Confirmation Retreat

"As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places to pray."
--Luke 5:16 (The Message)

On the first weekend in May we went on our Confirmation Retreat, our "time apart," at Mensch Mill.
Though brief, our retreat was filled with beauty, fellowship, sharing, lots of food, and a different rhythm. It was a privilege to gather in this special place where so many of God's young people have gathered for generations. It was like having "a cloud of witnesses" there with us!
After checking in, we got together for our evening session. We found several places in the scriptures that describe how important Jesus found "prayer retreats" to be in his ministry. He would go to mountaintops or off to "deserted places" in order to center himself in God's will. He needed to get away from all the demands on his time and attention in order to listen for God's voice and be strengthened by God's loving and leading power. In Mark Chapter One, Jesus' retreat for prayer enables him to be clearer about God's will and direction for his ministry. In Luke 6, his night of prayer precedes the calling of the Twelve to particular minstry, and his preaching of the powerful "Sermon on the Plain." In John's Gospel, following the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus retreats when the crowds want to "make him king." He is clear that he has come for another purpose! We reflected on the ways that our retreat might help us to listen to God's voice amid all our competing activities, and help us to clarify the commitments we have a chance to make on Pentecost. We prayed for God's inspiration.
After our session, during free time, our Confirmands returned to the meeting room with some questions of faith that they wanted to discuss together. It was awesome!
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we explored the story of the prophet Jeremiah (chapter one), who was confirmation-age when God spoke to him about God's purposes for his life. We discussed the role of a prophet: "a preacher of God's word;" someone God sends to speak God's word in difficult times, particularly when God's people have been going the wrong way. It is not a popular role! In Jeremiah's context (6th century BC), God's people have forgotten the poor, been consumed in war and war preparation, behaved like the other nations, become self-centered, and even split themselves in half. This was going to be important and difficult work!
God comes directly to the teen to talk to him personally. We identified with Jeremiah's surprise, shock, confusion, and fear ("freaked out!"). We heard the nature of his objections, and they sounded a lot like ours: "I don't speak that well!"; "I'm too inexperienced!"; "I couldn't do that!"; "People won't listen to me!" "I'm not worthy. " We marveled at God's ways. God said that he would give Jeremiah the words and the authority as well as God's constant, delivering presence. Even as the old order of things came down, God would be creating a new order full of God's life! One person said that "God knows all and sees all before anything actually happens" --food for serious thought! The poetry of the story indicates that God knows us even before our lives take shape, and God crafts us with God's purpose in mind even before we are born! We considered the nature of God's purposes for our lives, and how those purposes might unfold--it is remarkable!
We put ourselves in his place: "Why me?" "How will this affect my sports?" "What about my plans?" "Hey, I already go to church!" This took us deeper.
We went on to discuss how each of us might hear God's voice speaking to us today. Folks said that (a) God speaks to us through other people (b) God speaks to us through actions in people's lives (3) through an event (4) we can experience a "dawning" (5) we can open to God in prayer (6) we can receive God's will through dreams and visions.
We agreed that doing God's will is an enterprise of love, and that love is not something we feel but something we do! Peace, kindness, and truth are embodied in this work. The work is challenging and can be "dirty work." We made a list of people we believe have been called by God--there were fourteen on our initial list, from historical figures to mentors/guides from the congregation to the confirmands themselves. And what are people called for?--among even more, to show God's love, to make sure everyone is well cared for, to stop war. A full session!
Later in the morning, we remembered the story of Jesus' baptism and reflected on our own identities as baptized people. We considered the deep connection between who Jesus is and who we are. We also considered again his baptismal identities of Son, Beloved, and God's Pleasure, relating them to our God-given identities as Children, Deeply Loved (unbreakable), and God Pleasure (in the communion of our lives).
During free time, participants wandered the beautiful grounds of the Retreat Center, with a number of people climbing Vesper Hill.
We spent time with the UCC Statement of Faith, which will be shared in our Confirmation service. Very importantly, we seriously considered the promises in the Confirmation Order and where each of us is in terms of making/affirming those promises to God. Fertile and challenging territory!! We'll have a future post dedicated specifically to those promises and their substance.
Amanda, our young mentor-in-residence and accompanier during the retreat, emphasized to the class members that these promises are "deep stuff." She knows from experience! Praise God!
After a bountiful lunch, the confirmands took Jesus' image of the church as "the vine and braches bearing much fruit" and taught the advisors a well-constructed lesson, with all giving substantial input. They described what they called "the circle of life."
Pulling the Retreat experience together, our participants crafted a closing worship service that included a Call to Worship, Prayer, Scripture Reading, Reflection, Singing, and the celebration of the Lord's Table.
Our young Jeremiahs and ever-growing disciples returned home with special blessing, and enormous promise.

