Epiphany 2009                                                                   Janaury 11, 2009                        

On Tuesday Christians around the world will hopefully recall the day referred to the Epiphany of the Lord.
It is that day when we recall the story told from our Gospel reading where the Magi, or Wise Men as they are sometimes called, come from a far away land bringing gifts to the Baby Jesus.
Each time I read this story in the days following Christmas I can not help but be reminded of the gifts I received on Christmas.
As always, I received some great Christmas gifts.

Among the many and varied gifts, I once again ended up with a fistful of Barnes and Noble gift certificates, which eventually magically transformed into a bag of books to be read in the days following Christmas.
My son Ted gave me a gift certificate for the local coffee shop so I can enjoy a Double Latte while I am enjoying of my newly acquired books.
My daughter Katie made a donation in my name to World vision to assist with educational efforts in developing countries.
Hopefully this will enable others to discover the joy of reading and discovering more of the world around them.
And my wife Julia gave me a Telephoto lens for my camera!
Thereby allowing me to explore and capture fragments of the world around me.
Like I said, it was another great Christmas, filled with wonderful gifts, given from the heart.

I would hope and suspect that your Christmas goodies are probably just as diverse and heartwarming.
After all, a good gift is not just something grabbed off a shelf; it’s a unique expression of the giver.
In fact someone once said:
“Thoughtful giving begins with thoughts on giving.”
And this brings us back to the story of the Magi.
If you recall, each of the Magi brought something unique and specific.

One of the Magi gives gold.
Another brings frankincense.
The third gives myrrh.

They bring different gifts because the wise men are different people.
And since the gifts come from the heart, they fit the baby so well.  
Gold for King Jesus, the rightful ruler of Israel.  
Frankincense for Christ the high priest.  
And myrrh, an embalming spice, for the Savior who dies for the sins of the world.

The story of the wise men and their well-chosen, well-fitted gifts is an annual invitation for you and me to do likewise, to look into the treasure trove of our lives and bring out those gifts that will serve Christ so well.
Having just said that I can already imagine some of you more modest types thinking to yourselves—what do you mean treasure trove of gifts?
I don’t have any gifts.
I don’t have anything to offer.
What could I possibly bring to Jesus that would be of any value?
As one who was raised by staunch Scandinavians I too learned early on to never blow your own horn to loud, to remain properly humble and to err on the side of self-deprecation when it comes to ones abilities and strengths.
For that reason it is often hard for some of us to jump up and down when it comes to talking about bringing gifts to our Lord and Savior.
It simply goes against our cultural upbringing and training.
Nonetheless—I am sticking to the suggestion that each of us does in fact have specific gifts worthy of bringing to Jesus, jut like the Magi.

Years ago, someone who is obviously not of Scandinavian heritage named Christina Rossetti wrote a poem that has become a lovely Christmas carol, which says in part:
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring him a lamb.
If I were a wise man I would do my part.
Yet what can I give him? —Give him my heart!

The point being---every one of us comes into this world with precious gifts, particular talents, and unique potential.  
God has seen to that!  
And that point is further made that each and every one of you has gifts that are pleasing to your Lord, gifts that are fitting, gifts that are needed.

I can assure you that if you look around Zion and within our community you will find a great many God-given gifts.
We have wonderful musicians who help enhance our worship.
We have dedicated teachers and mentors who desire to pass along the faith and nurture the faith of our children so that they too might grow up to be dedicated disciples and willing apostles.
We have congregational leaders who are committed to Zion’s mission and ministry and are willing to be responsible and accountable.
We have dedicated saints who quietly and diligently work behind the scenes making sure that our ministry and mission gets done and people are blessed.
And we have people dedicated to prayer, people who lift this place up in their prayers daily, who prayerfully support not only Zion’s pastor, but also the support staff and the church council.
The list goes on.  
The gifts go on.
The blessings are overflowing.

For some time now I have worked with the idea that each and every one of us is here at Zion not by our choosing, but by God’s calling and invitation.

Let me explain…As a pastor I am here because I believe God has called me to this congregation to serve with the gifts and talents God has given to me.

Yes, it is true, that you as a congregation had a hand in that process, as did I, in allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and direct.  
But the bottom line is this: God sets the spark while the Holy Spirit fans and empowers the flame.

