January 8, 2023
"Sky full of stars"
Sermon by Rev. Trip Porch
January 8, 2023 Based on Matthew 2:1-12
Last week, I got to experience something that we often forget even exists during the winter months in Ohio... the night sky.
My hometown in Florida doesn’t quite have the same cloud coverage that we do in Ohio, and when we were home visiting, we stepped outside at night. The whole family at once was awe struck and collectively, without even having to say it out loud, we knew how we were going to be spending the next hour.
What looked beautiful at first got more amazing as we looked and gave our eyes a chance to adjust. We named the few constellations we could remember and tried our best to find them in the sky and teach them to our kids, though we could tell how seldom we get to look at the night sky by how few constellations we could remember. We quickly pulled out our phones and downloaded an app to try and assist us.
Then the wonder of the sight took over, and we turned off the phones and just took it all in. We were far away from the city, and so the stars shined out in a way we hadn’t seen in a long time. The longer we looked the more we noticed. Groupings of stars we hadn’t noticed before, satellites hundreds of miles above quickly on the move. And then someone noticed a particularly bright light...
What’s that star over there... it looks brighter than the other stars... it looks almost red. We all turned to look, and once we saw it, we were transfixed... I thought... I think that’s a planet. I think that’s Mars. We looked it up and it was Mars, shining with its unique and particular light. We gazed on in awe and wonder at the fact that we could see with our own naked eye another planet 64.3 million miles away.
We came back out the next night, and right away, once we saw that characteristic orange-y red shining from the bright star we knew what it was, we could recognize it by its light, we knew that was Mars.
There are a lot of messages we can glean from the story of the Magi coming from afar to visit Jesus. Like how they are the first people from outside of Nazareth, outside of Galilee, outside of the Roman Empire, outside of the Jewish faith even to recognize that God’s light was shining in the world in a new way. These foreigners who came to bear witness to the Christ child tell us that God’s love is truly universal, for insiders, for outsiders, and for those who are completely different from us, who see the world and believe through a completely different paradigm.
Or there are the gifts, costly, extravagant, gold and exotic and expensive perfumes. Part of why the tradition often lifts these foreign people as three kings, even though from this story we don’t know their number, or their gender, or their economic status. We know from this story though that they see fit to offer these rare gifts to this poor rural family, an act that no doubt saved their life when they had to quickly arrange to flee for their lives to avoid the terror of the local ruler Herod who feared a new king of the Jews.
There are a lot of messages here but today I find myself drawn to the starlight. Of all the millions of points of light in the sky what was it about the star they saw that made them decide to follow it. What was it about that light that made them decide to journey from so far and travel for so long in order to reach this unknown destination?
I suspect there was something about that star’s light that was unique, that shined with its own particular glory. I suspect it was a light in the darkness that was irresistible to them. Something in the light that felt immediately recognizable that caused them to trust it, to seek it in hope, to follow it in faith and believe that goodness and beauty, peace and joy, love and life would come as they pursued that light.
And then after who knows how long, they followed that light to a most unexpected place. A child, weak, vulnerable, so very human, and yet, in this child they saw something immediately recognizable. That same light that they had been pursuing for so long.
Last year, we began a new tradition that many mainline churches have been trying out on Epiphany: the distribution of Star Words.
The idea is that a list of intention words, or guiding words, are written on paper stars. These paper stars are then arranged face down and the congregation is encouraged to prayerfully look over the blank stars, select one, and take that with you as a word to reflect on, to seek understanding to let guide you in the new year.
God can be so easy to miss in the midst of the darkness of our daily life it can be helpful to have a light to guide us, something unmistakably holy and full of life. The hope is that this intention word, this guiding word will help us contemplate God’s light in our life in our normal routine, or even in reflection at the end of 2023 as we return to advent, enter the darkness again and await the light to shine down again, that this star word may allow us to see God in ways we may not have seen God before.
So we are going to revisit this practice today... we have laid our star words in the baptismal font at the back of the sanctuary...
