“Unrolling the Scroll” January 27, 2019 Trillium United Church Caledon

 

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the Law of Moses, which God had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped with their faces to the ground. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our God; and do not be grieved, for the joy of God is your strength."

Luke 4:14-21

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

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The synagogue was packed. The rabbis and regular teachers hadn’t seen that many people in the synagogue, except maybe at Passover.  There wasn’t enough room – and the hospitality committee was suddenly thinking how on earth were they going to find enough refreshments following the service, and could some of them run home and grab some more bread and fruit.

An itinerant teacher in Galilee, one of their own in fact, was coming to the synagogue. The stories about the incredible way he could open up and explain the texts had spread all over the region. People were flocking to hear him. Everyone marvelled at his knowledge and gifts –  since he was one of theirs, home grown in Nazareth, everyone had to come out to see and hear. Even the youth, otherwise trying to avoid going to synagogue as much as possible, were there. Nothing inspiring about the regular rabbis, they were looking for some energy, something to get their teeth into in their spiritual quest.

As Jesus entered, the muttering and background conversations stopped, and a hush descended over the whole of the sanctuary. All eyes turned to him – Jesus, child of Nazareth, son of Joseph and Mary, brother to James, John, and several sisters.

When it was time, Jesus was handed the scroll, and with an incredible sense of timing, slowly unrolled it till he found the words he was looking for –"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because I have been anointed to bring good news to the poor; to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, the Jubilee Year."

He rolled up the scroll again, everyone’s eyes still glued on him – not a sound or a breath – not a movement from the congregation. Then he said “This has been fulfilled today in your hearing.” He sat down.

All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

The people were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

When we first read today’s text, it sounds very simple. Jesus went to the synagogue and read from a scroll. It was the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, and he unrolled it and found the words he wanted. But wait – was it all accidental, or did he know? Jesus was preaching all over Galilee, and came to his home town. He came home to Nazareth after being away for a long time, and went to the synagogue, with his whole family, probably beaming because their eldest has returned – and when he arrives, an attendant hands him the scroll of Isaiah. He opens the scroll and finds the place of those exact words. The book of the Prophet Isaiah has 66 chapters – so it had to be either an enormous scroll, or Isaiah was broken down into smaller scrolls. Even so, that’s a heck of a lot of text.

If we go to Jeremiah, we get these words – consecrated, appointed. Consecrated also means sanctified; appointed can also mean ordained. Jeremiah protests, saying he is only a boy. God’s response is that Jeremiah will go where he is sent, speak the words given to him – and then God says “Don’t be afraid of them, I will be with you to ensure you are looked after.”

When Jesus read the passage from Isaiah about bringing good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, he meant it. When he announced that this scripture had been fulfilled in their hearing, he meant it. When he proclaimed the restoration of the just and equitable society that God had intended, he meant it. Jesus wasn’t speaking in vague terms about some nice idea put down in scripture years ago; he was bringing the scripture home to them, up close and personal.

He heard them muttering amongst themselves; so then, he brought up those awkward texts from their own scriptures, when God had blessed people other than those who called themselves “chosen”. Elijah was sent to a starving widow in Sidon rather than a starving widow in Israel?  Someone who was NOT Israelite, not one of theirs. Why was a leper from Syria healed, rather than an Israelite leper? Not only not one of them, but a foreigner altogether. These were stories the people in Nazareth probably avoided, because their comfortable ideas of their special status with God would be challenged. They didn’t want to think about the just and equitable society that God intended, if it had to include people like that widow and that leper. They wanted to avoid dealing with it because a truly just and equitable society as God intends requires every person to make it a just and equitable society.  And those people didn’t deserve such treatment. They had always believed God only comes to certain people. The others could take care of themselves; the people of Nazareth, and of Israel, thought their own should be looked after first. Why heal a sick Syrian when we have so many poor and sick people right here? Never mind that those people were shunned by those very same Israelites, for being unclean. Never mind that they weren’t allowed to live in towns. We have to take care of our own first. God chose us, right? 

