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May Your Light shine here among us, and help to bring your message to all of us through these reflections.

That AHAH Moment

Have you ever had one of those “ahah” moments, one moment suspended in time at which you sensed the answer to some personal puzzle? If you had one of these moments you have experienced an Epiphany.

It may not have been so earth-shattering as Archimedes, Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein, but nonetheless these small moments of intuition or inspiration are personal epiphanies.

Just two days ago, on January 6th, according to the Liturgical Calendar, the Christian World celebrated Epiphany. This celebration goes back to the 4th century AD, long before the celebrations of Christmas on December 25th began. This was the celebration of the birth of Jesus along with the celebration of the visit of the Magi. In many Eastern European countries and even in some communities in Canada, gifts are still exchanged on January 6th.

The three Magi, wise men and scholars had seen a star, unlike any other star they had seen, and were drawn towards it. Melchior who may represent the European people, Caspar representing the Arabs and Balthasar from Africa were versed in the writings of many peoples, including the writings in what we refer to as the Old Testament. They knew the prophecy of Isaiah that the Son of God was to be born as a human. They knew he was to be King of the Jews and lead the Israelits, and they gathered precious gifts to bring to him.

So where did they head? Where would you have gone to seek out the Newborn King? King Herod’s Palace or a stable? It’s perfectly logical that they headed to Herod’s palace, but the child wasn’t there. They found their way eventually to the crude stable in Bethlehem. It must have been an “ahah” moment for them. For here was a baby, so small, so frail and yet so full of potential.

What would his parents have thought? I suppose in light of what they had already experienced from God, the visit of these esteemed Gentiles wouldn’t have seemed any crazier. I can just imagine Mary, not the serene figure of sculptures and paintings, but rather the woman of the “house” running around and trying to tidy the stable.

Can you imagine those three VIP’s finding out that the child they sought was not at the palace; heavens – he wasn’t even in a house, or an inn. I picture them huddling and checking with the camel herders and their personal servants that the location of this 2 baby really was a stable. Matthew describes their journey to see Jesus and also the “ahah” moment when they decided to avoid Herod on their way home. Not at all what they were used to or expected. They may even have been tempted to open the frankincense and use it to mask the odors of the livestock. What a leap of Faith.

But isn’t that what an Epiphany is – a leap of faith from the known to the unknown, a new tangent of thinking?

Let’s look at these three men. Right from his birth, Jesus was honoured not only by the Jewish shepherds, but also by three respected Gentiles. Another prophecy from Isaiah fulfilled. “Caravans of camels from Median and Ephah, Sheba – bringing gold and incense.”

Is it any mystery that they came and brought gifts from the far reaches of the known world? But why these particular gifts?

Born a King on Bethlehem plain

Gold I bring to crown him again

King forever, ceasing never

Over us all to reign.

As we told the children, Gold was and still is a symbol of Royalty. It is precious and was a form of currency which could be used universally. Could this gift have made it possible for Joseph to take his family and flee into Egypt? I wonder.

Think back a year ago when our congregation brought Gold or currency to help a family escape the tyranny and devastation of their homeland. I have always been extremely humbled by the generosity of this congregation in assisting our local community and the wider world through support of the Mission and Service Fund, the United Church Emergency Relief Fund, the Food Bank, Campus Ministry, Interchurch Refugee Council and various organizations through the Local Outreach. In total, our members gave over 37,000.00 to the assistance of others last year. There may be 2000 plus years between now and then, but the gift of gold is still as relevant today.

Frankincense to offer have I

Incense owns a Diety nigh

Prayer and praising, all men raising

Worship Him, God most high. 3

Frankincense is not just any incense, but one that had to be specially ordered. It is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. To collect the white gummy resin, the bark of the Boswellia tree which grows in Somalia, is cut and the sap runs out of it and is collected. This sounds much like the collection of maple sap for maple syrup – a labor intensive process. Frankincense gives off a pleasant aroma when it is burned. It was used in services as an offering to God. It is still used in some churches and in practices such as meditation and yoga. Inhaling the pleasant aroma clears the mind and quietens the spirit. Something precious offered to God! Some authors feel that the Frankincense represents Christ offering himself to do God’s will on earth.

What do we have that we can give, not in material gifts, but the intangibles? How can we give our time and talents to the church? There are so many small and larger functions that need to be done to ensure that the church runs smoothly. There is committee involvement, helping to maintain the property, preparing muffins for Probus, assisting with Sunday School, being a greeter or a reader on Sundays, joining the choir, leading a study group, helping to organize the next Church supper, cooking pancakes and sausages for Shrove Tuesday, dismantling the Christmas decorations and packing them away for next year, being a teller, preparing files to go to the Archives. This list is by no means inclusive. It can be quite extensive and the commitment of time and talents is extremely varied from a few hours a year, to an hour or two a week..

Maybe you will have an “Ahah” moment, a flash or clarity on what you can do right her, right now.

Myrrh I bring, its bitter perfume

Breathes a life of gathering gloom

Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying

Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

Myrrh, like Frankincense was a rare commodity. It again is a resin, but this time from a very thorny bush from Arabia. Early on, it was mainly used as an embalming perfume by the Egyptians. Sometimes, however, it was mixed with water or wine and used for its medicinal properties. It is thought to be one of the original anti-inflammatory medicines. Biblical references show Myrrh as being mixed in oils and used to anoint people.

What a gift. Was it given to symbolize Jesus’ healing of the sick, or to foretell of his ultimate sacrifice on the Cross. If I had been Mary or Joseph, I certainly would have wondered about that gift. Yet it was rare and precious. 4

What will be our gift of Myrrh? What can we do to heal a suffering world? How much are we willing to sacrifice? What will be our “bitter pill”?

Will we turn down the heat in our homes by one degree and put on a warm sweater? Can we plug our “instant on” gadgets into power bars and turn these off when we are not using the appliance? Is it really too much hassle to recycle our tin cans, plastic, paper and biodegradable items? Will we use water bottles instead of buying bottled water? Can we make a meal and share it with a neighbour? Can we help someone with the snow shovelling? How about decluttering and donating those seldom used items to the Food Bank or Thrift Store? Can we car pool more often? Can we volunteer to help people who are less well-off than ourselves? Can we learn more about the customs and beliefs of our newcomers to the city and of our province’s original peoples? None of these takes a lot of personal energy or time, but together we can help heal a sick world.

We have the opportunity! It is ours to grasp, be it our gift of Gold, Frankincense or Myrrh.

How will we follow the examples of Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar? How will we follow the example of Jesus life?

Look out the window at the beauty of God’s creation, his gift to us. Sit quietly, meditate and be open to an “Ahah” moment.

[PAUSE]

Glorious now, behold Him arise

King and God and Sacrifice

Alleluia, Alleluia

Earth to heav’n replies.

Amen