Epiphany （顯現節）
Today us Epiphany. The Life-Light gets shared beyond.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory--this was during Herod's kingship--a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, "Where can we find and pay homage to the new born King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signed his birth. We're on pilgrimage to worship him."
When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified--and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?"
They told him, "Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:
"'It's you, Bethlehem, in Judah's land,
no longer bringing up the rear.
From you will come the leader
who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.' "
Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, "Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as tou find him, send word and I'll join you ar once in your worship."
Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!
They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Oversome, they kneeled and worship him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.
In a dream, they were warned not to report to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own county.
Matthew 2:1-3
2009-01-06
2009-01-04
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going
And I am telling you
I'm not going.
You're the best man I'll ever know.
There's no way I can ever go,
No, no, no, no way,
No, no, no, no way I'm livin' without you.
I'm not livin' without you.
I don't want to be free.
I'm stayin',
I'm stayin',
And you, and you, you're gonna love me.
Ooh, you're gonna love me.
And I am telling you
I'm not going,
Even though the rough times are showing.
There's just no way,
There's no way.
We're part of the same place.
We're part of the same time.
We both share the same blood.
We both have the same mind.
And time and time we have so much to share,
No, no, no,
No, no, no,
I'm not wakin' up tomorrow mornin'
And findin' that there's nobody there.
Darling, there's no way,
No, no, no, no way I'm livin' without you.
I'm not livin' without you.
You see, there's just no way,
There's no way.
Tear down the mountains,
Yell, scream and shout.
You can say what you want,
I'm not walkin' out.
Stop all the rivers,
Push, strike, and kill.
I'm not gonna leave you,
There's no way I will.
And I am telling you
I'm not going.
You're the best man I'll ever know.
There's no way I can ever, ever go,
No, no, no, no way,
No, no, no, no way I'm livin' without you.
Oh, I'm not livin' without you,
I'm not livin' without you.
I don't wanna be free.
I'm stayin',
I'm stayin',
And you, and you,
You're gonna love me.
Oh, hey, you're gonna love me,
Yes, ah, ooh, ooh, love me,
Ooh, ooh, ooh, love me,
Love me,
Love me,
Love me,
Love me.
You're gonna love me.
2008-12-31
2008-12-28
Living the Message Dec.28
Heaven
Heaven, in gospels and the Apocalypse (and throughout scripture) is the metaphor that tells us that there is far more than meets the eye. Beyond and through what we see there is that which we cannot see, and which is, wondrously, not "out there" but right here before us and among us: God --his rule, his love, his judgment, his salvation, his mercy, his grace, his healing, his wisdom.
Galling the word, heavena metaphor does not make it less real; it simply recognizes that it is a reality inaccessible at his point to any of our five senses...
Then, I looked, and oh!--a door open into Heavean. The trumpetvoice, the first voice of the vision, called out, "Ascend and enter. I'll show you what happens next."
Revelation 4:1
Heaven, in gospels and the Apocalypse (and throughout scripture) is the metaphor that tells us that there is far more than meets the eye. Beyond and through what we see there is that which we cannot see, and which is, wondrously, not "out there" but right here before us and among us: God --his rule, his love, his judgment, his salvation, his mercy, his grace, his healing, his wisdom.
Galling the word, heavena metaphor does not make it less real; it simply recognizes that it is a reality inaccessible at his point to any of our five senses...
Then, I looked, and oh!--a door open into Heavean. The trumpetvoice, the first voice of the vision, called out, "Ascend and enter. I'll show you what happens next."
Revelation 4:1
2008-12-27
Living the Message Dec.27
Dec. 27
The Offering (Christmas 1983)
May the kings of Tarshish and of isles render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
Long may he lives,
may gold Sheba be given to him!(Psalm 72:10, 15)
Brought up in a world where there's no free lunch
And trained to use presents for barter, I'm spending
The rest of my life receiving this gift with no
Strings attached, but not doing well.
Three bathrobed wise with six or seven
Inches of jeans and sneakers showing, kneel,
Offering gifts that symbolize the gifts
That none of us is ready yet to give.
A few of us stay behind, blow out the candles,
Sweep up the straw and put the crèche in storage.
We open the door into the world's night
And find we've played ourselves into a better
Performance. We leave with our left-over change changed
At the offertory into kingdom gold.
Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.
Matthew 1:11b
The Offering (Christmas 1983)
May the kings of Tarshish and of isles render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
Long may he lives,
may gold Sheba be given to him!(Psalm 72:10, 15)
Brought up in a world where there's no free lunch
And trained to use presents for barter, I'm spending
The rest of my life receiving this gift with no
Strings attached, but not doing well.
Three bathrobed wise with six or seven
Inches of jeans and sneakers showing, kneel,
Offering gifts that symbolize the gifts
That none of us is ready yet to give.
A few of us stay behind, blow out the candles,
Sweep up the straw and put the crèche in storage.
We open the door into the world's night
And find we've played ourselves into a better
Performance. We leave with our left-over change changed
At the offertory into kingdom gold.
Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.
Matthew 1:11b
2008-12-26
Living the Message Dec.26
The Gift (Christmas 1976)
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given...
and his name will be called
"Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
Half-sick with excitement and under garish lights
I do it again, year after year after year.
I can't wait to plunder the boxes, then show
And tell my friends: Look what I got!
I rep the tissue from every gift but find
The all the labels have lied. Stones.
And my heart a stone. "Dead in trespasses
And sin." The lights go out. Later my eyes,
Accustomed to the dark, see wrapped
In Christ-foil and ribboned in Spirit-colors
The multi-names messiah, love labels
On a faith shape, every name a promise
And every promise a present, made and named
All in the same breath. I accept.
A savior has just been born in David's town,
a Savior who is Messiah and Master. Thi is what you are to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.
Luke 2:11-12
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given...
and his name will be called
"Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
Half-sick with excitement and under garish lights
I do it again, year after year after year.
I can't wait to plunder the boxes, then show
And tell my friends: Look what I got!
I rep the tissue from every gift but find
The all the labels have lied. Stones.
And my heart a stone. "Dead in trespasses
And sin." The lights go out. Later my eyes,
Accustomed to the dark, see wrapped
In Christ-foil and ribboned in Spirit-colors
The multi-names messiah, love labels
On a faith shape, every name a promise
And every promise a present, made and named
All in the same breath. I accept.
A savior has just been born in David's town,
a Savior who is Messiah and Master. Thi is what you are to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.
Luke 2:11-12
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