Listen to Reading and Sermon 1Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the [Eternal] has risen upon you. 2For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the [Eternal] will arise upon you, and [divine] glory will appear over you. 3Nations shall come to your light, and [heads [...]
Listen to Reading and Sermon
1Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the [Eternal] has risen upon you. 2For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the [Eternal] will arise upon you, and [divine] glory will appear over you. 3Nations shall come to your light, and [heads of state] to the brightness of your dawn. 4Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your [children] shall come from far away… 5Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
Audio reading and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20100103_6.mp3)
// < ![CDATA[ YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady(function() { YAHOO.sunshine.setBtn("20100103_1"); }); // ]]> Listen to Readings and Sermon Epiphany The Good News Written From the Wisdom of Margaret Gooding “Some bright star shines somewhere in the heavens each time a child is born. Who knows what it may foretell? Who knows what uncommon life may yet again unfold, if [...]
Listen to Readings and Sermon
Epiphany
The Good News Written
From the Wisdom of Margaret Gooding
“Some bright star shines somewhere in the heavens each time a child is born. Who knows what it may foretell? Who knows what uncommon life may yet again unfold, if we but give it a chance?”
Matthew 2.1-12 (NRSV)
1In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, [magi] from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” 7Then Herod secretly called for the [magi] and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then 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.”
9When 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. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On 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. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkinsat the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, January 3, 2010.
The second star to the right shines in the night to tell you that the dreams you plan really can come true.
Reminds us of the words of that well-known great prophet, Jiminy Cricket: When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you.
If your heart is in your dreams no request is too extreme; when you wish upon a star as dreamers do.
Of course, stories about the magic and hope and possibilities represented by the heavens aren’t limited to Peter Pan and Pinocchio. Continue reading »
