“Visitors of God’s Own Choosing”

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
January 2nd 2011
Epiphany Sunday Communion Meditation
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12
“Visitors of God’s Own Choosing”

The United Methodist Church in Sunset Park Brooklyn was originally built by Norwegian immigrants. Over the years this congregation has seen its fair share of struggle. Change in the surrounding culture has taken a toll. Last week, in the New York Times, the recent struggles made for good headline. Currently there are two congregations worshiping in this space. One is an aging congregation who is struggling to maintain the glories of its past. The other is a younger fast growing congregation. They made the news because they are in such turmoil a mediator has been brought in to sort out the trouble. The conflict is over the use of space, food, and worship style. In fact, the conflict is so bad that they could not even agree on one Christmas tree so now, there are two.
These congregations are clashing over congregational practice and culture. The older struggling congregation is a Latino congregation and the new and fast growing one is a Chinese congregation. The struggle inside the church mirrors the struggle going on in the surrounding culture. The community around the church is slowly losing its Latino flair. The influx of Chinese immigrants is great and is beginning to move into what was before a Latino community. But despite this, the new members of the community have come to that place to worship the king. However, as they come, they have changed the culture and have not followed the current tradition. As a result conflict, turmoil and fear.
The arrival of these visitors from the east has caused turmoil in Jerusalem as well. Terror shakes the heart of the city. A new king is coming, regime change is coming. God is going to turn the world upside down. And while the message is terrifying, what is more difficult to deal with is that the messengers are a strange unknown people. They have different customs, they do not even know the scriptures but they know that God is doing a new thing. This can only mean one thing, TROUBLE!!!
The presence of the Magi is frightening because so little is known about them. They are seekers of truth who know God but not in the way the religious leadership knows God. Yet, these strange people have heard God speaking through dreams and stars. But, these outsiders, despite their best attempts to listen for God, do not know where the child will finally be born. It turns out they need the bearers of tradition who do know the Word of God. They are new people who have come hungry and are seeking the child but cannot get to Bethlehem without the help of those who know the tradition.
But just as the Magi need the religious leaders, so too do the religious leaders need the Magi. These church leaders are the bearers of tradition. They know the history the background and the scriptures. They understand the orthodoxy and know how God works. They give the essential ingredients to keep the “new thing” from being unmoored. With the bearers of tradition there is no need to recreate the wheel. In the end, each needs one another. Without the bearers of tradition these outsiders do not make it to Bethlehem. And, without these truth seekers, the bearers of tradition will believe they have a corner on the market of God. They know how God works and they are left without surprises.
The gift and trouble of the Magi, then and now is that the faith we have is not ours. The faith we have been given is a gift. The presence of the Magi tell us that the faith we have is not bound by our culture and our customs, our interpretations, our style of music, our ways of worship, our ways of eating together, and our way of doing the business of the church. The visitation of the Magi confronts our long held understandings and our beloved ways of doings things for what they are, provisional. As a result, the gift of the Magi to all subsequent followers is the freedom from what is provisional and a hunger for what is essential.
The followers of Jesus are a strange lot. Some will be religious leaders and others will be lovers of money and still others outcast from society and even others leaders of society. The presence of the Magi even gives a glimpse of Paul’s ministry. These Magi are gentiles. And from the very beginning of the story, God’s intention to include the gentiles is great. It means that gentiles will be included in God’s grace. It gives us the first glimpse of what the church of Jesus Christ is supposed to be all about. In the community of followers there will be day laborers worshiping arm in arm with those who bring gifts of gold. It is a place where those on welfare and those who sit on corporate boards share communion bread and a common cup.
When we are invited to the table it is not because of our expertise. It is not because of our degrees or our competencies. It has nothing to do with our net worth. We are not invited to the table because we know the story or because we have done enough. It is not about how well we can judge ourselves in comparison with others. When we hear, really hear the invitation to the table, it can come in the most unexpected ways. It might be through the stars, or a dream, or through a life-long journey in the faith community. Wherever you have heard this invitation, know that you are welcome and that you are called to welcome, all those who have come by whatever means God has chosen to bring them forward. Who knows what God has in store for us, what visitors God might have in store for the next fifty years of our community. But whoever they are, let us remember to welcome them, share the faith, and open ourselves up to the gifts that they will bring. Amen? Amen!