Feast of the Epiphany

Our readings for the Feast of the Epiphany are:

1. Isaiah 60: 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

• Manifestations
• Some of us feel that God hides in the little things, others believe that He walks cloaked in coincidence.  I believe that His manifestations are everywhere, if we just look for them.
• Who in your life has shown you God's generosity?
• How did that abundance change your life?
• How did you come to recognize that manifestation of God in your life?

• Vote early, vote often
• It's easy to get cynical about politics, politicians, government and our ability to have any sort of impact in the public sector.
• Is it worth it to pray for our elected officials?
• Is it worth it to hold them accountable for their actions?
• Is it worth it for us to become familiar with and understand all of the complexities of the issues that they have to deal with day in and day out?
• If you did pray for our elected officials, what would you pray?
• How would you tell if God answered that prayer?

• From the wrong side of the tracks
• Here in California, the Jesus movement of the 60s caught many by surprise.  Established churches felt that they had little in common with, and less to offer those on the fringes, the hippies, the protesters, those who burned their draft cards or their bras, but others caught a vision of God working in and through those passionate members of that generation to make a bigger difference in the world than any of them could imagine.
• Who are the folks that would surprise you by coming to your church?  Would it be AIDS victims, the unemployed, the young, addicts, maybe folks sporting dreadlocks, ...?
• How would you be able to be a manifestation of Jesus in their lives?
• How can you prepare to be more welcoming, more inclusive, more holy?

• The power of God
• Being king is a stressful occupation.  Everyone else wants your job.  Unfortunately, in Jesus' day, when your rule was at an end, it was not a golden handshake that you got, or a nice apartment adjoining the palace.  Your end was likely to be violent.
• What are some things that you cannot think of living without?  Maybe its the home that has been the place for so many happy memories, or a person in your life who means so much to you, or a successful job where you are appreciated and cherished.
• Are any of those so precious to you that you could not give it up if you needed to in order to move forward in your life?
• What are you going to do about it?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How can I manifest God's abundance through my life?
2. How can I find hope for my country, for the world?
3. Where is God calling me to greater hospitality?
4. Where is God calling me to leave things behind, to move on in my life?

God of Surprises

Oh God, beyond all praising,
Teach me the way of the humble,
The path of the lowly.

That I might see You
Whether you come by camel,
Life in all its messiness, or an extended hand.

Clear my eyes to see you as others see you
To see how you manifest Yourself to all of us
To realize the holiness of a warm welcome.

That my prayers may unite with theirs
In appreciation of your radiance
In all its thousands of hues and faces.

Merry Christmas!