Following a Star!
Matthew 2:1-12
Epiphany Sunday - January 6, 2008
Rev. Nancy Pfaltzgraf
I'd like to introduce you to a new friend of mine. Her name is Natalie; she's the GPS
unit that Tom gave me about the middle of December as an early Christmas gift. When I
first received Natalie, in order to learn how she worked, I programmed several of my
frequently used and well-known destinations into her. One of the things I discovered in the
process is that the way I normally drive between home and church is NOT the way Natalie
wants me to go. So for the first mile or two, when I ignore one of her directions, Natalie
makes suggestions like "In 300 feet, please make a U-turn, if possible," or "In .1 miles, turn
left,"; each instruction designed to get me back on the route that she thinks is the best.
Finally, when I'm far enough off course that it's impractical to follow her preferred route,
she completely recalculates where I am and sends me there by another way.
Another thing I discovered is that on very bright sunny days it's hard to see Natalie's
screen and I have to rely more on her verbal directions. But if I have the radio too loud,
then I'm in danger of missing even those bits of guidance about where I should be turning.
One day, as I was ignoring yet another set of Natalie's instructions the thought hit me,
"I wonder what I might be missing by not following her directions?" So the next morning
when heading to my chiropractor, I decided to follow her lead and see where she took me. I
truly wondered about the wisdom of that decision as she had me turn on what seemed to be
a very narrow, very obscure street. But in short order I realized that she had found a
delightful, very lightly traveled short-cut and I arrived early for my appointment!
Matthew 2:1-12
Epiphany Sunday - January 6, 2008
Rev. Nancy Pfaltzgraf
I'd like to introduce you to a new friend of mine. Her name is Natalie; she's the GPS
unit that Tom gave me about the middle of December as an early Christmas gift. When I
first received Natalie, in order to learn how she worked, I programmed several of my
frequently used and well-known destinations into her. One of the things I discovered in the
process is that the way I normally drive between home and church is NOT the way Natalie
wants me to go. So for the first mile or two, when I ignore one of her directions, Natalie
makes suggestions like "In 300 feet, please make a U-turn, if possible," or "In .1 miles, turn
left,"; each instruction designed to get me back on the route that she thinks is the best.
Finally, when I'm far enough off course that it's impractical to follow her preferred route,
she completely recalculates where I am and sends me there by another way.
Another thing I discovered is that on very bright sunny days it's hard to see Natalie's
screen and I have to rely more on her verbal directions. But if I have the radio too loud,
then I'm in danger of missing even those bits of guidance about where I should be turning.
One day, as I was ignoring yet another set of Natalie's instructions the thought hit me,
"I wonder what I might be missing by not following her directions?" So the next morning
when heading to my chiropractor, I decided to follow her lead and see where she took me. I
truly wondered about the wisdom of that decision as she had me turn on what seemed to be
a very narrow, very obscure street. But in short order I realized that she had found a
delightful, very lightly traveled short-cut and I arrived early for my appointment!
Because I do a lot of driving -most of it alone- Natalie has become a comforting
companion. She has also given me much food for thought. Thus it was that one day, a week
or so before Christmas, as I was ignoring her instructions and going my own way I began to
think about the journey of the magi. If they had a GPS unit would it have made their
journey easier? Would they have paid attention to the directions and followed the star
directly to Bethlehem, by-passing Jerusalem and the encounter with Herod? Or would they
have assumed that they knew the place where a king would be born and gone their own
way despite where the star seemed to be leading them? Or was it the glitz and glitter of the
palace and the noise of the power brokers that caused them to lose sight of the star and
miss the subtleties of the guidance they were given? Or was there something in the
Jerusalem detour that was necessary for the completion of their journey?
