INTRODUCTION: This is and the following 14 blog entries were originally posted on Facebook from December 25, 2014 - January 6, 2015, with a belated Epilogue in the following week. I'm reposting here (under their original dates) after being asked to make this story accessible to those who don't have Facebook accounts.
In my sermon at our service on the festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord (January 6) I talked a little about the idea behind this project. Here are a couple of excerpts:
"The basic story is accessible to children, I think, but I’ve also added things that only adults will get, particularly some of the puns. In addition to having fun... there is a serious thought or two behind the project. One is simple education, to reinforce the idea that Christmas and Epiphany are separate events both on the church’s calendar and in the biblical accounts. The story of the angels and the shepherds and the manger comes from Luke’s gospel. Luke knows nothing of the wise men or of Joseph’s dream. The story of the wise men comes from Matthew’s gospel. Matthew knows nothing of the manger or shepherds, or angels singing, “glory to God in the highest…” Luke and Matthew are using different stories of Jesus’ birth to make different, though related, theological points about who Jesus is and what God is up to in his birth. Luke wants us to see how God is turning the world upside down by coming into the world in Jesus, how the mighty are cast down and the lowly like Mary lifted up to be agents of God’s salvation. Matthew’s account is more about turning the world inside out, emphasizing that God chose the people of Israel not to be the only blessed people of the world, but to be the instrument for God to bless all nations so that all people might become God’s people."
"...my little embellishment has a long and rich tradition behind it. But aside from just having some fun, the other thing this project has done is put me in [the wise men's] shoes for a few minutes a day and made me think about what their motivation was, what they thought they were doing, and then, most importantly, what Matthew thought they were doing.
What strikes me is that God seems to have communicated with these magi in a language they could understand. God used their astrology to let them know that something momentous was happening, something that had implications not just for the people of Judea – for why would they care about the birth of a foreign king in a foreign land? This must have meant something for them too, and they must have thought that it meant something for them. ...God meets people where they are, in ways that they can understand, in order to draw them into the life that God intends for all people, life that brings them into relationship with God and with one another."
FACEBOOK INTRODUCTION: If you're missing Sunday School during the winter break, join us here on Facebook for the Journey of the Wise Men... from the back storage room to the creche in front of the altar. This is an epic 13-day journey that will end when the Wise Men arrive for their visit on January 6, the Epiphany of our Lord.
EPISODE ONE: The wise men have crawled out of their packing box in the back store room and looked out the window. And what do you think they saw? That's right, a STAR! They are going to follow this star until they get to Jesus' house. Are you ready for the trip?
In my sermon at our service on the festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord (January 6) I talked a little about the idea behind this project. Here are a couple of excerpts:
"The basic story is accessible to children, I think, but I’ve also added things that only adults will get, particularly some of the puns. In addition to having fun... there is a serious thought or two behind the project. One is simple education, to reinforce the idea that Christmas and Epiphany are separate events both on the church’s calendar and in the biblical accounts. The story of the angels and the shepherds and the manger comes from Luke’s gospel. Luke knows nothing of the wise men or of Joseph’s dream. The story of the wise men comes from Matthew’s gospel. Matthew knows nothing of the manger or shepherds, or angels singing, “glory to God in the highest…” Luke and Matthew are using different stories of Jesus’ birth to make different, though related, theological points about who Jesus is and what God is up to in his birth. Luke wants us to see how God is turning the world upside down by coming into the world in Jesus, how the mighty are cast down and the lowly like Mary lifted up to be agents of God’s salvation. Matthew’s account is more about turning the world inside out, emphasizing that God chose the people of Israel not to be the only blessed people of the world, but to be the instrument for God to bless all nations so that all people might become God’s people."
"...my little embellishment has a long and rich tradition behind it. But aside from just having some fun, the other thing this project has done is put me in [the wise men's] shoes for a few minutes a day and made me think about what their motivation was, what they thought they were doing, and then, most importantly, what Matthew thought they were doing.
What strikes me is that God seems to have communicated with these magi in a language they could understand. God used their astrology to let them know that something momentous was happening, something that had implications not just for the people of Judea – for why would they care about the birth of a foreign king in a foreign land? This must have meant something for them too, and they must have thought that it meant something for them. ...God meets people where they are, in ways that they can understand, in order to draw them into the life that God intends for all people, life that brings them into relationship with God and with one another."
So if you're reading this for the first time, I hope you have fun with it too, but also that it draws you into the story that God is telling through the Holy Scriptures and the life of the church. Happy reading!
FACEBOOK INTRODUCTION: If you're missing Sunday School during the winter break, join us here on Facebook for the Journey of the Wise Men... from the back storage room to the creche in front of the altar. This is an epic 13-day journey that will end when the Wise Men arrive for their visit on January 6, the Epiphany of our Lord.
EPISODE ONE: The wise men have crawled out of their packing box in the back store room and looked out the window. And what do you think they saw? That's right, a STAR! They are going to follow this star until they get to Jesus' house. Are you ready for the trip?
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