Except Jesus had other ideas.  He wasn’t concerned with just one group of people, he was beginning to realise who God’s people were, and that the notion of being ‘chosen’ above others was foolish.  He was called, sanctified, ordained into ministry to people – all people. The Spirit of God was upon him, he was anointed to bring good news to the poor – all the poor, not just a select group.  Release to all those captives – by life, circumstance, spiritual and personal issues, prisoners. Recovery of sight to all those unable to see – physically, spiritually, emotionally. To proclaim God’s Jubilee to everyone. Suddenly that comfortable and familiar passage from Isaiah, read by someone they had known since he was two years old, now required something uncomfortable and unfamiliar. In reality they had lost sight of the promise in those words, that they too were released from their captivity and oppression, and that the year of the Jubilee year was for them too.  He was explaining the sense of the scriptures and they didn’t like what they heard. They were uncomfortable. Faith, and synagogue, and church – are not meant to be comfortable.

They had forgotten that each one of them was a child of God, - named, gifted, called –consecrated and sanctified – that they also were gifted by God and were called to live that piece of scripture. Instead they focused on the anger and betrayal they felt when Jesus reminded them that God comes to anyone God chooses. God doesn’t just come to one group of people, and things weren’t going to happen the way they wanted it to. Jesus proclaimed new sight for the blind; they realised they had chosen to blind themselves to the truth of God’s abundant love and grace through whatever channel God chose – even people who didn’t believe the same way they did within their own faith, or who weren’t the same religion or ethnicity at all.  Recognising the truth of his words, they chose rather to remain blind, and direct their anger at the prophet who brought them the word – to shoot the messenger.

The Spirit of God is upon us; we are anointed to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the Jubilee, to let everyone know that God’s favour is given everywhere in the world, regardless of faith, colour, gender.  Today the scripture stands, and all of God’s people regardless of faith or gender or orientation or colour, have been anointed to fulfill it again for the building up of all.

Come, open the scroll and read the words: “The Spirit of God is on me because God anointed me to preach good news to the poor,  heal the heartbroken, announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners, to announce the year of God’s Jubilee.” Because we are loved by God, gifted by God, blessed by God for ministry. All of us. May it be so.

I (Still) Have a Dream January 20, 2019 Trillium United Church Caledon Psalm 36:5-10 1Corinthians 12:3-13

Psalm 36:5-10

Your steadfast love, O God, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.  Your righteousness is like mighty mountains, your judgments  are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O God. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them  drink from the river of your delights.  For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!

 1 Corinthians 12:3-13

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

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In December of 1955, Rose Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to move to the back of a city bus. Leaders in the African-American community organized a city-wide transportation boycott, and turned to the young black pastor, Martin Luther King, Jr. as the leader. King was just 26 years old, and was torn by issues of call - to ministry, to discipleship. God called him to a vastly different ministry - and the rest is history. He became President of a new organisation called the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He organised the great civil rights marches. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. His call spelled the end of his life, figuratively and literally speaking

On this day in 1968, singer Eartha Kitt spoke at the White house luncheon, on juvenile delinquency and crime. She said that it was not an issue of delinquency, but one of anger. Young people are angry, she said, because their parents are angry….because there is a war going on that they don’t understand….you send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. They rebel in the street.

The retaliation for this honest critique of the war in Viet Nam was so swift and strong that it was only a matter of hours before her career in the US was ruined for 10 years.  The CIA continually tried to undermine her. She commented that although she never regretted speaking out, she learned that “IF you tell the truth – in a country that says you’re entitled to tell the truth – you get your face slapped and you get put out of work.”

But even further back than these – Viola Desmond, a Canadian businesswoman of Black Nova Scotian descent, challenged racial discrimination at the Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow by refusing to leave her seat in a whites-only area of the theatre.

Carrie Best, black Canadian journalist and social activist. Portia White, Canadian operatic soprano.

How many of us have heard of these people?  Why not?