Exploring "Eternal Life"

"The water that I give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." --John 4:14

The story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well is a wonderful reference when discussing "eternal life." Jesus was leading his disciples from Judea home to Galilee, but rather than avoiding Samaria, as most pious travelers did, Jesus and his followers went right through this region whose inhabitants were viewed with great prejudice. At the well Jesus meets a Samaritan woman who is isolated even from her fellow townspeople. Two people who aren't "supposed" to even talk to each other have a marvelous and revealing interaction. The woman gives Jesus a drink of water from the well. Jesus offers her a "living water" which will not leave her thirsty again, and promises a flow of life within that will be like having an artesian well in her (our) very own heart! Go back and read this overflowing story again from John 4.

I must confess I was not thinking of that story when I asked our excellent confirmands, "What is eternal life?" But what a gift! Their contributions led us to explore other resources. Among them is the scene from John 14, in the Upper Room, where Jesus talks to his disciples about "preparing a place" for them, and "coming again, that I may take you to myself." Also the story of the rich young man (in Matthew, Mark, and Luke) who wants to know how he might "inherit eternal life," is a powerful one as well. Jesus invites the man to divest himself of his many possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow him. These scriptures helped inform our exploration. The responses to my initial question included:

--"Life only God can give"

--"Living forever."

--"Life after death"

--"Living with God in heaven."

We discussed "eternal life" as all life shared with God, the Eternal One, our source and our completion. Eternal Life is life filled with divine intimacy and full-fillment. The first response above really touches on this understanding. "Life forever" is a way of understanding that this is a relationship without limits; the boundless love of God gives definition and abundant life to our existence. In our relationship with God, words like "eternal" and "forever" are not measurements of time but rather expressions and depth and fullness.

"Life after death" is a common and important understanding of eternal life. Jesus' resurrection is a triumph over the boundary of death. This is true not only with physical death; God's power raises us up to new life after the kinds of painful endings we experience in failure, loss, and diminishment. The story of Jesus and the Rich Young man informs our learning in a particular way. The man's possessions had become a burden which prevented him from entering into the "fullness of life" available in following Jesus. That fullness can only be experienced "on the Way."While I'm sure that giving up his possessions may have felt very threatening intially, the end of this chapter of life (and the beginning of the new) would bring blessing to the poor and also to the newly unburdened man!

The concept of "Living with God in heaven" led us to explore our understandings of what heaven is (this will be the subject of a new post). We began by examining Jesus' statements and teachings about the kingdom.

The woman at Jacob's well walked away with a new understanding of her own life and new experiences of God's closeness and agape love. She took the good news to her community, which then impacted the lives of many, many people. "Eternal" indeed!

Peace Be With You

This is Caravaggio's amazing "Incredulity of St. Thomas," dated around 1602. It brings to life the scene of Thomas' encounter with the risen Jesus in John 20:26-29, where Thomas touches Jesus' wounds with his own hands.
John 20:19-31, the continuation of the Easter story, is the gospel for this week. We spent time immersed in it during Wednesday's Confirmation Class, our first time gathering since Lent began.
Reading the story, we realized that even though Jesus has risen and resurrection life is offered to the world, Jesus' disciples are still frightened and are acting like Easter hasn't happened. They are scared that what the authorities and crowds did to Jesus will still be done to them, and they are ashamed because Jesus has fully shared his life and blessing with them but they ran away, even after pledging to stay with him. They lock themselves in a room, which becomes a kind of tomb because they are afraid to live the life and love of Jesus fully. But he comes to them, he gets inside the closed off room, and offers them his peace. It is the peace of love without limits. He teaches them about the power of forgiveness; his very presence with them is the experience of God's forgiveness that overcomes their failure. He tells them that as they practice forgiveness with others, people will be released from great burdens, both those who have caused wounds and those who have suffered them. Jesus peace is the peace of knowing that you are loved by God in all circumstances and that God's love can make good things come out of situations that start out really bad. Jesus says that as the Father has sent him, so he is now sending them out into the world to be the good news of God's love. Amazing! And he breathes his very own Spirit, his life, into them!!
Later in the story we hear about Thomas, who isn't there the first time Jesus comes. We've always heard him called "Doubting Thomas" because when the other disciples tell him they've seen Jesus he has a hard time believing them and wants to see Jesus for himself. "Doubting Thomas" is a bad name and an unfair one. Thomas is the only one of them not locked in the room. Maybe he's the only one who actually believed Mary Magdalene when she said she had seen and talked to the risen Jesus. Maybe he was out looking for Jesus so he could follow him again!
Jesus invites Thomas to touch his wounds, and Thomas does. It must have been hard because Thomas, too, had run away when Jesus was arrested, and he knows his abandonment hurt Jesus. He's willing to confess it, and to receive the new life and new purpose that Jesus is now giving them. Amen!
Are there times when we know in our hearts the lessons Jesus has taught us but we're afraid to do them? When? What does it mean that even when we fail once (or even more), Jesus comes to us, loves us, forgives our sins, and chooses us to again be the ambassadors of God's unlimited love?