I happen to believe that this phenomena is not limited to pastors, but to you folks as well.
It is not uncommon for me to ask new members here at Zion: Why did you choose this church?
I mean, it’s not like there aren’t any choices or options when it comes to churches in this community!
Their answers vary….
They like the more traditional worship and the music.
They have friends and relatives that worship here.
They like the sense of community and the spirit of hospitality.
After a little discussion I like to raise the question:
Is it possible that maybe you didn’t chose Zion?
Is it possible--maybe God chose you for Zion?
For some reason that suggestion sometimes scares folks.
And if so, what does that mean?

As you open your Bibles—you will discover in the Old Testament that God has been calling people to specific things and missions from the beginning of time.
God called Abraham & Sarah    
--Jacob        
--Samuel  
--Gideon
--Elijah & Elisha            
--Prophets-- Jeremiah & Isaiah—to name a few.

In the New Testament—Jesus calls people to be disciples and apostles.  
He invites them to follow and he sends them out in the world to share the Good News of how God is transforming lives—giving new life—and bringing peace to those who have lived in chaos.

Through out the OT and NT:
God calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
God calls them and then God equips them to do what needs to be done.
In other words, God give us gifts and talents to be used in the service of our neighbors and to the Glory of God.
God did this in the Bible
God still does this today.

So what this means is that I believe that God has called each of you to be here—
Just like the shepherds were invited by the choir of angels--
Just like the magi who were drawn to the baby Jesus by a bright and glorious star—
Just like each of the disciples was drawn to Jesus for a variety of reasons…
Each of you is here because God has blessed you with gifts and talents to be given and shared.

Think about it…. do you think a congregation like ours-- just happens by chance?
Do you really believe this place could look back on well over 100 years of healthy and productive ministry without God’s hand involved?
Do you really believe that we are nothing more than a random gathering of folks from a certain community or communities who share a common taste in religion?
I don’t think so!
God has called and chosen each one of us with great care,
so that together we may provide every gift needed for building up the body of Christ, the serving of our community, and the praising of our God.
If we truly believe that we have been blessed to be a blessing, then each of you is truly God's gift to the world and to the church, and every gift is needed.

Imagine how dull would my Christmas would have been if I received only sweaters and socks!
On the other hand, how skimpy my wardrobe would be if I only received books and camera equipment!
It is the coming together of different gifts from different hearts that makes the season so full.

Consider this if you will….just think how disappointed God is when your gifts or mine are not brought to the manger.
Try to imagine how the church is weakened and diminished when some gifts are not shared.
And see what rewards, what genuine pleasures, we forfeit when we withhold our gifts from God.

Maybe that's the most compelling reason why you and I ought to resolve to be good stewards of our time, our talents, and our treasures--because there is so much joy in giving.
There is so much fun in serving God.
Nothing else will make you feel so good.

As I reflect on this past Christmas,
I remember how excited my wife was when I opened the telephoto lens.
How delighted my children were as I opened gifts offered by them with care and given with love.
Most of you I suspect know that there is always joy when we give from the heart, especially when we give to God and to those we love.

I don’t know if you thought about it before but I believe there is joy for God as well when we give our gifts and talents.
Think about it, like any doting parent, God loves to receive gifts from sons and daughters.
And because we are created in the image of God—it is in our nature to find joy in giving and sharing and blessing the lives of others.
And when this happens there is joy in the body of Christ.
Because of your joy filled generosity, your grace-filled presence, and your many and varied gifts, the body of Christ is built up and sustained.
And the Body of Christ thrives and the lives of others are blessed.

On this Epiphany of our Lord, we are reminded of the wise men, the magi, who were drawn by a star to the baby Jesus.  
And we are told that they came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

You and I have been drawn to this place of worship, this community of faith.  
We have been called by God and we have God-given gifts to share, gifts that honor our Lord and Savior, gifts that will be a blessing to others, gifts that will enhance our mission and ministry.

Do you remember that poem I mentioned earlier?
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring him a lamb.
If I were a wise man I would do my part.
Yet what can I give him? —Give him my heart!

Much later the American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson responded,
The only gift is a portion of thyself.
A poet brings his poems;
The farmer his corn;
The miner his gem.

I would add:
A teacher gives her teaching,
A preacher his preaching,
A musician his music,
A caregiver her compassion,
A leader her leadership,
A tradesman his craft,
A parent his or her parenting.

Emerson was right: giving ourselves is the best gift to bring to the baby Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Stephen Blenkush
Zion Lutheran Church
Milaca, MN