Pause

The Christ child is born!
All you who would find him,
prepare for a journey, as determined as the Magi.
All you who would praise him,
come with the faith to follow but a star.
All you who would worship him,
come with humility to the child
who shows forth the immeasurable riches of God.

Based on Matthew 2:1-12, from A Worship Sourcebook

Listen

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Matthew 2:7-12

Think

We do not know for sure who these Magi were. Were they kings? Scholars? Astrologers? We do know, however, that they were wise men with important things to do. Perhaps they had kingdoms to run, books to read, papers to write, or stars to map. Whatever their professions, they chose to drop all they were doing to set out on a journey to follow a star and find a child.

We, too, are often busy and preoccupied with all that life demands of us. But sometimes we are called to drop what we are doing to pause and worship God. And this is the epiphany: there is nothing too important that cannot wait for us to seek out and worship the Christ-child. So come, let us adore him, Christ the King.

Joann Lee

Pray

God, thank you for these wise men who took the time to make a long journey to the baby Jesus. In the busyness of everyday life, help me to pause and worship you as the wise men did over two thousand years ago. Amen.

Go

See the child,
Gentle and kind,
Vision of God,
Image of the Divine.

Be the child,
Prepared to see
Images of God,
And all that will be.

All that will be.