Good morning! Happy Epiphany! So it’s not one of your top ten holidays! But here we are—Jan. 6, Epiphany!

Most of us know what the word “epiphany” itself means. It means a sudden realization of the truth about something. It’s a lightbulb moment; the “A-ha!” moment when the pieces fall into place and comprehension succeeds. It’s the moment of recognition.

So today we celebrate the visit of the Wise Men to the Christ Child who by their coming, worshipping, and bringing gifts, “reveal” Jesus to the world as Lord and King. The importance of their coming lay not in the fact they were wise men, or astrologers, or scholars, or kings, but that they were Gentiles—they came from far away. Now the whole world could receive God in a special way since God had come in “person.” This is the lightbulb that Epiphany shares with us.

This is the last day of the Christmas season. Christmastide is the 12 days following the day of Jesus’ birth. That sometimes annoying song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, refers not to the 12 days before Christmas, but the 12 days after. These twelve days are the time we can really sing Christmas carols as part of the church year. Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night refers to the 12th night of Christmas, the culmination of the Christmas celebration. Nowadays, we find it hard to not jump the gun and celebrate during Advent when we are supposed to be preparing. We certainly don’t spend these twelve days celebrating—most of our trees are down, the decorations packed away, and the Christmas cookies are the makings of this year’s dieting resolutions. Since Epiphany this year is on a Sunday, I asked Worship and Music to leave the decorations up until after Epiphany, the last day of the church Christmas season, so this year we have Christmas up through the entire Christmastide.

I read of one church with an almost life size nativity scene in the front of the sanctuary which starts with the Wise Men in the narthex—perhaps even the parking lot—and moves them progressively closer so they reach the holy family on Epiphany Sunday. This gives a much better sense of the actual chronology.

However, most historians do agree, based on Matthrew’s account, that it was probably not twelve days later that the Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem, but around two years later. By that time the family had a home and the Wise Men found Mary and Joseph and the young child in a room in a house.

We also have no real idea of how many Wise Men there were—perhaps 10, perhaps 30—we only know there were three gifts and have assumed 3 men.

The song that we sing about them not only says three, but calls them kings. They, however, were not kings at all—they were magi, wise men, professional scholars schooled in the science of the stars and astrology. They served kings and wealthy, powerful leaders in their home countries, but they themselves were not kings.

So how did they get to this young child and his parents—what drew them on this long journey? These men were seekers, these Magi, searching for something, for someone. They searched for new wisdom and truth. You do not scan the sky night after night unless you are searching. They were hoping for something new and wonderful. When they saw it, they packed their baggage, saddled their camels and followed the star. They did not stay home and say “Who, me? Go into the unknown? Go follow a star? Oh, no, not me!” They did it. It was not an easy journey—it was a struggle--it was long and tedious. They had no exact directions—they had simply seen the star and followed that path through dark nights and the God of Israel was revealed to the world.

The Bible tells us over and over again—that if we seek, we shall find, if we knock, the door shall be opened to us, if we ask, we will receive. But how often do we actually seek for wisdom? For new truth? For guidance?

Think of assembling all those new toys and tools that appeared this Christmas—or other Christmases. How many people actually looked at the directions before beginning to assemble them? How many tried to get something together relying on the knowledge they already had—only to find that it was not good enough?

The wise men gained their goal because they were seekers—they were looking for new things, new insights, new signs. They read their manuals, they searched the heavens for signs and wonders. And so can we. Who, me? Follow a star? Sure, I’ll try! I’ll be a true seeker!”

Secondly, The Wisemen reached their goal because of faith.

Faith by definition involves the idea of making a journey – of venturing forth - of risking one's very self in a new activity. The living God cannot be found by proxy. That was Herod's
mistake - he wanted the magi to go in his place and search for the Christ child. Only then would he come and worship the newborn king. By contrast the magi had to travel from a foreign land. They did not know where the star would lead them, how long it would take, or what the end result would be for them. They only knew that it was important for them to follow that star to wherever it led. It was a personal quest and the result was an opportunity to worship the one who would be king of kings and Lord of Lords..

This may well be the most important truth for us in the Epiphany story. A story of faith with Jesus has to be a personal story, a personal quest. It is not enough to know all kinds of facts about Jesus Christ.

One must decide to follow him and then do so. No one else can do that for us. Faith is not inherited like the family jewels – nor can it come from simply knowing what others have said about it..

Faith is like the difference between having read about how to make a cake and actually making one. One can know all there is to know about cooking, one may well have memorized the recipe for the cake that he or she wants to make - but until one actually gets out the ingredients and mixes them together and puts the results in the oven - it means absolutely nothing. If we answer the question “Who, me?” with a yes, then we must follow in complete faith.