Canada in fact had its slavery and segregation. Slavery was legal in this country until 1834 when slavery was declared illegal in all British colonies. Technically.  Africville, and Cole Harbour in Nova Scotia are two locations where so -called “freed” slaves were sent to live. Segregation was legal. In 1965 the last segregated black school was closed in Merlin, Ontario. We have a Canadian KKK.

Jesus often talked about time, but not chronos time, which gives us calendars, clocks, human aging. He  said  “The realm of God has come near.”  In today’s Gospel  from John, at the wedding in Cana, he says very cryptically “my time has not yet come”.  I believe he was talking about Kairos time, or God’s time.  I think he was astute enough to know something was coming, and that he would play a role. 

 Leaders in the civil rights movement, leaders in most civil rights movements, were suddenly in God’s time – everything came together in that one moment when they stepped beyond what they thought they were.  Martin Luther King Jr. commented that at root, he always thought of himself as a Baptist preacher.  I would be willing to bet Viola Desmond, Rosa Parks only thought of themselves as ordinary people.  But in ‘kairos’ time, God’s time – they were called into something else. And gifts they hadn’t ever thought they had emerged. The strength and courage to respond. The gifts of the Spirit given at the time of need.

I got to thinking about all the calls to follow, throughout the Bible. Moses, Abraham. Joshua, Esther, Miriam, Mary, Joseph, Jesus,  Peter, John, and all those through the years who have been confronted with a “God’s time” scenario. Maybe the fishermen recognised at some deep spiritual level that this was Kairos time. Mark records Jesus using the word "kairos”. God’s time. So when he says “Follow me” he is saying “turn from what you are now and embrace this good news, become something more." Kairos time means the right time, in which your whole life is caught up in a moment, when everything crystallizes, and everything hinges on whether you say yes or no.

And even if not on such a seemingly grand scale, there comes for all a time that is Kairos time - a time when we say yes and trust.  Martin Luther King recognised that beyond a call to ministry, God called him into an unknown future.   

So, are we ever going to face such moments? Ordinarily I would say no, but in today’s political and racial climate, I am not so sure.  We thought, with the civil rights movement and the changes in legislation, integration – that the world had changed for the better. We thought those issues had been addressed and would gradually cease to be issues at all. Yet we still have a disproportionate number of people of colour being stopped by police, being arrested for nothing, in Toronto and elsewhere. We see on the news young people from a Catholic school abusing a Native elder who is a Viet Nam veteran. We think maybe that’s the US, not us BUT in Manitoba the majority of children removed from their parents are still First Nations – even if there is no reason to remove them. 

If we saw a person of colour being abused, or discriminated against, would we say something? If we saw a young Muslim woman in a hijab being attacked or harassed on the street, would we do something? Because these situations call us into God’s time – where there is a call to follow the way of Jesus.Even sometimes at personal risk.

The Psalmist says  “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” These are the words of an ordinary person, in some way gifted and called to write – poetry for all of us. Something offered which benefits more than just one. A call to use gifts we maybe don’t know we have till God’s time comes for us – and we are called to respond.

My colleague in Deep River, Connecticut, Rev. Tim Haut has written this poem - CALLED

We are called

to leave behind our solitary searching,
to put on that single garment of destiny -
the uniform of faithfulness -
worn by creatures great and small,
old and forgotten,
young and eager,
broken and bewildered,
spirited and set on fire:
sisters and brothers who share not race or tongue,
but whose hearts are claimed by love,
signed by a cross.
Our future is together, arm in arm,
finding healing as we heal,
knowing freedom in our forgiving.
We are the strangest travellers:
seeking no reward at trail's end,
As long as we know the joy of journeying with him.
We are called
Disciples.
We are called His.


Sources:
1. “Called and Named” January 18, 2009 Rev. Fran Ota
2. www.zinnedproject.org
3. Poem by Rev. Timothy Haut, Deep River, Connecticut. January 18, 2009.

