[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Following the Star

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:





-----Original Message-----
From: Frank R. Fisher. Obl OSB <f.fisher.obl.osb at comcast.net>
To: midrash <midrash at joinhands.com>; 'Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary' <PRCL-L at LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU>; propertalk.topic <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>; SERMONSHOP_SERMONS.topic <SERMONSHOP_SERMONS.topic at ecunet.org>; 'St. Benedict's Abbey' <sba at sbabbey.com>
Sent: Sat, Jan 1, 2011 3:23 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Following the Star


We're celebrating Epiphany on the 9th, not quite proper I know but the
hurches will have a lay supply in the pulpit on the 2nd. This is my draft
or that day. It's in the form of a letter from Judea written by a Roman
oldier.
PAX
__________________________
Frank R. Fisher, Obl OSB
ww.ffisher.net
nterim Pastor
irst Presbyterian Church of Kewanee, IL
ww.fpckewanee.org
lmira United Presbyterian Church of Toulon, IL
ww.elmiraunited.org
aka
Brother Oscar Romero
blate of St. Benedict's Abbey
artonville, Illinois, USA
ww.SBAbbey.com
"I pray not that you walk in my shoes - nor I yours - but that together we
alk so close to Rabbi Jesus that we are covered with dust from his
andals." - Neal Rylaarsdam