But complete faith does not mean we know all the answers. Third, the Wise Men showed us that we need help from others as we search for our King.

We so often try to live our lives without making any demands on others. We try to be independent. To stand alone. To make it by ourselves. Sometimes this comes out of noble motives - we do not want to burden others. Other times it comes out of fear - we
are afraid of looking weak or foolish.

When the magi arrived in Jerusalem, they knew they were in the right area, but they
were not yet at the right spot. Kind of like us sometimes when we go driving in a new city to find a friend. We get into the right neighbourhood - but somehow can't quite locate the street
we are looking for. Our map may be outdated or in error, whatever the reason may be, we are stuck and remain stuck until we ask someone else for help.

That is what the magi did. The bible says they consulted with the people in Jerusalem. They ask where the new born king is and how they can find him so they can pay homage to him. Because they ask - they receive. Their question is answered by people who are familiar with the scriptures and prophecies concerning the birth of the Messiah - and they take that answer and set forth with it - and when they do so, once again they see the star going ahead of them-- until it takes them to Jesus.

There are many people who can help us on our journey of faith --if we are wise enough to ask them. The question is: are we willing to ask for help when we need it? When we are in the
right neighbourhood, but can't quite find our way to our destination will we stop and ask for directions as did the magi? The star may not always be visible, and we need some direction—perhaps in a Bible study class, a small group study, a one on one with someone you respect, but be willing to ask so you can continue following the star leading to Christ Jesus.

In the story of the wise men often much is made of what they gave to the Christ child. But consider what they were given.

They set forth looking for a king - a king of kings in fact. After a long and hard journey they end up at a simple home in Bethlehem - and there they find a carpenter and his wife and
child. There are no costly treasures in the house, no purple robes, no gold rings, nothing in fact to show that they are in the presence of person destined to be a great king. Only the
star stood overhead to indicate that anything special at all was going on.

And they accept this. Although all the outward signs, save one, are telling them that they are in the wrong place, they accept that single sign - the sign of God that they have been following for so long - and ignore the rest.

So many of us have a hard time accepting what God has given in the form that he gives it. Because we are waiting for a gift from God - we look for great miracles, instant healings, signs and wonders, trumpet calls and 21 gun salutes.

We may pray to God for a special blessing - and then turn away at our door a pan-handler who is looking for a meal, or a neighbour who is dropping by unannounced, or a client who shows up just when we are preparing to leave work for the day.

We have this idea fixed in our minds that God does not, or should not, appear to us in the ordinary aspects of our life. We do not expect God to show up while we are at work in our office, or sitting in a classroom, or doing dishes at the kitchen sink. But that is where God is. If we follow our star, God will be with us wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, whoever we’re with.

In taking up the challenge to Follow the Star, we learn from the Wise Men to be seekers, to journey always in faith, to ask for help along the way, and to accept and believe in what we find.

Just as the star of Bethlehem drew the Magi towards the Christ Child, so that light shines out to each of us. It beckons. It draws all of humanity towards it.

Who, me? Follow a Star? Yes! But where will that star lead me? Am I willing to follow the star wherever it may lead as did the Wise Men? Do I track it through the city streets? Do I follow the star into my work place, into the park or to the mall? Do I follow it as it stops over the widow, the immigrant, the young mother looking after her small children? Does it gake me past the grandfather leaning on his cane, the aboriginal, the person in the wheelchair? Do I journey with them in the search for Christ?Do I help them on the journey to hope?

There are many legends about the magi. One is that they were three different ages. They went into the cave one at a time. They each met someone their own age. Melchior met an old man who spoke to him of memory and gratitude. Balthazar met a middle-aged teacher who talked of leadership and responsibility. Gaspar met a young prophet who spoke words of reform and promise. Afterward they entered the cave together and met a baby twelve days old.
The message of Christ speaks to us at every stage of our life. It continues to reveal itself to us as we grow in faith and maturity. To find Christ at any stage in our lives is to find ourselves. Yet when we enter together we find a deeper truth, the fact that we are all children of God.
Epiphany is a feast of hope. The greatest hope comes from the discovery that we are not alone in our quest. We journey together. We encourage one another. Where I am weak you encourage me. When you encounter difficulties on the journey I reach out to you. On our journey together are teenagers and octogenarians. We have teachers, doctors and lawyers. We have office workers and factory workers. We have single people, married people, people who have been divorced. We have the rich and we have the poor. We have people who are good, and people who, truth to tell, leave much to be desired.
And yes! We are all following the same star. And we will follow the star until it stops. And there we will look into the face of the Messiah.