Tuesday, January 2, 2018

The Epiphany of the Lord

Our readings for the Feast of the Epiphany are:
  1. Isaiah 6: 1-6
  2. Psalms 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
  3. Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6
  4. Matthew 2: 1-12
  • And what are you radiating today?
    • What are some of the lessons that you've learned from the lives of others?
    • How did you become aware of those lessons?  Was it when you tried to describe the influence that person has had on you to someone else, or maybe when they passed, or you had the occasion to think about your relationship with that other person?
    • Who might be some folks who are influenced/inspired by you?
    • What do you think that you might be inspiring them to?
  • Politics as usual
    • It's somewhat fashionable to be cynical about government, but there are no end of prayers in the Bible for God to bless the king.  Why is that?
    • Do you think any of those reasons apply today?
    • Do you think God is a Democrat or a Republican, maybe He's a Green?
  • What are you stewarding today?
    • A steward administers his master's assets on the master's behalf.
    • What has God given you to be steward over?
    • How is that going?
    • Do you think that the blessings/assets that we steward changes over time?
    • How do you know when your "portfolio" goes through a change like that?
  • The King of the Jews hits it big and goes global, no, cosmic!
    • If Jesus isn't just King of the Jews, or Lord of the Christians, why is it that the rest of the world doesn't believe the way we do?  After all, they seem like rational people.  Don't they have the internet "over there"?
    • How can we be more hospitable to others seeking to know Jesus better?
    • What might we be able to learn from other traditions/cultures/world views?
    • What really is ecumenism, and why should we care?
Preparation for Reconciliation:
  1. Who are the influential people in my life?  Do they know that?
  2. When was the last time that I prayed for anyone in office?
  3. How am I growing the gifts within me?
  4. Do I live a life that would be at all appealing to anyone else?

Shalom!


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