ail Marcus!
reetings to you 
ost favored one
ho enjoys 
he gentle sun
f our mother Roma,
hile I bake
n this accursed 
nd dirty place!
There my brother,
ou have your answer 
efore you ask.
 haven't gotten used
o the infernal sun,
or the constant dirt,
f this insignificant corner
f Rome's great empire.
or have I gotten used
o the way 
eople treat us here;
ogs,
hey call us.
hat's the 
ltimate 
nsult to them.
I can't get used to it 
arcus.
ou know
ow I've always thought
here should be no difference
etween those who were rich
r poor,
nd no difference
etween anyone
rom any land.
nd if that wasn't enough
f my complaints,
 have to tell you that
until recently,
 thought I'd expire
nder the sword
f constant boredom.
ut finally,
fter being stationed here,
n Jerusalem's fortress Antonious,
or more than a year,
omething 
nteresting
as actually happened.
Of course you know
y century 
as drawn guard duty
t the fortress gates.
ormally
that job's pretty horrible.
ou have to stay alert enough
o be sure  a zealot
on't decide to use your guts
o sheath his sword.
nd there really 
sn't enough going on
o keep your mind occupied.
ately
we've even taken to betting
n the expected life span
f Herod's sons.
aesar
as so right
hen he remarked
t was safer 
o be Herod's pig
han Herod's child.
Well anyway,
'd drawn the morning watch
t the fortress gates.
othing much
eemed to be happening
hen an unscheduled caravan 
ppeared
out of the twists and turns
f the city streets.
t first I thought
t was the usual 
roup of merchants
ho'd banded together
o ward off the bandits.
r maybe,
 thought,
t was yet another 
roup of pilgrims
ere 
or some obscure 
eligious holiday.
But this caravan
as nothing of the usual sort.
or in its midst
ere three old men
hose clothes literally shimmered
ith golden thread
nd precious stones.
ow normally
omeone dressed like that
ouldn't ever bother
ith an ordinary legionary like me.
ut they stopped 
ight in front of the gates,
opped off their horses,
nd came over to say hello.
All three of them
seemed quite excited
bout something or another.
t was quite awhile
efore I could make out 
heir story.
Finally,
 got them to slow down
nd stop talking 
ll at once.
hen,
hen they'd taken a deep breath,
hey began to tell  me,
he strangest tale
've ever heard.
They were all astrologers,
hey said,
earned,
nd important men
n the courts 
f their kings.
t had taken them
any years of study
o earn 
heir current positions.
nd for quite some time
hey were content
o simply bask 
n their king's 
eflected glory.
ll the while,
f course,
hey made sure
hey provided 
ll the proper celestial readings;
eadings
hich reinforced
heir king's power and might.
Then,
he day came
hen they each recognized
something different 
n the sky.
t was a star,
rightly shining
here no star
ad ever been before.
ach of them 
ug into their scrolls.
t first,
hey discovered nothing.
ut finally,
n their oldest
and most brittle scrolls,
hey found 
he new star's message;
 message
hey worriedly brought
o their masters.
 new king
as arising,
he star proclaimed;
 king
ho would rule
ver the nation of Judea.
Quickly,
ach king,
rdered their astrologers
o gather rich gifts;
ifts to offer
n hope of alliance,
ith the new king.
hen,
he three set out,
irst separately
nd then together,
o offer their gifts
to this star foretold king.
nd where else,
hey thought,
ould one come 
o offer gifts
o the new born king 
f Judea,
han here,
t the Jerusalem palace.
Now Marcus,
f course you know
ow I responded
to this idea.
You're going to talk 
o Herod,
bout a king
ho if he exists
ill replace him 
n the throne?"
 asked in bewilderment.
Oh,
ow that's 
 good idea.
hy don't I simply
show you the way 
o prison 
ow?
hat way at least
ou'll save some time."
ut the three astrologers
ere adamant.
hey were going to see 
erod.
fter all,
hey said,
ne must 
o through the proper channels
bout these things.
I was sure
'd never see them again.
nd I left my post 
hat evening
ith a disappointed feeling.
ut I didn't have to stay 
isappointed
or too long.
or as soon 
s I reached 
he barracks,
y centurion 
alled me over
o give me 
ome new orders.
erod wanted someone
o go with the astrologers
s their honor guard.
nd since 
'd spoken to them 
lready,
 was elected.
 was to travel with them,
ind out the identity 
f the new king
nd then return 
o report.
erod,
he centurion said,
anted to deliver 
is own gift
o the new born king.
I wasn't too certain
 wanted
to be any part
f the type of gift Herod
ould want to offer.
ut orders are orders.
o the next morning,
way I went
n the company 
f my new companions.
nd companions 
hey were Marcus.
or instead of ignoring me,
hey spent the trip
elling me 
ll about 
heir mission.
hey showed me 
he star
uiding them 
n their way.
nd they showed me
he gifts 
hey were to bring.
You see Marcus,
hey weren't simply coming
o offer gifts 
o a new king
n the hope 
f an alliance.
hey were coming
o offer their homage.
hey intended
o offer themselves,
ll they had
nd all they were
o this new king.
"But how can you 
o that,"
 asked?
You're pledged 
o other kings already.
nd what makes you 
hink
 Judean king,
ould accept gentile vassals?
fter all,
udeans consider everyone else
o be unclean
nd lower 
han camel spit!"
The gifts they were bringing
uzzled me too,
Marcus.
ne of the carried gold.
hat
I could understand.
ot only 
as it worth something,
ut it was also 
 good symbol
f a king's power.
ut the other two,
arried gifts
I couldn't understand;
rankincense
and myrrh.
Finally,
ust as our journey
as nearing its end,
he astrologers 
eemed to understand 
y puzzlement.
nd as we sat down
n the last oasis
hey began to explain.
"This king,
ill be 
 different type 
f king,"
hey told me.
This is a king
ho will draw 
ll peoples together.
nder this king's rule
heir will be no clean
r unclean.
nd their will be 
nly one people;
he people of God."
"What's this 
bout a god,"
 asked?
nd what's 
ith your gifts?
rankincense and myrrh
re pretty strange gifts
o offer a baby;
ven when the baby's 
 king.
"As we said,"
hey replied,
this will be no ordinary king.
e bring frankincense,
ecause it is a sweet offering
o the one God;
he God 
ho created all.
his child
s the only begotten child
f God.
nd we come 
ot only to offer homage.
e also come,
o offer our worship."
At first
 thought
they were joking.
ut they were 
eally serious
Marcus.
 was pretty much 
n shock 
rom all this,
ut it didn't keep me
rom asking 
ne last question.
"And the Myrrh,
 asked,
hy do you bring it?
hy bring 
 thing 
f pain and death
o this place of new life?"
"Because,"
hey said quietly,
this child of God,
as been born
o die;
o die 
s a sin offering for us
o that we
ight live."
Even I
ad no questions 
fter that
arcus.
he next morning
e arose early.
nd by that evening
e'd finished 
ur journey.
he star led us
o a little village
alled Bethlehem.
nd in the stable
f a house there,
e found 
his new born king.
None of the villagers
eemed too surprised
o see us Marcus.
hen I asked them why,
hey just laughed.
hen they finally 
topped
hey said
ngels  danced and sung
bove them
n the night time sky
n the night 
his child was born
fter seeing that,
 guess
he visit of three men,
ven important men 
uch as these,
sn't much 
f a surprise.
This will be the last letter
ou get from me 
or quite awhile Marcus.
he astrologers
ere warned in a dream
bout the gift
erod
anted to bring 
o this child.
hey said
hey are going on
y another way.
I'm going on
nother way too.
oseph,
he child's 
arthly father,
as asked me 
o help them all
ead off to Egypt
o escape Herod.
o I'm traveling on
ith 
y 
ew king.
Oh,
 guess I forgot to tell you 
bout that.
hen I finally understood
hat the astrologers 
old me;
ow in this
God/king
here would be no one 
nclean,
o one outside,
o one shut away,
here was only 
ne thing
 could do.
I offered this king
y homage too.
Peace to you 
nd yours Marcus.
o not miss me 
oo much,
or I'm sure 
t some point
y king 
ill lead me back 
o Roma.
nd in the meantime,
'll be off
ollowing 
y shining Star.
To God alone be glory.
Amen.


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