The Stone Has Been Rolled Away

"While it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb."

--John 20:1

On Easter Sunday, at the second service, I told a story about two families, and the friendship and new life that has been experienced in the wake of terrible tragedy. Tariq Khamisa was a vibrant, twenty year old art student studying in San Diego. In addition to his studies he had a part-time job delivering pizzas. One evening a group of young teenage boys who had been playing video games, drinking, and using drugs all day hatched a plan to rob the pizza delivery man. One of them, a fourteen year old named Tony Hicks, had a gun. When Tariq refused to give them the pizza, Tony shot him.

A number of lives ended that day, at least as they had been known. Tariq's life was lost. His family's life with him was ended. Tony's life was essentially over at age fourteen. Tony's grandfather, Ples Felix, who had taken over as Tonys guardian when his mother had left, was crushed, as Tony had taken a young man's life life "and betrayed every bit of love" he had received.

Even in his horrible pain, Tariq's dad, Azim, saw that "there were victims at both end of the gun." At Tony's prison sentencing, Tony confessed his guilt and said that he prayed to God that Tariq's father would forgive him. He also said that his grandfather, Ples, pledged to be Mr Khamisa's friend.

As he grieved, a spiritual mentor urged Azim to channel that grief into doing a good, compassionate deed. Azim began the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, dedicated to stopping kids from killing kids.

He reached out to Ples Felix, and asked Ples to help him. Ples says it was an answer to prayer.

Azim and Ples began speaking together to children in schools about forgiveness, reconciliation, and nonviolence. When their presentation begins, the person introducing them begins by standing behind Ples and then moves behind Azim saying, "This man's grandson murdered this man's son." Azim reflects: "This is the first time in their young lives that they actually see an alternative to violence; mostly what they see in our culture is an eye-for-an-eye."

Azim and Ples became best friends. Though they come from different faith traditions, the infuence of their beliefs and the living out of them has shined light in what was only darkness. Azim has gotten to know Tony, who rejoices in what is possible with God, even while doing twenty-five to life. Azim has petitioned for an early release for Tony, and offered him a job at the Tariq Khamisa foundation when he gets out.

Death has not had the last word! Crushing burdens have been lifted, huge stones separating people have been rolled away, new life has been breathed into a situation previously defined by death.

This is Easter power! This is what the love of God is capable of.

Resurrection Day!!!

"Good" Friday

Jesus lived the nonviolent, self-giving love of God to its fullest. He never compromised that love, even in the face of punishment and the cross. When he calls out, "It is accomplished," he is announcing the completion of that life. In a way, it is the completion of God's original creation, because Jesus has fulfilled the life that God has intended for all of us, and opened a path of fulfillment for us. This is what makes Holy Friday "good."

Jesus-Share

"To allow Jesus to cleanse our feet is to remove all
that prevents us from using our feet to follow him,
to scrub away our insecurities, to wash away our
weariness, to buff off our bitterness."
--Alyce McKenzie

Mercy!

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy." --Matthew 5:7

Flowing out of our examination of Jesus' beatitudes was the desire to examine this blessing (and a couple of others) more closely. When I asked class members what "mercy" means, this is what our discussion produced:
1) "To willingly spare somebody of guilt."
2) An act of forgiveness
3) To show kindness and compassion to someone in need.

