Epiphany January 8, 2017 Shining Star Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12

Most of you know already that I am going on a mission trip to Colombia,

South America, for the month of February. My main role will be to accompany
pastors as they minister to displaced families in the countryside. The pastors who
are giving aid to survivors of the civil war were receiving threats against their lives
and the lives of their families, so the Presbyterian Church of Colombia invited U.S.
pastors and laity to accompany them in their work, knowing that this presence
would minimize the threats. Over the last 10 years, The Presbyterian
Peacemaking Fellowship has sent two accompaniers every month to Colombia,
and they have found that threats against pastoral workers decreased dramatically
because of the program. There is power in simply being present, being watchful,
accompanying along the journey.
The intent of the Star Words that you received this morning is that this
word will accompany you through the year. Like those who accompany as
missionaries, your Star Word is intended to be a resource for you in your
reflections, your growing edges, your celebrations and to accompany you in your
conversations with God and your community here. Maybe as you reflect on your
word through the year, you will find it to be a blessing of grace, a reminder, a
puzzle, a challenge, a dream the point is that it is a place to start. It is a jumping
off place for new thoughts and a new perspective a new light to shine on life.
One of the fun things about Star Words is that our individuality as well as
our commonality inform our interpretations of the words. My guess is that even if
all of us received the same word, we would each interpret that word differently.
We have filters and lenses that color and shape how we see, hear and speak these
words.

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 On my trip to Colombia in a few weeks, my secondary role will be to serve
as interpreter. Rev. Ruth Hamilton, from Washington DC is partnered with me for
the month. I will translate between English and Spanish with and for her as we
engage in conversation with religious leaders, church members, and others along
the way. My memories of interpreting in the past are mostly positive, but after a
while, invariably I get to the point where I am speaking English to the Spanish
speaker and Spanish to the English speaker. Thats usually time to take a break!
The thing about interpreting is that it is not simply a matter of exchanging
information word by word. The subtleties of culture, inflection and context are
part of the translation. In many ways, Ruth and I will both be translating U.S.
culture to our new Colombian friends, as they will be translating to us their own
setting. The questions and answers that come up during February will surely be
incomplete. There will never be total mutual understanding, but that will not
stop us from asking and responding! We will strive to translate how the church
functions in North America, and seek to learn enough about the church in South
America to translate it for you when we return.
Getting back to our gospel lesson in Matthew, the wise men, a.k.a. Magi, or
Kings, or Zoroastrian priests, or Astrologers, or ForeignTravelers were primarily
interpreters. They interpreted the signs in the sky, and they interpreted dreams,
all of which equipped people for the future. Their lenses of interpretation were
particularly wise, so they were well known. In this gospel story, they made an
interpretation of a particular new star. The star and its interpretation became
their guide as they journeyed along with their questions. (just as I hope your Star
Word will be for you!) Being interpreters, one can imagine that the gifts the wise
men brought were also symbolic guides for reflection.

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 The elements of gold and frankincense were well known from the Isaiah
prophecies, as Laurie read for us this morning. But Isaiah only mentions the gold
and frankincense. The third element mentioned in the gospel of Matthew, myrrh,
calls us to look at all three gifts differently. The New Testament inclusion of a
third gift changes the interpretation. Myrrh was used for healing; it was also used
to prepare bodies for burial. Putting all three of these gifts together in the story
may have been a clue to the insight the foreign visitors had about the baby, Jesus,
or it may have been the gospel writers, Matthews, interpretation of the future
for Jesus. In either case, the point to be made is that even at a tender age, there
was a foreshadowing of his exalted human status (the gold), a foreshadowing of
his divine status (the incense of worship), and a foreshadowing of his healing
abilities and his death (the myrrh.)
This interpretation shed new light on the identity of the child, and set him
apart to be the Light of the World. Gods ability to bring light to the world is
beyond what we know, beyond our imaginations, and beyond what we do.
Lutheran Bishop Craig Satterlee in Michigan writes, God seems to do whatever it
takes to reach out to and embrace all people. God announces the birth of the
Messiah to shepherds through angels on Christmas, to Magi via a star on
Epiphany, and to the political and religious authorities of Gods own people
through visitors from the East. From a manger, where a child lies wrapped in
bands of cloth, Gods reach, Gods embrace in Christ Jesus, gets bigger and bigger
and bigger no one is beyond Gods embrace. 1

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http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1525

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 The visitors from the East were not the first sign that Gods intention has
always been to embrace all of creation. Hear again the words of Isaiah:
Arise, shine, for your light has come! Nations shall come to your light, and
kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all
gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your
daughters shall be carried on their nurses arms. Then you shall see and be
radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice. What a glorious and uplifting
message! The divine light shines through every hearer of these words to attract
the nations to God.
That attracting light is shining through the word you hold in your hand, it is
a shining star leading seekers to Bethlehem, it is shining through the music of
Earth, Wind and Fire, it is shining through the people of Colombia beleaguered by
civil war, it is shining through the children who fill our Church House 7 days a
week, and it is shining through you and me. Youre a Shining Star, no matter who
you are; shining bright to see what WE can truly be.
Amen.

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Matthew 2:1-12 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to
Jerusalem, asking, Where is the child who has been born king of
the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to
pay him homage. When King Herod heard this, he was frightened,
and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests
and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah
was to be born. They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has
been written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of
Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from
you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel. Then
Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the
exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them 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 had heard the king, 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 star
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.

Isaiah 60:1-6 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of
the LORD has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick
darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will
appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the
brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather
together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your
daughters shall be carried on their nurses arms. Then you shall see and be
radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea
shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 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.