The Epiphany star today

Responding to a restlessness within

The Magi embarked on a journey

They followed their star,

a sign that called them out of the comfort

of familiar patterns

to seek fulfilment of their yearning.

They set out

with no guarantee of success,

not even sure what success might look like.

They set out to encounter the Unknown

but longed for.

Seen as strangers,interlopers, imposters,

greeted at times with deference,

but also with suspicion.

What turmoil did their journey incite

in those they left behind

and in those who greeted them

on the road?

What joy and destruction

did they leave in their wake?

And if, today, our restlessness 

should compel us to follow a star:

How will we know we are heading in the right direction?

Will there be markers along the way?

Or is it simply the compulsion of our faith

that spurs us on?

Who will accompany us on the journey?

What must we leave behind?

Will we be mindful of the passions 

of those we encounter on the path?

Of the longings we stir up in others?

And what gifts might we bring?

What, for us, would be as precious

or as insightful

as gold, frankincense and myrrh?

May your Epiphany star

guide and compel

and lead you to fulfilment.

May you discover your passion

and the resources within

to bring your unique gifts

and pay homage to the babe

long gone from the stable

but still drawing those who seek 

on an unpredictable adventure in faith.

May you see that star

poised over the shelter for the homeless

or pausing to illuminate

lives touched by grief,

the Epiphany Star

guiding those who worship the Christ child

to all those places

where the Incarnation

is needed today.

Ditching the dream?

The Magi put their considerable wealth and experience

behind their mission to follow the star.

But, when push came to shove,

they weren't too high and mighty

to change their plans

and return by another way.

Having stirred up a hornet's nest

of insecurity and threat,

corruption and evil

in a malevolent power,

their humility saved the life

of the child born to be king.

And their presents

of gold, frankincense and myrrh,

which must have seemed so impractical

quickly took on a whole new meaning

becoming just what the baby God needed.

We may not have their wealth or wisdom

though perhaps we do.

But we too are called

to that moment of Epiphany

and, having offered our gifts,

to be willing to change our course

and be led in a new direction.

And though the road ahead is seldom clear

in the absence of a star

yet it is full of adventure

and mystery

and learning

and growth

ours for the discovering.

An Epiphany for today

and everyday.

12 Days - and more

In all the hustle and bustle of getting ready for Christmas, it's easy to forget that the Christmas season lasts 12 days - and the rest.
By the time we have slogged through the preparation and anticipation of Advent, we reach that final carol of the Midnight Watchnight Service, our excitement tinged with relief and weariness.
And often, the Sunday between Christmas and New Year is seen as the final opportunity of the season to sing all those Christmas Carols that we held back on during Advent.
So, by the time the first Sunday of the New Year rolls around, we forget that we haven't celebrated those wise visitors from the East.
We're anxious to remove the decorations and get back to our routines.
We miss out on our Epiphany - literally and figuratively.
And we shake off the impact of the Incarnation.
We distance ourselves from the disturbing persistence of God with us.
Perhaps it's a coping mechanism.
A means by which we avoid confronting the darkness of today that is more than a match for the darkness that accompanied the backlash of slaughter and repression that followed the Magi's enquiries about the birth of a king.
If we remove the Christmas clutter and tidy away the tree, we can move on through the year.
On the other hand, if we linger around Bethlehem, awaiting the gifts and the wisdom that are on their way, awaiting the dawning of light and embracing that light to lead us forward, perhaps we can take the Incarnation with us into our hurting world along with the wisdom and the gifts that will enable us to confront the powers of darkness that affect the children of our world today.

The Magi -
was their visit worth the wait?
It took them some time
to follow their star
and wind their way
to the birthplace
of a king.
And on the way
they stirred up
political angst
and insecurity
inciting slaughter
to protect
an evil regime.
Their gifts betrayed
great insight
into the life
and death
of the one
they sought to honour.
And they knew
the culmination
of their lifetime's work.
They received their Epiphany -
and created for us
the opportunity
to be dazzled too
by the light of the One
Born to be king.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Epiphany

Flight to Egypt
As the Holy Family fled
from the backlash
of a power hungry ruler,
did they have time to reflect
on how the Son of God
was worshipped by lowly shepherds
who journeyed to the stable
just as they were
responding to good news
as only they could.
Abandoning for a moment
their mundane hillside task
to pay homage with all that they had
recognising instinctively
something wondrous
unfolding in their midst.
And yet the star gazers
with all their power and privilege
brought a whole caravan of trouble
stopping off en route
to alert an insecure king
to the possibility of threat,
lured by their heritage
to a royal courtyard
rather than a stable floor.
And if they did
were their reflections harsh
and resentful
blaming their predicament
on the crassness of those
unfamiliar with poverty
and with life at the margins?
Or did they recognise
that to worship the Messiah
was a gift extended to all?
Were their hearts open enough
to welcome the homage
that each brought
from all that they knew best?
To know that each and all
are invited and welcomed
and valued.
To know that each and all
are offered the opportunity
to worship
the Son of God.
In such knowledge is Epiphany.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Seeing the light

We can't be sure there were three of them

We can't be sure they were men

And they don't seem to have been particularly wise

stirring up a political storm

causing havoc in their wake

and untold grief

at the slaughter of innocents.

Condemning the Holy family

to life as refugees

their gift about which we rarely speak

choosing to focus instead

on the gold, frankincense and myrrh.

And yet perhaps that gift of flight

was as significant as any other

in determining the affinity

that God laid down

with suffering, oppressed humanity

unlocking the way

that all might see

that God was - and is

one of us.

Liz Crumlish Epiphany 2012