--The first definition indicates the lifting of a burden; not letting someone's wrongdoing completely define how you see another person or relate to them.
--The second definition is clearly related to the first one. The "giveness" in "forgiveness" lets us know that we are gifting the other person and that the gift is the very best of ourselves.
--The third definition is not related to guilt or wrongdoing. Rather, it is about recognition and action, moving towards someone in their need. Com-passion means to be with ("com") someone in their suffering ("passion"). Here, mercy is an expression of solidarity. We risk hurting in order to be fully present with somebody who hurts.
Blessed are the mercy-givers, for they will be mercied.

When class members paired off to discuss experiences they have had of receiving mercy and offering it, they struggled to identify examples, and our attitudes about giving mercy seemed connected to our ideas of charity.
Elders and Deacons, how might we develop a "Mercy Workshop" at St. Andrew's that will help our young people--and us!--explore the meaning and sharing of mercy at deep levels?
How is God's mercy related to our practice of mercy?
How will mercy be more than a task we do, but rather an expression of who we are?
When have you been mercied? Do you have a story to share with our youth?

Other questions of blessing arose that we discussed:
a) What does it mean to be "pure in heart?" ( Is that possible?)
b) What is meekness, and how can the meek "inherit the earth?"

We identified purity of heart as being:
--authentic
--genuine
--honest
--forthcoming
--confessional.
Someone who is "pure in heart" willingly admits when he or she has been wrong, is not reluctant to apologize, and recognizes that they have much to learn. They are willing to listen.
One of the confirmands described this quality as "priceless." It is not perfection, but it is precious. Everyone can be authentic!

We described meekness as nonviolence, sensitivity, gentleness with others. When we see this in Jesus it is quite assertive. "Inheriting the earth" is a restatement of God's promise, and an answer to our prayer that God's kingdom come "on earth as it is in heaven." Those who live in the manner of Jesus will live into the future God is preparing for the world that God so loves. We are invested in the fulfillment of God's plan when we live like Jesus. This involves receiving gratefully what God bestows, practicing good stewardship by appreciating and dedicating God's gifts, and living generously, giving as we have received.
The meekness of Jesus contrasts deeply with lives that are heavily armed, encourage hoarding, and seek to selfishly coerce others. God is unarmed, practices generosity in all circumstances, and never manipulates people. God is merciful, authentic, and undefended.

Fortunate Are You!

"Fortunate are we when we know the poverty of our spirit;

then we glimpse God.

Fortunate are we when we mourn the brokenness in ourselves and in our world;

then we find comfort.

Fortunate are we when we are vulnerably gentle;

then the earth is our inheritance.

Fortunate are we when we hunger and thirst for justice,

for then we are satisfied.

Fortunate are we when we show mercy;

then mercy will be shown to us.

Fortunate are we when we are being authentic;

then we will see the God who is real.

Fortunate are we when we are making peace;

then we are being God's family.

Fortunate are we when we are being ridiculed and hurt for speaking loudly and doing the truth;

then we are walking in the footseps of the prophets.

When such is our being, then we are salt to preserve the earth. Then we are being light for a world groping to find its way."

What you just read is Peter Ediger's translation of Jesus' beatitudes, which we listened to together in Sunday's service. Go back and read Matthew 5:1-14, and compare the messages.

The version above substitutes "Fortunate" for "Blessed." The Greek word in the original New Testament can be translated "blessed," "fortunate," or "happy." This version also substitutes "we" for "those," making it more personal.

Go through each beatitude. How does each one apply to your life? How fortunate are you?

Be specific!

What kind of people is Jesus "teaching" us to be?

In what ways are we at St. Andrew's being "light" for our world? Or "salt?"

