Matthew 2.1-12                                                                             Epiphany Sunday, 2008

“STARS IN OUR EYES”

Normally, when we have stars in our eyes, it’s all about our own glory. Maybe we have met a celebrity or anticipate a cruise or caught wind of a compliment paid to us. Those are all good things, of course, but still about our own glory.  Epiphany is the day when we have stars in our eyes and it’s all about God’s glory, not ours.

How did the glory story of Epiphany unfold? A star led the way, light in darkness, hope amid despair. I hear people talk about the cold this time of year. But more vexing to me is how early darkness falls and how little light fills the winter skies. But Epiphany is good news of joy.  In our darkness, God sends a star. The glory story of Epiphany stars three characters. The magi, who were not kings or wise men but astrologers, savvy in how the heavens interact with earth.  King Herod is the second character, a dark one. And the star stars in a lofty role, playing itself.

Verse ten reads, “When the (magi) saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.” That’s interesting.  Why are foreigners, likely from today’s Iran or Iraq, so ecstatic? They knew nothing of Jewish prophecies of a Messiah’s birth.  But they were very happy.  They arrived at the stall where Jesus was born, opened their treasures and worshipped him. Why joy? I can answer in two words.

Road trip. Guys love a road trip. All right, I can be more theological, if you would like. It was a journey or search. These magi from the east were joyful because upon seeing baby Jesus, they had reached their long sought destination. Could you imagine the mockery they’d endure from the other magi back east for such a wild camel ride and coming back empty, prompted by no more than a rising star?

This was a high-risk journey for the magi.  No, I am not talking about the risk of getting robbed. I am talking about the risk of venturing no small amount of time and effort and face on some wild goose chase. These were men who were brave enough to venture forth on their trek, willing to risk a journey, who in their heart of hearts were looking for something more than what this world already had known. So, quite naturally, when the arrived at the goal of their search, they felt real joy.

How do you feel about road trips?  Kathy and her delegation departed yesterday for New Orleans, I’m sure they were in good spirits.  I know some like to stay put. My parents, for example, are so used to home and its comforts, I can’t get them to the Cape.  In November, at his birthday party, a relative was chiding my father for not visiting his middle and youngest sons at Cape Cod and California, respectively. These days he doesn’t get far from Michigan farmland of his birth. People who resist travel generally adore being in control of their surroundings. My younger brother traveled with his wife to Guanajuato, Mexico for Christmas and stayed with her family for 11 days. Many people were beneath that one roof. Only one bathroom was working. Need I say more? Every journey has it risks.
Journeys are risks; babies are certainly risks as well.  The birth of Jesus set into motion a whole train of difficult and bloody events, schemings and persecutions. The baby those magi discovered was not so much the end of the journey as its beginning, as Christ must always be for those inclined to follow him.  Notice I said follow him. We don’t just believe in Jesus, even more we actually follow him. And that implies a journey, a trip, a search, a quest, whatever you want to call it.

This much is surely true. Following Christ takes us to places we’d never would go without his leading.  Ask any of our dozen who were in Guatemala.  Every day they had moments, riding in the back of a pickup truck or watching a volcano spout its ash, when they mused to themselves, “I can’t believe I am doing this.” The last night, at devotions, I told them this is God’s idea of a good time. And its true, following Jesus is God’s idea of a good time and a good life. But that good life is like good wine, like the wine of this table.  You must cultivate a taste for it. Ultimately, of course, we’re all like the magi, star struck along life’s way. We see a light on the horizon and seek it. We look down an empty road and see promise.  Jesus takes us outside of ourselves and our too-safe lives to undreamt of places.

The third character, King Herod, promised more darkness than light on his path. While Jesus lay under the light of a shining star in the stable, King Herod was in his palace, fortified by his soldiers who responded to his merciless commands.  We call him King Herod, but he was really a fake king, a stooge king for the Roman Empire.  When Herod heard about this one star that had risen in the east, he became anxious. The star struck him dumb with fear.  Was it another threat?  When Herod got nervous, he made others suffer. After failing to get the magi to disclose Jesus’ whereabouts, Herod ordered a slaughter, killing every baby in Bethlehem under age two. But that was in character for the man. He murdered most of his good friends, his beloved wife, even three of his sons.  Why should holy Jesus be safe from his like? When Herod got nervous, all Jerusalem shook.

So where does that leave us in this story of Epiphany?  We have the star shining bright in the night sky.  We have the magi overwhelmed with joy.  And we have Herod lashing out with his murderous fear. The star gets our attention, doesn’t it? And it reminds us that joy and fear are two of the most basic choices in this life. Yes, I said choices.  Joy and fear are not merely feelings, they are also choices. I certainly don’t mean to deny feelings. But despite outward circumstances across time we can choose to live out of a place of joy or fear.  You and I have both met people who live out of both places. Fear tends to bring out the very worst in us, and joy the very best. And you know which side the star clearly commends to us.

How does the Epiphany story impact us at DUC? Before he left for Florida, our Treasurer stopped by my study.  Lo and I rejoiced at the good news that DUC posted a surplus of $3,297 from 2007.  But in the midst of my smiling I suddenly became uneasy. What about all of the handwringing?  What about all of the fear? 

Last year at many junctures a pall fell over council as we heard serious talk about staring down a five-figure deficit, similar to talk through late 2006. In part, I can understand that.  What with our ambitious building project, we have some anxiety in the system. That is natural enough. But we formed a Search Committee for an Associate Pastor last August.  And it was largely financial fears that kept us from commissioning them to go and do their work.  Friends, in a few months, we are going have this magnificent renovation completed. Talk about tidings of great joy.

But we need leadership to fill this new space with the glow of God’s transforming light.  Dennis Union Church bursts with energy and promise.  That inspired this grand project way back when.  We are at the threshold of a new era in our life.  We can almost taste it. But I can’t do it all alone.  We have too many vital fronts to move on. We are blessed, friends. Enough with tones of fear.  We are not the only church to know this struggle.  I remember something similar in my Colorado congregation as the general budget fell short and we had an ambitious goal in outreach.   Fear ruled the day, even though in the end we met both obligations. 

Afterward, I will always remember how a layperson commented, “Funny how as some speak of money in frightened tones, we treat those parties like they are the serious and responsible folk.  And if we don’t feel doom and gloom about money, something is wrong with us, we’re irresponsible.” But in truth constantly radiating fear just as God offers joyous promise drains the energy and festivity out of us. 

It’s a new year and time to move forward. The prospect greatly rejoices my heart. It’s time to revisit the vision that motivated us, put aside fear and hesitation, charge the Search Committee to do their job, and assemble our leadership team. Are we willing to continue life’s journey with joy, to relinquish the coziness of laying back, to venture forth not expecting guarantees but letting the Lord lead us forward by faith? Can we, as the church, rise with a shining new star of 2008 to a renewed sense of adventure?  Like the magi, we have come too far to turn back.

Like I said earlier, perhaps the chief requirement of being a Christian is to let go long enough to allow God to take us on a journey.  The heart of the matter is to fight the impulse to settle in, settle down, as if what God has already done is the journey’s end rather than gathering the sense that what’s best is yet to come.
But there’s no denying, we follow a living Lord who is alive and at work in the world. God expects a lot of us, taking us to heights we’d never arrive at alone. What does that news do to your heart? I hope it rejoices yours as it does mine.  Amen.