“When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.  On 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.”  Matthew 2:10-11 “Mighty

As they got closer to their final destination, Balthasar, Gaspar, and Melchior readied their gifts, which they had carried all this way to present to the newborn king. “In this and every season may we see them, the wise ones who come bearing your gifts to us.  They cloak themselves

Despite confusion over the name of this platform (it is called a “pull-pit” but the men could find nothing to pull and did not see a pit of any kind), the wise men enjoyed the view from it immensely. And having heard some stirring messages from this pull-pit, they wanted

Knowing they would soon be seeing the newborn king, our travelers crowded around this copy of the ancient scriptures, in order to read once again all that has been foretold about him. “He was created of a mother whom He created.  He was carried by hands that He formed.  He

Our travelers noticed the star they had been following all this time was beginning to settle high in the sky.   They sensed their journey may soon be coming to a close. “We stand on the threshold of a new season…. As we cross into the season beyond Epiphany, we are

Happy New Year! All Things New Yearning for a new way will not produce it. Only ending the old way can do that. You cannot hold onto the old, all the while declaring that you want something new. The old will defy the new; The old will deny the new;

The bareness of the trees around them gave Gaspar an idea. He took an arboreal route, in the hopes that the elevated view would allow him to see their ultimate destination. “The festival of Christmas offers a winter thaw, an opportunity to ponder new birth when the landscape around us,

The gaze of our travelers was captivated by the highly unusual performance for the infants in this foreign land:  colorful creatures dancing in circles over the little ones’ heads.   Was this some kind of ritual blessing native to this foreign land? “(Christmas is) the great inversion: God coming to Earth

Believing they had taken a wrong turn somewhere, the wise men consulted Google Maps. “I think…we come into the world with a scrap, a shred of some cosmic map in our grasp.  It’s lined onto the palms of our hands that emerged with us, fisted, from our mother’s ocean.  There

Our Wandering Wise Men Day 31 The smell of the homemade stew drew both man and camel to the kitchen, where the delicious meal was being prepared and packaged to be delivered to those experiencing homelessness in the community through a program called "Hot Meals." “When the song of the

Although a friendly fellow, this sheep, whose name was Zebby Dee, could provide no helpful information for navigating this leg of the journey. "God goes to those who have time to hear him—and so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds." Max Lucado Today’s micro-challenge:  Make time to

O star of wonder, star of night Star with royal beauty bright Westward leading, still proceeding Guide us to thy perfect light “God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment.”  - Dietrich Bonhoeffer Today’s micro-challenge:  Merry Christmas!  Rejoice in our Savior’s birth today.  Let

Our travelers were happy to assist this gentleman, who was wearing the most unusual adornments, with preparing this space for a great celebration. “In the same manner in which we clean and prepare our homes in the anticipation of welcomed guests and family members this Christmas season, let us also

Melchior, who had a sweet tooth, couldn’t believe his good fortune at the discovery of the large cache of candy canes. “The Advent story we associate with the joy of Christmas actually begins with deep sorrow and longing [the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah]. But thankfully, in the kingdom of

On the longest night of the year, the light shines and the darkness does not overcome it.  The minds of our travelers were also put at ease by the comforting presence of a fellow wise man, named John Wesley. “Through the Gospel this light is brought to us, not from

  Teamwork was essential in moving these heavy food boxes, which were packed to be given to families in need of food assistance. “The power of the future lies not in the hands of those who believe in scarcity but of those who trust God's abundance.” – Walter Brueggemann Today’s

Our noble pilgrims found themselves on a hilly, up-and-down stretch of road.  Balthasar regretted not bringing his motion sickness medication on the journey with him. “These days bathe us in images of abundance and happiness, but we pray for those who do not find in this time a season of

Inspired by the singing they heard from the choir, our trio decided to give it a try themselves. “What do we say when we express wonder beyond words, when we look intently? When we address someone or something that fills us with love and joy in its presence, and intense

The wise men were treated to a delightful concert when they happened upon this merry band of singers, practicing for an upcoming worship service. “The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young, the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair,

Everywhere around them, as far as they could see, were gifts for children.  Our travelers were told the toys were being given freely to families through a program called GRACE Ministries.  Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchoir, themselves gift bearers to honor the new King, felt an immediate kinship with the people

Frustrated by their slow progress on the journey, Gaspar tried to take matters into his own hands.  Could this mysterious horseless chariot speed them along their way?  Alas, the last remaining challenge – how to get this strange creature to listen to his commands – proved to be insurmountable. “For

The three wise men, who had been traveling for some time now - based on not much more than a hunch that the star they saw was a sign of something bigger – stopped abruptly.  There before them was surely another sign:  a crown and a star dangling from a

The wise men were excited to attend this worship service and hear the prophesy stories they knew so well. Melchior, who had the best penmanship, recorded their attendance. Hezekiah, as the chosen speaker for all three of the camels, insisted that their attendance should be included as well.   “Under