Venturing Into Deeper Waters

I love Jacopo Bassan's The Miraculous Draught of Fishes (above), completed in 1545. It recalls the scene in the fifth chapter of Luke's gospel, when Jesus calls his first disciples. Take some time to go back and read the familiar story (Luke 5:1-11) again.
Very early in Jesus' ministry he is being follwed by a large crowd of people eager to hear God's Word. Jesus is standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and the people press in on him so much that he climbs into one of the fishing boats sitting there by the shore. It is empty because the fishermen are cleaning their nets after finishing the overnight shift. This particular boat belongs to Simon. Jesus beckons him and asks him to put his boat out from the shore. There Jesus sits down and teaches the crowd from the boat.
When he is finished he turns to Simon, and directs him to "put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." The fisherman protests that they have been fishing all night and caught nothing at all! Nevertheless, he will do as Jesus asks.
When they "let down their nets"with Jesus, Simon and his fishing partner (probably Andrew his brother) catch so many fish that their nets begin to break! They signal their companions, James and John, to join them in the deeper waters and help them to receive the catch. Bassano's painting captures an overwhelmed Simon (now called Simon Peter) kneeling before Jesus and exclaiming, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" Jesus does not leave, however, telling Simon not to be afraid. "From now on you will be catching people." When the fishermen come to shore, they "leave everything and follow" Jesus.
Notice that at the beginning of the story, Jesus is preaching the word to everyone who wants to listen. But then he calls Simon in a very particular way, asking him to serve God's purposes, to risk being changed, and to be part of a new community dedicated to the good news being lived out in the world.
(1) Every week we hear the Word of God proclaimed. But what comes next? How does God's Word speak specifically to you? And how do you respond as a disciple of Jesus? Take time to go back and review our earlier post about discipleship. Is being a disiciple more than just being part of the crowd?
(2) Jesus calls Simon to venture into the "deep water." How will you and I explore the life of faith more deeply? What kinds of questions do you have that will require deeper thought and study? In what ways do you think Jesus is calling you to risk new experiences in serving him?
(3) Simon Peter confesses his sin, but that in no way disqualifies him in Jesus' eyes. Jesus will now teach him how to use skills and gifts he already has in order to reach people with the good news of God's love. How does Jesus take talents we already have snd show us how to use them to glorify God? How will your faith bring others close to Jesus?
At this point in the Confirmation Journey, we are entering "deeper waters" of growth and discipleship. This is a great blessing for all of us!

Three Temptations . . .Three Blessings!

Last Wednesday we delved deeply into the story of Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; Mark 1:12-13). This immediately follows Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River. We remembered that the name Jesus means "the one who saves," and that the Christmas story had also referred to him as Emmanuel, "God-with-us." Coming out of the waters of baptism, God's voice names Jesus additionally as "My Son," "the Beloved," and "God's Pleasure."

Before Jesus can begin his ministry, the Holy Spirit leads him (in Mark's Gospel he is pushed) out into the wilderness. Jesus is there for forty days. It is a time of clarification. The names he has been given are wonderful. But what will they mean? What kind of person will Jesus really be? The wilderness retreat will help Jesus, and us, find out!

We talked about the characteristics of the wilderness, describing it as: dry; a "no man's land;" isolated; deserted; solitary; arid; full of sand and snakes. We wondered what the experience is like for Jesus: a barren place; he's "by himself;" he "gets a chance to think;" it can be a place of prayer; a place "not to be busy." Perhaps he draws in the sand, or sings hymns. He is hungry and thirsty. There is little or no water; no Mickey D's.

In the wilderness Jesus is emptied; he has very little of what he is used to relying on, other than God's loving power, manifested in the Spirit that leads him! After forty days without food Jesus is famished. The story is asking us to consider the different ways that we are nourished in our lives, and how we are sustained and nurtured for God's purpose.

In the story, a figure called "the devil" or "Satan" tempts Jesus to deny who he truly is.

From the start, he is challenged to prove himself. "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." Have you ever been challenged to"prove yourself" in some way? How did you respond?

Jesus refuses. When we know who we are--specifically, when we know who God has created, named, and loved us into being--we don't need to prove ourselves to other people. We seek to fulfill who God made us to be!

Class members believed that in the first temptation Jesus was being tempted to "do stuff for himself instead of others; to use his power to take care of himself first." Hearing Jesus' quotation, "One does not live by bread alone," we made a list of other ways we are nourished:

--love

--friendship

--self-respect

--caring

--learning

--thought

--actions (life experience)

--understanding

--values

--family

--choices! Our choices offer opportunity to be nourished, and led by the Spirit!

We might also add additional blessings: encouragement; community; purpose; direction; and most importantly, inspiration and the promises of God!

In the second temptation, the tempter offers to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, and authority over them, if Jesus will only worship him. But the world doesn't belong to anyone but God. Such authority is not for the devil, or anyone else, to give. We talked about answering to authority in the world. We recognize that we will work for bosses at different jobs, and we will live in a nation and in communities that have authorities who will direct many things. There are many times when we will receive orders and directions, or be given laws to follow. And we will follow them. But it is important to realize that a key part of our Christian faith, and being disciples of Jesus, is that we will not follow orders or comply with laws that go against the love of God and the teaching of Jesus. We will have no other authority higher than our Lord! This sometimes makes for difficult and important decisions. Can you think of any examples?