As I pondered these questions, and thought about the journey of these travelers from
the east, I realized that perhaps the most important fact of their journey, the thing that
made them truly wise, was that having seen the star, having recognized that it pointed the
way toward something new, they dared to trust what they had seen and step beyond the
safety and security of the known to journey into an uncertain future and offer the gifts that
they had to the ones they met on along the way. Then, transformed by all they had
experienced, they traveled home by another way, open to the new adventures that they
might discover and the new pathways they might travel.
Within the story of these magi, if we are wise enough to perceive it, we just might catch
a glimpse of our own journey as well. For each of us there come moments in time when we
are called into something new, something strange, something that our heart knows holds
the key to a deeper purpose and meaning for our life than we have yet discovered. If we
dare to respond to those moments and set out on a new leg of our journey, who knows
what wonders await us. If we pay attention to the signs along the way and trust where the
Spirit leads us, even if we miss a turn or encounter what seems for awhile to be a detour, if
we continue to search and listen to our hearts like the magi we will find ourselves looking
into the face of love, offering our gifts in ways that transform our lives and the world and
then traveling home by another way.
O:\Sermons\sermons 2008\01-06-08 matt 2-1-12.doc
Last printed 1/23/2008 10:49:00 AM - 2 -
She was in high school when her pastor and youth minister approached her and asked if
she would be willing to be the children's church leader. Her responsibilities would be to
prepare a short bible lesson each Sunday for the preschool through first grade children who
were attending church with their parents. Whether she saw it as an opportunity to get out of
attending worship every week or whether there was some other nudge, I don't know. But
she said "yes." The pastor gave her some materials and some guidelines about the process
and set her free to do her thing. Before long she discovered that she really enjoyed working
with the children, creating lesson plans and coming up with ideas that were both interesting
and educational. So she continued, every week during the remainder of her high school
years. Just before graduation she told her youth pastor that she had discovered so much joy
in teaching children's church that she had decided to major in elementary education. That
love continued through her four years in college. Now, in her first year following graduation,
she is still enjoying the process of helping children discover more about life and the world.
He was in college when he saw a commercial on TV for Big Brothers, Big Sisters and
even though his schedule was tight, he felt a strong push to sign up become a mentor. His
parents had always been there for him and he knew how fortunate he was to have received
so much support and love and he wanted to give something back.
So, sign-up he did. In short order, he was matched with 8-year-old Marton. When their
relationship began, Marton, a quiet, reserved child, was having behavior problems and not
doing well in school. He just couldn't focus. His teachers thought he needed to be in special
classes. So in addition to spending time together going to the movies, playing sports, taking
trips to the zoo, and the like he decided to take Marton with him to the library when he had
to study for his college coursework. He would encourage Marton to read or do his
homework, as they sat side by side at the library table.
In time, Marton began coming home with A's and B's on his report card. "We worked for
years on improving Marton's skills in the classroom and his ability to stay on task. That
came to a climax this year when he received a 3.5 grade point average," his big brother
said. "The look on Marton's face as he handed me his report card - and the joy that we both
felt in accomplishing such a goal - was phenomenal!"
When he entered college, he was unsure of what career path to pursue. After watching
Marton thrive with his guidance and encouragement, he knew that assisting youth was his
calling. He majored in Family Community Services and will start a master's program in the
fall.
When the magi found themselves in the right place at the right time, giving the gifts of
their lives, they were filled with exceedingly great joy. When we listen to our hearts, pay
attention to the tugs of the Spirit, trust the Star to lead us, we too will find ourselves in the
right place, at the right time, giving the gifts only we can give and our hearts and our lives
will overflow with joy. Amen.
companion. She has also given me much food for thought. Thus it was that one day, a week
or so before Christmas, as I was ignoring her instructions and going my own way I began to
think about the journey of the magi. If they had a GPS unit would it have made their
journey easier? Would they have paid attention to the directions and followed the star
directly to Bethlehem, by-passing Jerusalem and the encounter with Herod? Or would they
have assumed that they knew the place where a king would be born and gone their own
way despite where the star seemed to be leading them? Or was it the glitz and glitter of the
palace and the noise of the power brokers that caused them to lose sight of the star and
miss the subtleties of the guidance they were given? Or was there something in the
Jerusalem detour that was necessary for the completion of their journey?
