Following the Star

Pause

Breathe deeply.

This is the time for you to stop and notice the light on the window, scents in the dry winter air, and the subtle sounds that are the background of your day. Take a moment to notice the beating of your heart and the gentle brush of cloth against your skin.

These moments are a gift that Christ has given you and that you can give back to Christ, the gift of presence and companionship.

Breathe and pause and listen.

Listen

The Lord proclaims:

Sing joyfully for the people of Jacob; shout for the leading nation. Raise your voices with praise and call out: “The Lord has saved his people, the remaining few in Israel!”

I’m going to bring them back from the north; I will gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the disabled, expectant mothers and those in labor; a great throng will return here.

With tears of joy they will come; while they pray, I will bring them back. I will lead them by quiet streams and on smooth paths so they don’t stumble. I will be Israel’s father, Ephraim will be my oldest child.

Jeremiah 31:7-9

Think

Astronomers and physicists tell us that we are made of stardust. Fragments from the formation of the universe have found their way into each of us. We are connected to the farthest star and to the person sitting next to us by these infinitesimal particles of cosmic debris. They remind us that all people and all creatures are part of one family.

Being part of a family can be wonderful, but it can also be miserable, sometimes at the same time. Some family gatherings are tense. Other times those family gatherings are so great we will never forget them. In all of those experiences we are reminded that, even if we find it uncomfortable, we are connected.

We are stardust, along with the planets and the stars, the leaping salmon and the slinking bobcat, your best friend and your most difficult classmate. We are all God’s creation. Discover the Light.

Linnae Peterson

Pray

Lord, reveal to me my connection with the universe and with each person I meet today. Through my connection with others, show me my connection to you, so that I can live in your light. Amen.

Go

The wise men followed the star. They walked in the light of God’s presence and found Jesus at the end.

Go walk in the light of Christ, knowing that God is with you, and there you will find Jesus.

Go discover the light of Christ that shimmers around you.

Go celebrate the light of Christ with you and within you today.