Prayer: May I have the faith and perseverance of the wise men, O God. Amen.
Reading: Matthew 2: 1-12 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: As we wrap up our look at the characters of Christmas, let’s focus today on the main characters of the Epiphany story. We know that wise men from the East came to Bethlehem to pay homage to the Christ Child, at the request of King Herod. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We don’t know how many wise men there actually were. We know they brought three types of gifts but there could have been quite a crowd in the manger! I imagine they looked pretty regal next to the cattle trough, hay, and animals. They didn’t return to Herod. They were warned in a dream to go another way. So they did. If I were a wise men, I’d probably say, “That isn’t the plan. We have to complete our task. We need to go back.” But they didn’t. What faith the wise men had to make the journey and not return. As we celebrate Epiphany this weekend, let us raise up that faith and try to be faithful like wise men! --Chad Hershberger
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