prepare for the Christmas season. It seems that more and more are following suit of the department stores and are decorating their homes earlier and earlier in the calendar year. Then, by the evening of the 25th of December, they're beginning to get the itch to restore their homes to pre-holiday décor. Many trees head out the door or back into the box on December 26--the day is over and the anticipation is over. Time to get back to the day-to-day.

 

This reminds me of how we pretty much handle any important events in our lives. Remember proms from high school?  Graduations? Birthday parties? In retrospect, it seems that the anticipation gets more of our attention and energy than the event itself. In fact, when the event does arrive, we have already grown weary of the whole thing. Isn't that silly of us?

 

Christmas is not just about all the anticipation, although that anticipation has a name--Advent. It is a beautiful season in and of itself. And, after Christmas, we have the next wondrous season leading up to Epiphany--the momentous time when the three Wise Men found the Christ Child and worshipped him as King of Kings.

 

So, remember...Christmas isn't necessarily over at the stroke of midnight on the 25th of December. It's also not a single season in and of itself. There's so much more to enjoy--and yes, anticipate. The greatest beauty of the season is the unchanging gift of perfect love that we are all given with the birth of this wondrous child. Happy Advent, Merry Christmas, Happy Epiphany.

 

Peace be with you.

Let's Not Forget ALL of Christmas

Since Christmas decorations tend to appear in people's homes these days around Thanksgiving (or before), I hear many comments of relief when Christmas "finally" arrives and these folks can take down all the decor the day or two after December 25. Since this phenomena hasn't always been commonplace in our culture, I'm guessing that commercialism has had something to do with this...just guessing.

The song The Twelve Days of Christmas is still heard during the commercial "Christmas season" on the radio,  in the malls, and in the halls, but I tend to think that few know its actual meaning. The Twelve Days of Christmas actually start of December 25...Christmas itself starts on December 25. Up until that point is Advent--the time of anticipation. From December 25 through January 6 are the twelve days of Christmas. And today, January 6, is a very important date to all Christians...it is Epiphany. The glorious day when, according to our faith, three very wise men who after extensively studying the location of a unique star that appeared in the heavens, found its reason--the Christ child and the Holy family. What a wondrous discovery.

In any country that is ruled by a principality, the birth of a future King is an event of epic proportion. This event was no less momentous, albeit more complex. Who was this family? How could this newborn be considered a King? Yet those who believed the world of God knew this was a King indeed. The prophets had spoken of this event for generations. It was convincing enough that Pharaoh himself sent out a decree that, after the wise men didn't return to report on this momentous event, to kill all male children throughout the land ages 2 and under in keeping within the time of the first appearance of the glorious "new" star. Yes, an event of epic proportion.

This special day, January 6, is seldom recognized by anyone outside the Church anymore. I invite you to bring it back into your home. Maybe next year don't get in as much hurry to bring about Christmas, but enjoy the beauty of Advent, the miracle of Christmas, and the glory of Epiphany.

Blessings to you.