After...
Today is the day after...
The day after Epiphany... after the final chapter of the Christmas story... after the baby was born... the angels sang... the shepherds visited... the wisemen brought gifts. It has been a full season! We sang our favorite carols, sent cards, baked cookies, opened presents, and gathered with family and friends. And now, today is the day after... For those of us who have held out until Epiphany, the time has finally come to put away the decorations and get back to life as usual. Right?
But then I think about the star in the story. Not the star of the story- that would be Jesus. Rather, I am thinking about the star in the story that invites wisemen in the east to travel across a desert to meet a King. If you read the story carefully, that star is rather determined. It appears in the night sky as a neon sign to alert Persian astrologers that a great King has been born. Taht first appearance sent the wisemen to Jerusalem where they find only an imposter king claiming the throne. A discussion with the scribes then sends them to Bethlehem. But how would they find the child in all the homes of that village? Enter that determined star... Matthew tells us what happens after the birth:
The day after Epiphany... after the final chapter of the Christmas story... after the baby was born... the angels sang... the shepherds visited... the wisemen brought gifts. It has been a full season! We sang our favorite carols, sent cards, baked cookies, opened presents, and gathered with family and friends. And now, today is the day after... For those of us who have held out until Epiphany, the time has finally come to put away the decorations and get back to life as usual. Right?
But then I think about the star in the story. Not the star of the story- that would be Jesus. Rather, I am thinking about the star in the story that invites wisemen in the east to travel across a desert to meet a King. If you read the story carefully, that star is rather determined. It appears in the night sky as a neon sign to alert Persian astrologers that a great King has been born. Taht first appearance sent the wisemen to Jerusalem where they find only an imposter king claiming the throne. A discussion with the scribes then sends them to Bethlehem. But how would they find the child in all the homes of that village? Enter that determined star... Matthew tells us what happens after the birth:
The star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them
until it stopped over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. Matthew 2:9-10
until it stopped over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. Matthew 2:9-10
Note, the star did not stop shining until the wisemen successfully found Jesus. Matthew invites us to imagine a light in the darkness that leads to the One who is the Light.
This week our nation will celebrate the life of the 39th President- Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th at the age of 100. A quick review of his life shows that Carter was the king of the 'after'. After he went to the Naval Academy, he was specifically chosen to work fo rthe Admiral Rickover in the design of nuclear submarines. When Carter's father died, he resigned his commission to go home to Plains, GA to care for the family interests. His family peanut farm became one fo the most successful in the south. He went on to serve two terms in the GA state senate, and then on to the Governor's mansion in 1971. And after the governor's mansion, Jimmy and Roselind moved into the White House in 1977. Many downplay Carter's time as President. Yet, it would be foolish to dismiss his accomplishments during those four years that include: the Camp David Accords that led to a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union that deescalated the nuclear threat between our nations, Panama Canal treaties, and the establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. So many accomplishments, but with Americans held hostage in Iran, a gas crisis, and an economic recession, Carter became a one-term President, losing to Reagan in 1981.
Many expected that Carter's next 'after' chapter would be a quiet return to peanut farming and the traditional building of a Presidential library. Instead, Carter embarked on the best 'after' chapter in U.S. Presidential history. In 1982, the Carter Center was established to help improve life in countries around the world by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy and human rights; preventing diseases and improving mental healthcare. Carter heeded the call of Matthew 25 to care for the "least of these" in the U.S. and abroad. He wrote, "My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference." When Carter received the Nobel Prize in 2002, he challenged the world to join him in that calling. "We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can bring freedom. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes- and we must." The work of the Carter Center has impacted the lives of people in over 80 countries. But perhaps Carter's best known 'after' project is his work with Habitat for Humanity. He is credited with inspiring over 108,000 volunteers and contributing to the construction, renovation and repair of over 4,400 homes. In 2019, at the age of 95, bruised and scraped from a fall, Carter insisted on helping to assemble a porch on a home in Nashville. Carter's final 'after' chapter has been a light in the darkness that leads to the One who is the Light.
I am wondering if in these 'after' days we can do the same. Will we choose to shine a determined light that points to the Savior? Last year, when it came time to put all the decorations away, I hesitated. I did not want to give in to the darkness that always overwhelms January after all the Christmas lights are put away. So, last year, we left our twinkle lights up on our porch and front bushes. I loved coming home ot the warm glow of my house. Those twinkle lights created an oasis in a sea of darkness. And they also acted as a nightly reminder of the call to be light in the darkness that leads to the One who is the Light. Jimmy Carter was once asked for his favorite song from childhood. His response: "This little light of mine... I'm going to let it shine... let it shine... let it shine... let it shine." Could we be as determined as that star in the east... and as the 39th President of the United States? Let us shine!
With you, learning to shine,
Anita
This week our nation will celebrate the life of the 39th President- Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th at the age of 100. A quick review of his life shows that Carter was the king of the 'after'. After he went to the Naval Academy, he was specifically chosen to work fo rthe Admiral Rickover in the design of nuclear submarines. When Carter's father died, he resigned his commission to go home to Plains, GA to care for the family interests. His family peanut farm became one fo the most successful in the south. He went on to serve two terms in the GA state senate, and then on to the Governor's mansion in 1971. And after the governor's mansion, Jimmy and Roselind moved into the White House in 1977. Many downplay Carter's time as President. Yet, it would be foolish to dismiss his accomplishments during those four years that include: the Camp David Accords that led to a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union that deescalated the nuclear threat between our nations, Panama Canal treaties, and the establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. So many accomplishments, but with Americans held hostage in Iran, a gas crisis, and an economic recession, Carter became a one-term President, losing to Reagan in 1981.
Many expected that Carter's next 'after' chapter would be a quiet return to peanut farming and the traditional building of a Presidential library. Instead, Carter embarked on the best 'after' chapter in U.S. Presidential history. In 1982, the Carter Center was established to help improve life in countries around the world by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy and human rights; preventing diseases and improving mental healthcare. Carter heeded the call of Matthew 25 to care for the "least of these" in the U.S. and abroad. He wrote, "My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference." When Carter received the Nobel Prize in 2002, he challenged the world to join him in that calling. "We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can bring freedom. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes- and we must." The work of the Carter Center has impacted the lives of people in over 80 countries. But perhaps Carter's best known 'after' project is his work with Habitat for Humanity. He is credited with inspiring over 108,000 volunteers and contributing to the construction, renovation and repair of over 4,400 homes. In 2019, at the age of 95, bruised and scraped from a fall, Carter insisted on helping to assemble a porch on a home in Nashville. Carter's final 'after' chapter has been a light in the darkness that leads to the One who is the Light.
I am wondering if in these 'after' days we can do the same. Will we choose to shine a determined light that points to the Savior? Last year, when it came time to put all the decorations away, I hesitated. I did not want to give in to the darkness that always overwhelms January after all the Christmas lights are put away. So, last year, we left our twinkle lights up on our porch and front bushes. I loved coming home ot the warm glow of my house. Those twinkle lights created an oasis in a sea of darkness. And they also acted as a nightly reminder of the call to be light in the darkness that leads to the One who is the Light. Jimmy Carter was once asked for his favorite song from childhood. His response: "This little light of mine... I'm going to let it shine... let it shine... let it shine... let it shine." Could we be as determined as that star in the east... and as the 39th President of the United States? Let us shine!
With you, learning to shine,
Anita
Posted in From The Pastor
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