“Jesus is Baptised?” January 13, 2019 Trillium United Church Pastoral Charge Luke 3:17-19, 21-22

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

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A little historical setup: We don’t see this as clearly in the Luke text as we might if we read Matthew – but in the early days when John had started his ministry and Jesus was beginning, John had a large following who believed he was the expected Messiah. He preached radical resistance to the Romans – he was a firebrand – he fit the picture people had of what their Messiah would be like. If we think about the Easter story, and Judas, there’s a theory that Judas really believed if he set up a confrontation, Jesus would defeat the soldiers. A great king would overthrow the Romans. The people could only think in terms of violent overthrow, and John the  Baptiser with his provocative rhetoric, would fit the bill. So there was some conflict between the followers of John (and Matthew leaned a bit to John) , and those of Jesus.

Now, we tend to think of baptism as something specifically Christian invented by Jesus. It wasn’t. The Jews practised baptism as a form of purification. John used and adapted baptism as the central symbol or sacrament of his messianic movement. Most scholars agree that John baptised Jesus, and some believe Jesus was a follower or disciple of John, who took up ministry when John was killed. The New Testament texts in which John is mentioned portray him as rejecting this idea, although several New Testament accounts report that some of Jesus’ early followers had previously been followers of John. Some scholars maintain that John was influenced by the Essenes, who expected an apocalypse and practiced baptismal rituals.

In this text today, John the Baptiser clearly states that one will come who is greater than he is. And he was preaching identity – you are the baptised. Word was out that something was happening in the Jordan. So people came by the hundreds to the river – and through the ritual of immersion washed themselves of their old ways, were purified and made new - John used that water as a way for people to express their desire for a new identity, to create a new life. And John says one greater is coming – and Jesus stepped into the water and the Spirit descended “like a dove” and gave him his identity – God’s son. In a sense, that’s when his life really began. In the waters of baptism with the Spirit.

Rev. Dr. William Willimon says that the question "Who am I?" forms a life-long crisis of identity. Whether in your 20s, 30s, 40s, or well into retirement, the question still stands on our doorstep to haunt us. Who am I? I am quite sure that is a question Jesus was asking as well.

In Japan, the current government wishes to change the current constitution which was written following the second world war – and which is an anti-nuclear, anti-military constitution. For children born in that period, many find their identity in a peace constitution for Japan. Norio is one of them. They do not wish to revert to the pre-war constitution, which would give much greater military authority. My husband says that is an integral part of his identity – take that away and you take away a part of what has shaped and made whole generations of people.

That question “Who Am I?” When we’re asked – how do we answer? We might give the place we were born, who our parents were and where they came from, our education and training. We might give what our work was and is. Yet at every stage of our lives, a deeper ‘Who am I?’ lives. How do we define ourselves? What defines us?  

Christian baptism in our current transition. gives a name. In earlier times, the Church named the child. In Jesus’ time, the day of birth was not celebrated – the day of presentation at the temple when the name was given, was celebrated. Baptism was a cultural practice and a choice. Today among many cultures, when a person becomes a Christian, they replace their given name for a Christian name. They want to express an identity change. When Abram becomes Abraham once he received God’s promise to make of him a mighty nation; when Cephas became Peter the rock upon which Jesus would build. Saul the Persecutor becomes Paul the Apostle. Name changes signify a new beginning, a radical break with the old. At baptism, God takes you and says, "Your name is Christian." Baptism says that we are named, and claimed by God. We have a hymn “I have called you by your name, you are mine.”

Remember the “Roots” series? In a memorable scene, the slave Kunta Kinte waits beside the horses while his master attends a ball. While he sits in the buggy he hears other music coming from the slaves’ quarters. Different music, strange rhythms. His legs independently take him down the path to the little cabins. There he hears music he remembered from his childhood in Africa. The man was from his part of that continent, and they talked in his native language - stories of home. That night Kunta went home changed. He lay on the dirt floor of his cabin and wept, in sadness because he had almost forgotten; weeping for joy because he had remembered. Slavery and humiliation had almost erased his memory, but the music helped him to remember.

Who are you? Who were you, as a person? Have you changed? How? Each time something changes in our lives – marriage, children, employment, illness, travel – it changes us. Or it should.

