Word for Word

by Rev. Tom Buresh

“A friend doesn’t just say things; a friend does!”
– Bob Goff
I would like to share with you this week a few thoughts about Epiphany, which was celebrated last Tuesday, January 6, and some quotes and thoughts from the book “Love Does” by Bob Goff.
 Epiphany is the celebration of the magi seeing the star and then responding (not just looking at) by finding the Messiah, the one born in Bethlehem, who was probably about two years old when they arrived. The magi (astrologers) saw a new star so different and intriguing that they were led to follow it.
Are there stars out there that we haven’t seen yet, just like the Magi? If you have ever sat out at night in complete darkness, you certainly know there are. But then it is easy to think that we have enough stars on our plate already and don’t need any more in our busy life. We’ve been busy living our lives, driving to work, playing cards with friends, helping our mother or grandmother get used to her walker, buying a house, comparing prices at the grocery store, falling in love, playing the piano, running down the basketball court, shaking our heads as we pay the bills each month, giving to the food shelf, getting 100% on our math test, going for chemo treatments, washing and folding mountains of clothes, rocking a newborn to sleep, gathering for worship. (Please feel free to add to the list as you see fit.) And all the time we are busy living, right above us is this fathomless universe, afloat in stars, causing us to wonder if there is something else we have not seen, what else may we have been missing? And how might we see it?
The Bible tells us the magi came back by another way so King Herod would not know where the child was. They came back another way just like they saw another star.  Faithfulness to God requires being ready to see our world differently, to go beyond what is given, to wonder and imagine God’s coming in our time. Who is our Herod telling us what is of value and setting conditions for how we must live?
This year let us expect God to reveal to our eyes those stars we have not yet seen, and guide us in the very depth of our daily lives.  That thought brings me to a few more comments about the book, “Love Does.”
Mr. Goff tells about times he would notice that the auto-correct would change the word “love” to the word “live.”  And he thought about how fully loving and fully living is not only synonymous but the kind of life that Jesus invites us to be part of.  And that this kind of love Jesus talks about is a love that never grows tired or is completely finished finding ways to fully express itself. He said he used to think you had to be special for God to use you, now he knows you simply need to say yes.
Mr. Goff says accepting the invitation to show up in life is about moving from the bleachers to the field.  It’s moving from developing opinions to developing options.  It’s about having things matter to us enough that we stop just thinking about those things and we actually do something about them.
In 2015, I invite you to look for moments in your life that you see change, for the word epiphany means manifestation.  An epiphany moment is when a person suddenly sees or understands something in a new or very clear way.  My hope and prayer is for you to let those Epiphany stars invite you to look for new understanding in your life!