As I pondered these questions, and thought about the journey of these travelers from
the east, I realized that perhaps the most important fact of their journey, the thing that
made them truly wise, was that having seen the star, having recognized that it pointed the
way toward something new, they dared to trust what they had seen and step beyond the
safety and security of the known to journey into an uncertain future and offer the gifts that
they had to the ones they met on along the way. Then, transformed by all they had
experienced, they traveled home by another way, open to the new adventures that they
might discover and the new pathways they might travel.
Within the story of these magi, if we are wise enough to perceive it, we just might catch
a glimpse of our own journey as well. For each of us there come moments in time when we
are called into something new, something strange, something that our heart knows holds
the key to a deeper purpose and meaning for our life than we have yet discovered. If we
dare to respond to those moments and set out on a new leg of our journey, who knows
what wonders await us. If we pay attention to the signs along the way and trust where the
Spirit leads us, even if we miss a turn or encounter what seems for awhile to be a detour, if
we continue to search and listen to our hearts like the magi we will find ourselves looking
into the face of love, offering our gifts in ways that transform our lives and the world and
then traveling home by another way.
O:\Sermons\sermons 2008\01-06-08 matt 2-1-12.doc
Last printed 1/23/2008 10:49:00 AM - 2 -
She was in high school when her pastor and youth minister approached her and asked if
she would be willing to be the children's church leader. Her responsibilities would be to
prepare a short bible lesson each Sunday for the preschool through first grade children who
were attending church with their parents. Whether she saw it as an opportunity to get out of
attending worship every week or whether there was some other nudge, I don't know. But
she said "yes." The pastor gave her some materials and some guidelines about the process
and set her free to do her thing. Before long she discovered that she really enjoyed working
with the children, creating lesson plans and coming up with ideas that were both interesting
and educational. So she continued, every week during the remainder of her high school
years. Just before graduation she told her youth pastor that she had discovered so much joy
in teaching children's church that she had decided to major in elementary education. That
love continued through her four years in college. Now, in her first year following graduation,
she is still enjoying the process of helping children discover more about life and the world.
He was in college when he saw a commercial on TV for Big Brothers, Big Sisters and
even though his schedule was tight, he felt a strong push to sign up become a mentor. His
parents had always been there for him and he knew how fortunate he was to have received
so much support and love and he wanted to give something back.
So, sign-up he did. In short order, he was matched with 8-year-old Marton. When their
relationship began, Marton, a quiet, reserved child, was having behavior problems and not
doing well in school. He just couldn't focus. His teachers thought he needed to be in special
classes. So in addition to spending time together going to the movies, playing sports, taking
trips to the zoo, and the like he decided to take Marton with him to the library when he had
to study for his college coursework. He would encourage Marton to read or do his
homework, as they sat side by side at the library table.
In time, Marton began coming home with A's and B's on his report card. "We worked for
years on improving Marton's skills in the classroom and his ability to stay on task. That
came to a climax this year when he received a 3.5 grade point average," his big brother
said. "The look on Marton's face as he handed me his report card - and the joy that we both
felt in accomplishing such a goal - was phenomenal!"
When he entered college, he was unsure of what career path to pursue. After watching
Marton thrive with his guidance and encouragement, he knew that assisting youth was his
calling. He majored in Family Community Services and will start a master's program in the
fall.
When the magi found themselves in the right place at the right time, giving the gifts of
their lives, they were filled with exceedingly great joy. When we listen to our hearts, pay
attention to the tugs of the Spirit, trust the Star to lead us, we too will find ourselves in the
right place, at the right time, giving the gifts only we can give and our hearts and our lives
will overflow with joy. Amen.