Take a deep breath as you look over the stars. Consider centering yourself in prayer first and seeking God’s leading in selecting a word. Perhaps try selecting a word at random. Consider the journey of the Magi; they were led by the star which appeared to them. and select a word for you.
Though you may not immediately understand the word you draw You are encouraged to trust the word you draw, and not to replace it. You then take it home and place it somewhere you’ll see it regularly throughout the year to allow consistent reflection on how God is moving through, around, or in connection to that word. How God is drawing you closer and deeper to understanding the light in your midst.
[Much of this section explaining the concept of "Star Words" comes from RevGalPals and FPCLawrenceville explainers on the concept]
Friends, in the darkness of the night, let us be ones who look up, and find that unmistakeable light that surrounds us. May we open ourselves up to God’s guiding light, and when we see that light shining, may we seek to understand it... may we follow it wherever it leads, may we let that light begin our own journey of faith...
Amen.
We welcome all who worship here this morning!
WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE
PRELUDE “Night of Silence” Daniel Kantor/arr. Robert J. Ward Sanctuary Bells with Skye Johnson, soloist
INTROIT “To the Unnamed Light” Franscisco F. Feliciano (b. 1941)
Light sends up in blades of grass
Its silent hymns of praise
To the unnamed Light
text: Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941); from Fireflies
WELCOME Rev. Trip Porch
CALL TO WORSHIP
One: Arise, shine: for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
All: We come to this space, following the star, seeking a miracle.
One: You will see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice
All: for here we find a prophecy fulfilled, and a mystery revealed!
*HYMN No. 151 “We Three Kings” KINGS OF ORIENT
All sing verses 1-2; Choir alone verses 3-4; All sing verse 5
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION Mark Phlegar
Holy Refugee of Israel, we would like to believe that we would be like the magi, that we would protect
the innocent child, that we would stand up to power. But too often we have turned away from those who
need us. Too often we have bent to the powers that be, resigning ourselves to the way it has always been.
Forgive our lack of action, guide us back to your purposes, and help us be brave enough to do your will.
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
One: God calls to us from wherever we are.
All: God’s love shines like a beacon.
One: God’s voice echoes in our souls,
All: “You are forgiven!”
*RESPONSE OF PRAISE #447 “We Are Forgiven” WE ARE FORGIVEN
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
One: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
All: And also with you.
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
ANTHEM “Lovely Star in the Sky” Un-yung La
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Parker Wilkinson
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2:1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village — this was in Judah territory during Herod’s kingship — a band of scholars, Magi from the East, arrived in Jerusalem. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”
When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:
It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land, no longer bringing up the rear. From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”
Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”
Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!
They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.
In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country
SERMON
HYMN (see insert) “Bright Star, Where Are You Leading?” NOUS VOICI DANS LA VILLE
CALL TO OFFERING
OFFERTORY “Bells Over Bethlehem” Andalusian Folk Song
Sung by the IPC Children’s Choir
*OFFERTORY RESPONSE 144 “In the Bleak Midwinter” (verse 4) CRANHAM
INVITATION TO THE TABLE
GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING with The Lord’s Prayer
SHARING THE LORD’S SUPPER
HYMN DURING COMMUNION No. 146 “Gentle Mary Laid Her Child” EMPUS ADEST FLORDIUM
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
God of Light and Love, we cherish this table in this season when the nights are long and cold. Through this meal, this meeting of the Christ and our neighbors, our hearts have warmed. May the comfort in our souls sustain us through winter and nudge us to create welcoming spaces for our neighbors. With gratitude, we leave here energized to kindle your love in this world. Amen.
HYMN NO. 192 “Lord, the Light of Your Love Is Shining” SHINE, JESUS SHINE
TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING
VISUAL BENEDICTION - by Howard Thurman
BENEDICTION RESPONSE “Away in a Manger” William James Kirkpatrick
Sung by the IPC Children’s Choir
POSTLUDE
Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
Sunday, January 29, 2023 immediately following worship