Who are we, as a congregation? We have taken a risk with God and given up our old identities,  - we gave up being Adjala, or Hockley, or Mono Mills – those are part, but no longer all of who we are.. We have taken on a new identity – Trillium United Church – and we chose the trillium because it is Ontario’s flower, with three petals – and to define who we are together as God’s own, as we go forward.

We are here all of us to remind each other that we have been named  - as children of God and as a church of God. That we are named by our choice and the working of the Spirit, and claimed as God’s own in a new identity. When Jesus went to be baptised, he was not the same person who entered the water – he was named and claimed as God’s son. So we claim our baptism – by water, and by the Spirit which continues to lead us; be thankful, for this is who you are, who we are. Amen.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist

Who Are You? a sermon based on Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 by Rev. Tom Hall

Another Road Matthew 2:1-12 Epiphany Sunday January 6, 2019

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.

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‘Mage, they call me, Magus, or magician; diviner, sorcerer, wizard. They think I know and can control future events. In truth I can't. They are who and what they are, whoever and whatever they were made. I have not the power to change them. I am a scholar. My interest has always been the sun and moon, the stars and planets. What are their rhythms? What effect do they have on the earth, on people, on events? It is an ancient and honorable profession.

That's what started us on that journey so long ago. Something which looked like a star appeared, one we had never seen before. Without warning it appeared in our Western sky, blazing several orders of magnitude brighter than anything we had seen. Nowhere was there a record describing a star suddenly appearing in such a fashion. There were popular legends, of course, of stellar events which heralded important earthly events, such as the birth of a prophet or an Emperor. We read the holy writings of the Israelite people, and curiously there was a statement in the book the Israelites called Numbers:

      "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near – a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.... One out of Jacob shall rule....   (Numbers 24:15, 17, 19)

So, armed with observations, with prophetic words, and our need to find out, we set off on roads we had never travelled before, language we did not know, different food and different people. I never did like traveling. The camels were stubborn, balky, and miserably uncomfortable to ride. Unfortunately, in the desert camels are the best mode of transport. Sometimes I would get off and walk, just to get away from them. Most nights we camped by the road, with only a miserable fire to warm us, and our clothes to cushion the stone hard ground. If and when there was an inn, it was usually small and cramped, with poor food - and somehow whenever *we* appeared the prices were astoundingly expensive. Sometimes the smell of those places, or the bedbugs and fleas, made sleeping on the ground preferable.

On we went, mile after miserable mile, day after dreadful day, freezing in the snow which often hits this part of the country. I tell you, I was getting less and less optimistic about this journey. The problem was, many of my colleagues thought this was grand adventure, excitement and anticipation, the different food and landscapes amazing, the possibilities for learning endless. They would tell you it was the chance of a lifetime to do something completely unknown, to risk everything to take this journey.

Finally we came to Jerusalem; and were directed to the palace. Herod was king, the third ruler with that name. Because he succeeded in staying in favour with Rome and carried out a great building program to memorialise himself, he styled himself Herod the Great. We were ushered into his presence, and because of our credentials and the distance we had come, he treated us with some courtesy. So we asked where we might find the child born to be king of the Jews. We said we had seen the star, and deduced that it was connected to the ancient writings. When he heard our question his face paled; he was visibly shaken. Promising to consult priests and scholars, he dismissed us. We were taken to guest rooms where baths and food were provided. After we had rested, we were summoned to a private audience, and Herod questioned us about the star. When had it appeared? What did it look like? What made it so special? As we answered him, he determined that we should go on to Bethlehem. He told us to search for the child, and to make sure we let him know when this new king had been found.

Since Bethlehem was only about five miles south of Jerusalem, we set out late that afternoon. It was just dark when we arrived. Riding up the hill into the town, it appeared that the star had shifted and begun to move. Obviously Bethlehem was not going to be our next stop. So we continued, inquiring and learning that several families who had been there had left quite suddenly, and gone probably to Egypt. Well, once we had gone as far as Bethlehem, we felt we must go on to whatever end there was in this journey. We all agreed that we had been brought this way for a reason, even if that reason was not yet clear.

