To all who seek the bright Morning Star ….
An ancient prophecy,
a sign in the night sky,
a dangerous journey across the desolation,
the camaraderie of travelling companions spurring one another on with hopes and expectations,
a treasure carried as tribute to a King …
… this is the stuff of fairytale and legend –
captivating, romantic, remarkable.
How far removed from every Christmas play I’ve ever seen where, as Eugene Peterson so perfectly put it:
“Three bathrobes wise men with six or seven
Inches of jeans and sneakers showing, kneel
Offering gifts that symbolise the gifts
That none of us are ready yet to give.”
As we light the fourth candle for the wise men and make our way in a few short days to the manger to welcome Immanuel, God-with-us, I wonder just what it is that we’re hoping to receive …
… and what we’re willing to offer in our wonder and our worship.
Blessings to you and yours in this holy time of giving and receiving.
And may the God of hope be with us
in our Advent journey to the stable and beyond,
in our meeting and in our travelling together,
in our feasting and our resting.
Yours in Christ
Yvonne