The Magi's Gift to the Church


I love the story of the Magi in Matthew 2.  I love it for the fact that these brave and courageous Gentiles, these land-owners from afar trekking across the world in search of something divine, help us see one needed reality today. 

The Magi Travel Together

Over two years ago I had a gut feeling that God was calling me to pastor National Heights.  I could have stayed in the familiar, in the normal, in the routine.  I mean I already had a full time job and was preaching at another church with less commitment, less members, less meetings, less staff, less problems, smaller budget, and no debt.  My wife and I were set, and, as far as we knew, we were happy.  We had a plan and it didn't necessarily have National Heights in mind.    

But in my gut I knew God was calling me to something.  I had an epiphany and it told me that my gifts are helping churches move, define, engage, encounter, and enjoy.  My gifts are best used when it helps communities rediscover God’s purpose and place in this world. 

So I packed up and moved.  I heard the voice of the Lord and I moved to a town and to a church that as far as I could see needed a jump start.  My epiphany told me there was work to be done and National Heights needed a spark.  She needed a new identity, a new direction, and a new look.  She had a storied past but it had plateaued and was dangerously close to losing its moral influence in the community.  She still had a lot of life to live and a handful of money and resources still to give, but she needed help starting on the journey. 

Now two years in – it excites me to see that we are well on our way.  We've doubled our member participation and are offering new Sunday school classes, new missional approaches, a new wedding ministry, a new youth group, new worship services, a new mission statement, and a renewed sense of identity.    This is a lot in two short years. 

Hear me say, though, this has not been because of me.  We’re succeeding because of something deeper that is taking place, and it’s modeled in the lives of the Magi. 

Our church collectively mapped our understanding of God’s hope for who we could be as God’s people, joined them together, and started in on a journey.  We re-identified who we were and who we could be with what we have.  In short, we allowed ourselves to dream and move together. 

Like the Magi – we come from different places with different gifts, experiences and stories.  But for this time and place, we're sharing what we have in search of a something bigger.  We're gracing and resourcing each other all the while moving closer to our king.   Is this not what the Magi did?

We still have a lot to do and we have a lot more hope left to share, but I could not be more excited about who we are becoming, who we are attracting, who we are blessing, and who we are worshiping. 

Matthew 2 is a reminder that God’s voice is in our midst calling us to see God's son as our king; we just have to be intentional about listening.   And we’re also going to have to be willing to follow where that voice leads - even if it means taking a chance on a gut feeling.

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