When we worship God, we live humbly, empowered by the Spirit to love others as Jesus has loved us. Other people are our brothers ans sisters, never objects to dominate so we can get what we want for ourselves. And God entrusts us all with the world's resources, abundant enough to meet everyone's need . . . but not everyone's greed! We learn ways of dedicating and sharing blessings so that all can have what is truly needed.

In the third temptation, Jesus is challenged to demonstrate his invulnerability, to show that God will keep him perfectly safe from any harm. But Jesus shows that we are created for relationship. To live in relationship. with God and with each other, requires vulnerability. It is in our blessed but fragile humanity that we love the best and look out for the common good!

When Jesus quotes the Hebrew Scriptures again, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test," he is saying that God is vulnerable and intimate in relationship. Jesus demonstrates this throughout his life. How do you share vulnerability and trust with God, and with other people?

In what ways do you seek to love as Jesus loves? Give some concrete examples.

Earlier in the year, we read and discussed the story of Jesus' baptism, and related it to our own baptisms. We realized that like Jesus we have received names from God in addition to the names our parents have given us. God has called us Child, Beloved, God's Pleasure.In the face of the three temptations, God blesses us with three expressions of our true identity!

It is in our lives, in the choices that we make, and in the ways we dedicate ourselves, that we will give those names real meaning. The Spirit will inspire us and lead us. We will never be alone, even when we feel lonely! And if St. Andrew's is a Spirit-led community, we will give body and shape to God's love for the world, together.

Jesus helps us to recognize ourselves as all being God's children; that we are deeply and eternally loved by God (don't let anyone try and tell you different!); and that communion with us is God's delight.

Retreats, and even difficult "wilderness experiences," are important. Times of prayer, and deep thought. When we are emptied of some of life's illusions, we get to celebrate the best of what is God-given.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Epiphany!

"And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went home by another way."

Together, we read and discussed the Epiphany story, the coming of the magi, in Matthew 2:1-12. We realized that if the "wise men" were to go back to Jerusalem and report to Herod as the king had commanded, it would be safer personally for these visitors from the east. But it would be very dangerous and even deadly for the young Jesus.
To "go home by another way" would be to risk joining God's conspiracy of loving salvation for the world, God's life-giving, ever-enlivening web. But the magi would be in real trouble if they were to be caught by Herod's police. Self perservation . . . or to live beyond themselves? These are the matters of an emerging faith. Class members said that it can be hard to do the right thing. It's hard because doing what's right often requires more from you, and you feel vulnerable when you are doing something different than what everyone else seems to be doing. We thought of the wise men; all the "religious people" and "legal" citizens were following Herod's voice, but they were listening to God's! And God was asking them to do God's new thing! In our class, I suggested that my recent research indicated that, when considering the story for today,there are not three magi but four. The group includes male and female. Rather than carrying the odd names legend ascribes-- Caspar, Balthazar and Melchoir-- these magi have parents who've named them Erin, Nikolas, Max, and Austin. We know that the original magi brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus, but of what value will these gifts be to a toddler at risk. So, I asked, what will our present day magi bring to young Jesus when you come to worship him and pay him homage? Class members are bringing: (1) mint leaves (they are soothing) (2) good clothing (3) sports memorabilia (something of great value) (4) music. Jesus will be gift-ed! The wise folk in Matthew 2:1-12 brought other gifts than those from their treasure chests, we believed. They brought themselves, they brought their love, they brought their emerging faith. These are the gifts being offered when the magi make thier inspired choice for the child, when they listen to God's voice and envision God's dream being realized. They go home different than the way they came. Amen! When have you been faced with important decisions where to do the right thing meant taking risks on behalf of other people? Where protecting someone else, or doing God's will as you have learned it from Jesus, makes you different? When do the choices you make for yourself have a powerful impact on someone else?

Nativity

Here are six different images of the infant Jesus and the scene of his birth. They include: Janet McKenzie's"Holy Family;" Paul Gaugin's "Baby;" the Kempele mural from Finland; Leonardo DaVinci's "The Adoration of the Magi;" a more traditional European painting; and a Latin American Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Which do you find most interesting? Why? How do you picture Jesus' nativity?