So on we went - all the way into a small place in Egypt, the star continuing to lead us - until suddenly it seemed to stop over a small house. Or maybe we just thought it did – I was never too sure. Yet we knew this was the place! When we were admitted, we saw in the lamplight a small child. His mother invited us to sit, and offered us food - humble, but delicious and warm, far better than the food in the inns. We knelt to look at this child more closely. He seemed ordinary, and yet there was nothing ordinary about him. It was as if he were filled with something far more than human. We gave our gifts, tokens of gold, incense and perfume. Even though his parents were poor peasants, they received our gifts with a royal grace and dignity, acknowledging us but in complete humility.

Since it was late and the road was quite dark, and they had little room inside, we camped yet another night, but in a small shed. The wind, for some reason, seemed not so cold, nor the ground quite so hard; but our sleep was filled with strange dreams. I awoke more than once feeling terrified. My dreams were filled with a vision of Herod's face streaked with blood, and loud screams of terror which made me break out in a sweat. Something was not right.

The next morning, over breakfast, we discovered we all had similar dreams, and that we would not return to Herod. Instead we angled around through the hills, back toward Hebron, but then East, below the Salt Sea, before returning to our homes on a different route – one far less travelled. On our way home, we heard the tales of a massacre of small boys under two years old.

That was many years ago, and I have taken other journeys since then, but none quite like that one. I am not even exactly sure why I undertook that journey, given that I don’t really like to travel without having a really precise road map all the way and all the details covered. I have come to think it was not by my choice that I went, but more that I was drawn on that journey, pulled by the one who inspired the prophecy and raised the star. On that journey, I saw two kings: one, Herod, a skilled political ruler who eliminated anything which he perceived as a threat; the other was the child. For all Herod's acumen and experience, he was no different than anyone else who has touched power. For all the child's helplessness and innocence, he seemed to be the embodiment of a saying from the ancient Israelite holy writings, come to life:

      "Look, the young woman shall become pregnant, and have a son, and he will be called

        Emmanuel," which in their language means, "God is with us."

I think that is the one phrase which sticks with me after all these years. Despite the cold, the discomforts, the strange food and dangerous roads, despite the fact that I am not even of their faith, I believe God was with us on that journey. Had I stayed home I would have regretted that for the rest of my life.”

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 “People who journey without being changed are nomads. People who change without going on a journey are chameleons. People who go on a journey and are changed by the journey are pilgrims.” (Rev. Jody Seymour)

Every year, we celebrate Epiphany on the Sunday closest to the actual day of January 6. Every year, the lectionary brings us the Magi. Every year we take all the elements of three years’ worth of biblical story and scrunch it down into roughly six weeks - four of Advent, one for Christmas, and one for Epiphany. We tend to forget that this was a story played out over several years, and with many layers of meaning.

The Greek historian Herodotus cites the Magi as Medeans living in Persia, which at the time of Jesus’ birth was part of the Parthian Empire. They were scientists, priests, astrologers, and existed for around five thousand years; they were almost certainly Zoroastrians. They were not just 'wise men,' nor were they kings. They were an entire social class of priests and sages.

“They were the center of spiritual-political authority through the ages of several great empires. They interpreted dreams and were responsible for sacred rituals, including animal sacrifices. The Magi may have even been responsible for crowning any new ruler who came to power. If true, then to be crowned without the favor of the Magi would jeopardize the legitimacy of any king.

The Magi believed that the stars could be used to predict the birth of great rulers. They believed that the next great ruler was about to be born: the "king of the Jews." But even so, why visit the newborn king of a foreign nation? It is not implausible to assume that the main intention of the Magi was diplomatic in origin. If a new king had been born, it would prove useful to pay tribute to him and his family. They may have assumed that Herod, the ruler of Judea and Palestine, had produced a son, an heir to his seat of power, who would exceed his father's legacy by leaps and bounds. Rome and Parthia were the two "superpowers" of the era, and Palestine was a significant part of the political view.”

