Wandering and Wondering

And they went home by another way

Balthazar as he prepared for his journey.

Meet Balthazar.

Balthazar is by tradition the name of one of the Magi that visited Jesus when he was born (The Bible does not actually tell us their names names or even how many their actually was of them.). In our church, Balthazar has been quite busy over the past several weeks. He has been out on an epic adventure. It was anyone’s guess if he would manage to return in a timely fashion for our Epiphany celebration (Even I was not 100% sure).

On the first Sunday of Advent, we set him out on his journey by handing him to one of the children during chancel steps. Since then he has been traveling from family to family. As each person received him, they signed the card and then passed him along to someone else. Each signature was like a passport stamp for all the different households that Balthazar traveled through to make it to the Nativity.

The card was used not only to record Balthazar’s travels, but also to offer the instructions about returning Balthazar. He is supposed to return to church on the Sunday closest to Epiphany (January 6th). This year, that meant yesterday, the 5th of January. Sure enough and miracle of miracles, he did return this past Sunday. All the Magi, both the beautiful ceramic set and their Playmobil counterparts, arrived on time to bestow their gifts to Jesus. This is clearly going to be a new tradition. The kids were thrilled to be a part of the telling of the Christmas story. The return of Balthazar to the Nativity set ranked up there with the placing of baby Jesus in the manger at the 5pm Christmas Eve worship service.

I am very thankful that my colleague, Pastor Karen Fournier, for sharing this idea with me. New ideas are but one of the many blessings that a pastor can gain by fostering strong collegial bonds. And now I offer this idea to you. I can’t wait to hear about all of Balthazar’s travels.

NOTES:

This particular figure is from Playmobil. It came with the other wise men, a camel, frankincense, gold, and myrrh. I liked this figurine because it was durable, easily transportable, and replaceable if necessary. Apparently, you can now also just buy the three wise men from them too without all the accessories. Fisher Price has a set as well which apparently comes from the bigger Nativity set.

This is also the day that we handed out the star words that I shared about earlier in the week.

And the beat goes on . . .

Here is a poem inspired by yesterday’s poem.

The Sunset

As the pink and blues morph and move,

I think of all who have stopped to watch the sky before me.

I think of all that will come after this night

and all my nights.

I think of all who are in this moment looking up to see God’s glorious artistry.

I think of Ahs and Ohhs and Ooooohs.

I think of the silent watching that stills the soul

and the movement which happens so subtly it’s barely perceptible

until the vision has somehow vanishes before our eyes.

And I think of those who never thought to look

or saw but were not caught up by the beauty.

I weep for those who do not see the wonder in a setting sun

and think that they must go to a museum to see a masterpiece.

May all who breathe be awed by the everchanging and fleeting artistry of God.

The Title & An Offering

The inspiration for the title. of the blog title

Thank You, O Lord – Blessings!

by Rev. Dawn M. Adams

The clouds turn pink

and bow goodnight.

The day is done

but not my work

because before I lay my head to pillow,

I must offer thanks

for the blessings of my day.

Thank you, O Lord,

for the air in my lungs

and for allowing me to wake.

Thank you for the will and

ability to get out of bed.

Thank you for the warmth of blankets,

the comfort of a shower,

and all my meals today.

Thank you for the roof over my head

and for the door which lets me out

and in again.

Thank you for my friends and family,

and all the people

with whom my path crossed.

Thank you for this day, which I know not everyone was afforded.

Let me, this night, fall to sleep in the warm embrace of my many blessings.

Amen.

Reflection and Action

Sometimes it is hard for us to remember that a day need not be spectacular to be a blessing. To just wake up, get up, and be able to interact with others, we are blessed. It is worthy to take time to count our blessings. Sometimes, when we take the time to account for the blessings of our day, we are surprised by the many which we walked by virtually unnoticed and definitively unappreciated.

Happy New What?

I know you expect me to say, “Happy New Year!”,

but in the Christian calendar New Year was a month ago at the beginning of Advent. That doesn’t make this time unimportant though, as this is still a time of noticing change and being thoughtful about what comes next.

We, as Christians, are still well entrenched in the Christmas season and are moving toward Epiphany which is celebrated on January 6th. As we look toward the story of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12) and consider our own pathways to the nativity and away from it, it is a good time for reflection and a good time to set intentions for the next year.

Some churches, like the one that I pastor, this Sunday will pass out star words.

This was one of the words I pulled a few years ago. Last year, as I had three different worship services that I used this process with, I ended up three words which ironically spelled STaR: Shimmer, Tolerance, and Restraint.

These words are not meant to be talismans or crystal balls. They are not predictions of the future. They are meant to help lead you forward through the year through reflection, consideration, and discernment.

One of the best lines in the Epiphany story is “And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.” (Matthew 2:12) This sentence speaks not only to what the Magi did, but also asks us to consider where we are going and how we will get there.

May we be mindful about our ways in this “new year” as our way affects other’s ways; and all of our ways together affect the world and its future.

Blessings to your and yours this new year’s day.

Pastor Dawn

Here is a list of star words you can draw from.

Here is a link to the star cutouts that were used.

Here is a liturgy that I used to pass out the star words:

Dedication of Stars
Pastor: In this time as we celebrate the light of Christ coming into the world and yet our world seems darker than ever, we lean on our faith to see us through. At the beginning of worship, you were given a star. I invite you to hold that star in your hand.

In your hands you hold a gift from God. A message just for you. Take a moment to reflect on how this word might unfold new truths for you in the coming year.

Silent Reflection

Pastor: In the coming year, use this word, as the Magi used the star as a guide in the sky. May it inspire you to bravely travel wherever God leads. May you see God working in you and those around you. And may you be transformed as you faithfully discover God’s will in your life. Remembering always that you are a part of the Good news that God has planned for the world.

Congregation: We accept our stars and promise to listen for all God may reveal to us through our star word. AMEN