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January 4, 2009
The Rev. Canon Lynell Walker

Collect:  O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel:  Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 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." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

`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.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 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." 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. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Homily:  I want a star…

I want a star
One that takes me to the Christ Child
One so bright
Like search lights on a used car lot
One so bright
I can’t miss its illuminated path.

I want a star
That wakes me from my sleep
And overwhelms my will
In some hypnotic trance
Where I veer neither to the right nor left
But straight and narrow
And through the swinging gate
Direct to Mary’s lap.

I want a star
That fills me with such joy and wonder
That I search my heart and life
For all I treasure
And package it with bows
To give as gifts to baby Jesus
Pat and Scott and Brent and Kent
My home, my dogs
My grandmother’s grand piano
My mother’s flute
Family pictures
Property, bank accounts
My two credit cards without balances
Even all my books.

I want a star
That fills me with such joy and wonder
That I give with utter joy
All that really matters
All to baby Jesus.

I want a star
That shines brighter than my fear
Fear that keeps me checking in with Herod for direction
My “Herod” has many names, like
“God can not be trusted.”
“This task is too big for you.”
“Loving with abandon will only burn your heart.”
“Give and there won’t be enough for you.”
There’s even a “Herod” that sneers within and says,
“What would Jesus do?”

I want a star
And sometimes at Christmas
I check the blackened sky at night
To see if one shines brighter than the rest.
A star in whom I could put my trust.

But to this date
No star appears
That was their story
That was from the magi’s lot
And… I am no astronomer!
Now I’ve come to understand
That it’s the baby with the pull
– the star was in the Wise Men’s plot.

And so I’m here again today
Among my fellow pilgrims.
Some wiser than others
Some treading water
Some come today still bearing gifts to give the baby
Some of beauty, some quite crude
What we share in common are our Herods along the way
How strange of God…
These Herods that have pointed us to Bethlehem
The sputters on our trip.

And so I seek a place that’s still
Where I can find that gravitational pull
That comes from my own story, my astronomy.
My star is this inverted ark that gives me shelter in the storm
It’s bread and wine
Baptismal waters and praying for the dead
It’s miracles and stories held in faith, not understood
It’s children being truly children
Wrongs forgiven, the hungry fed.

And so we pray

“[O]Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to Thy perfect light.” 
(Refrain:  We Three Kings by Rev. John Henry Hopkins, 1857)

Amen.