Gathering

We gather: a community of faith in God’s subversive world. We gather to celebrate that no darkness can extinguish light, to remember that love will always be more powerful than death, and to trust that peace will always be stronger than violence.

We gather, people of faith in the light of God’s world. Welcome to worship.

Story Time

Scripture

Coming of the Magi

Matthew 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. ² They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

³ When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. ⁴ He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

⁶ You, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
        by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah,
            because from you will come one who governs,
            who will shepherd my people Israel.”

⁷ Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” ⁹ When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. ¹¹ They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

Reflection

 Prayers

God of revelation and epiphany—
Through the words of the prophets
You have shown us the world
of your dreaming and longing:
A world built on justice,
overflowing with plenty,
and crowned with joy.
And through the coming of Emmanuel –
his living and loving,
his words and actions—
you have shown us
how such a world might be fashioned.

Help us to take, hold and grow into these understandings;
and, like Jesus,
may we always be ready
to live generously,
love expansively,
speak boldly
and act courageously,that the Kingdom of your dreaming,
with its justice, abundance and joy,
may become the present reality
of all the peoples of this world. Amen