Matthew 2:1-12                                              Epiphany  – 12th Day of Christmas

 “On the twelfth day of Christmas, the Christians came to give.... themselves to the Christ,in whom they live.” This is the twelfth day. “Little Christmas” some people call it. One of my pet peeves is that people are so eager to celebrate Christmas during Advent and then on the 2nd day of Christmas, the 26th, it’s over. Tree on the street, decorations in the attic. Move on. Today, January 6th, is the last day of Christmas. What’s the big rush? Give the Lord a big present of love from your heart today. It is still Christmas. Send out warm greetings to your friends. Christmas is not over.

 We read the story of the wise men coming from the East to Jerusalem to bring their gifts. Now I’m not a preacher known for telling jokes in the pulpit, but I do like this one. How can you tell that the wise men were really women? They stopped to ask for directions. Now let me be quick to say that some men including my Richard do not fit this stereotype.

 Seriously, let’s look at what the Magi (a word meaning spiritual leaders) about our own lives with Christ. Before we read the story, let me draw your attention to several things:

 The Magi were willing to seek God without knowing exactly where they were going.  Are you willing to venture into the unknown in search of God?

 They were not afraid to ask questions along the journey.
 Are you asking questions?

 They listened to the king respectfully but they obeyed God, not Herod.
 Are you able to obey God, even if it means denying the wishes of powerful people.

 They were diligent. They kept searching, long and far.
 Can you hang in there with God, even if a star is all you have to find your way?

 They brought gifts of their valuables – gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
 Do you bring your valuables to God or your leftovers?

 Hear the story of the Magi bringing their gifts.
 

  ^NRS Matthew 2:1  In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." ³ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ⁶ 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" ⁷ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.
 ⁸ Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."  ⁹ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.
¹⁰ When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹ On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
 

 Like the Magi, who brought their valuables, you have valuables you can give to Christ.
But why would you want to give up your treasures – treasures of time, talent, and money?

Sometimes we give out of a sense of obligation or fairness.

Sometimes we give because it makes us feel worthy and proud. We want recognition.

Sometimes we give because we are thankful for all we’ve been given. Gratitude.

Sometimes we give because of our desire to bring joy to another. Generosity.

Sometimes we give because it seems to be the best way to express our devotion.

 None of those modes of giving are wrong. But the higher ones are more enduring.
Yet giving out of a sense of obligation is better than not giving at all. But the river of obligation can run dry. Giving out of a need for recognition means that if people are not patting you on the back, you burn out. Still those lower means of giving can be part of the discipline that leads us into higher modes of giving.

 Look at the image of the Magi bringing their gifts. Pure generosity and devotion. They are not focused on their gifts, but on Christ. They are adoring the gift of God in the Infant Christ. They are expressing their devotion as they give generously. They are giving their hearts to Christ, even as they give gold, frankincense and myrrh.

 Do you love the Lord? I do. I love the Lord for coming to live among with us, for living our life and dying our death for us, for showing us the way. I love the Lord because God’s love surrounds us and fills our lives with grace, unmerited favor. God gives us security, a sure and trustworthy promise to provide for all our deepest needs. I love the Lord and am devoted to serving the Lord all my days – no matter what I do, in professional ministry or not. I want to bring God joy by doing what God wants me to do. God has so richly blessed me with a good life, I want to pay it forward. I want to give to others as an expression of my gratitude. I love the Lord so much that I came to Florida even though I did not want to move to Florida. I continue to preach with some fear and trembling because I am not enamored with public speaking. There’s a sense of obligation to be doing what I’m doing because I know God called me here. And yes, there is some ego involvement too, some desire for recognition, a sense of value, I must admit. So you see, I can go up and down the ladder with obligation, recognition, gratitude, generosity, and devotion. What about you?

 My role as your pastor is to help you grow in the spirit of giving, in responding to
God’s great gift with your gifts. If I’m doing my job in ministry, then I am equipping you for your ministry, not just inviting you to help me with mine. So I share the motivations for my giving, for engaging in this ministry together, and I invite you to consider your own.

 So that’s why on this first Sunday of the new year, I am asking you to take some considerable time to pray over your own ministry with Peace or whatever other church
you might be called to serve. And yes, I believe every Christian is called to be part of
a church. One of the biggest lies of our current generation is the notion that people can be Christian without the Church. (That’s a sermon for another day) Back to the subject: What is God calling you to do in 2008? Whether you are five or fifteen or fifty or one hundred and five years old, God is calling you to give of yourself in love. I know you are listening because you are here. Take some time now to pray, to meditate over the image on the screen, and to consider how you are expressing your love for God, your gratitude for all God has done for you. How are you being generous, fulfillling your obligations and experiencing the value of involvement.  If you aren’t doing much for God, then your love for God will diminish. If your not giving time or energy or money to Peace Church, you will find it difficult to sustain interest in Peace Church.

 Think about it in terms of a family relationship. If Richard and I stop serving one another, then the love gradually diminishes. If we serve one another in word and
deed -- even out of obligation sometimes -- we keep the fires of devotion burning. So it is with God and the church. If I feel no obligation to the church, if I make little investment of myself in the church, in service to God, then the embers of my Christian faith do not burn brightly. This little light of mine becomes a flicker, a wick nearly burned out.

 The magi brought different gifts, not all the same. You each bring different gifts too and we are here to celebrate the gifts you bring and to invite you to use whatever you have to give in service to God – during the week in your workplace and/or home and in your service to the church. Please take time now to read and prayerfully work on the page in your bulletin. These baskets will be used to collect the offerings of your skill and service later in the service. Children and youth, you have your special page. If you are visiting with us, I hope you will find this to be a useful quiet time to meditate on how your love for God is reflected in your daily life. All that we do as Christians is service to God, not just our “church work.” If you’re not connected to a church, I hope you will want to commit yourself to this wonderful though not perfect community of faith. Your life of faith will be rich to the degree that you make a commitment to journey to places unknown, seeking Christ, asking others for directions, and ultimately delivering your gifts, your treasures of time and talent, skills and service to God Incarnate, who has created you as a work of art. God is not finished with you yet.