So May We

 
When I think about celebrating Epiphany, I remember Pastor Fitz, his long, black cape billowing in the gentle Michigan breeze, as he led the people in prayer before the towering bonfire was lit in the church parking lot.  Epiphany signals the end of the traditional twelve days of Christmas, so I suppose that's the reason the Christmas trees were burned after the evening Epiphany service.  That roaring bonfire still crackles warmly in my memory.

Epiphany is a Christian holiday, falling on January 6.  The word epiphany means “manifestation” or “revelation," and is usually associated with the visit of the Wise Men to Bethlehem to see the Christ Child.  Even though they were gentiles, the men known as Magi came to worship Jesus, whom they hailed as King of the Jews.  The Magi were the first non-Jews to recognize Jesus as the one who was sent from God to rescue all people of every nationality.
Many people assume that three Wise Men traveled from the East to see Jesus, since they brought three gifts.  However, we don't really know how many people came.  The Magi were probably not kings, although they may have served as advisers in the court of some Eastern emperor.  They probably arrived several months after Jesus' birth, following the star that God placed in the sky to attract their attention in the first place.  Their costly gifts were unusual offerings to give a child, even one of royal birth.  The gold was a proper gift for a king, but those Wise Men must have been at least a little bewildered to find Jesus in such humble surroundings in the tiny village of Bethlehem.  The frankincense, which was normally burned in temple rituals, recognized Jesus' role as our ultimate High Priest.  Mary must have shuddered when she saw that strange gift of myrrh, a funeral spice, customarily used to prepare a body for burial.

Altogether, the story of the Wise Men is a rather startling tale.  Just think of it--some brilliant men who knew enough to understand the significance of a new bright star in the sky, and who were able to follow it straight to Jesus, an unlikely child who was sent by God to fulfill hundreds of ancient Biblical prophecies.  They originally consulted King Herod about the birth of the new king, but took an alternate route back to their country after they were warned in a dream to avoid Herod, who wanted to harm anyone else who might claim to be a king of the Jews.  (To read the whole story, see Matthew 2: 2-23.)
It is Epiphany, a time when we think about those Wise Men who traveled so far, just to worship Jesus.  It's almost time to pack away the nativity scene, carefully wrapping up those shepherds and Wise Men, the sheep and camels, Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger.  I'll put them in the basement storeroom to wait for another year, another Christmas.

But, as I pack away those Wise Men, I'll pray that we, too, will continue to seek the Savior, Jesus our King, throughout the days ahead, just as the Magi did so long ago.

The Wise Men Came  (So May We)                                 
Janet Bauer, December 14, 2013

The wise men came to greet the King;
They traveled far, their gifts to bring.
They found the Child in Bethlehem,
Beneath the star that guided them.
   So may we come to meet Him now;
   At Jesus’ feet, we, too, shall bow.

A gift of gold for Christ the King,
And frankincense, their offering,
In tribute to this God we love,
Our great High Priest, from heaven above.
   So may we honor God, our King;
   With thankful hearts, our praise we bring.

The myrrh they gave, like fine perfume,
Would clothe His body in the tomb. 
This human Child, this lowly one,
Who came to die, was God’s own Son.
   So may we bow, with one accord,
   To thank our resurrected Lord.

The Magi brought such priceless things,
To lay before the King of kings.
But one more thing they came to do,
They knelt in awe to worship, too.
   So may we worship, praise, and sing
   To Christ, our Savior, God, and King.

   So may we worship and adore
   The One who reigns forevermore.

Click on the arrow below to hear this song:












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