Well, what did they find in Jerusalem? Herod had syphilis, was paranoid and almost dead. There was a laundry list of people happy to step in and help Herod along to the next world if need be. He had killed his previous wife and several sons out of suspicion that they were trying to kill him. He knew the new king was not one of his offspring. So he consulted with advisors, found out about the prophecy, and determined to find this usurper to his power.

After a journey of about 1300 miles into a foreign country, the Magi found Mary, Joseph and the child who was approximately two. What went through the minds of these astrologers and scientists as they met this peasant couple of a different race and religion? The gifts they brought imply a legitimising of the rule of this king. They were not Jewish. They were foreigners, Gentiles, considered pagan. If you look closely at your Christmas cards, you might see that tradition has one of them African, one Asian, and one Caucasian. Nowhere in the text does it say there were three - there could have been more.

Here’s a more modern tale from David Barker at West Hill United Church in 2009 - and I believe it relates very much to this story and its interpretation. “This Christmas, more than usual, people have been crying foul over issues of political correctness. The most notable instance of this arose around the decision by Seattle's Sea–Tac International Airport authority to remove from its premises all Christmas trees and related paraphernalia. .... A rabbi had petitioned the airport for inclusion of a menorah amongst the decorations. After consulting with its lawyers (naturally), it concluded that it would be simpler to remove all decorations than be sensitive to the existence of other faith traditions and their ways of celebrating. Seattle residents are angry.”

David goes on to ask these questions: “What if the Messianic announcement and the Jesus birth were calls, not to a new believing, but to a new doing? What if that nativity was a grand act of ecumenism, summoning the faithful, whatever the faith - like the Zoroastrian magi - to engage one another as fellow travelers on a spiritual pilgrimage? What if that is the Christmas message?”

Magi, rich and influential Zoroastrian priests, scholars and astrologers - made a pilgrimage to a town in a country more than a thousand miles from their home. They saw a convergence of celestial phenomena which they believed heralded the birth of a new king, perhaps even a new kind of king. They travelled an incredible distance, even by today’s reckonings, found the one they were seeking, and when they did presented incredibly expensive and significant gifts, and according to Matthew, worshipped the baby. They were not of the same faith as Jesus’ family, yet somehow what they found transcended any individual faith. The star, or the light, transcending religion.

I believe something happened to the Magi in that pilgrimage. Their instincts were all in place, and they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they could not return the same way they came, that in fact there was no return. So they revised their travel plans, and took another road. It was a road they had never travelled, and they knew there was danger. But they also recognised Herod as a danger. They were true pilgrims, because they were willing to set out on a long, long journey without knowing if they would even live. They found what they were seeking, and they went away changed by their entire experience. I am sure Mary and Joseph were changed by the encounter as well. In the story, Joseph and Mary did not turn away these “pagans”, or refuse to have anything to do with them because they were Gentiles. They did, apparently, welcome the visitors and accept the gifts. Hospitality to the stranger was paramount.

So who are we, today? Who are the Magi today, who come seeking? Do we want them to be like us? Are we true pilgrims, willing to be changed by what we experience? Are we willing to set out on an unknown road once more, looking for something but we aren’t sure what? Are we pilgrims, nomads, or chameleons?

Are we chameleons, changing to suit what is around us, to blend in so we don’t attract undue attention?  Are we nomads, wandering but with no vision of any kind, nothing to follow? Or are we pilgrims on a journey? Then we are on this journey with all peoples of all faiths - and we owe it to those others, and to God, to have respect for the many ways God is revealed in the world. Our religion should not become our God, but rather it should be the means by which we find our God revealed in humanity. May it be so.

Sources
1. www.magijourney.com

2. story based on blog “The Mage’s Tale” by William McWeeny 1997
3. http://nouspique.com/component/content/article/52/248-the-magi-today David Barker
4. Dr. Jody Seymour, Davidson United Methodist Church, Nor