Star
Matthew

Twinkle, Twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are,
up above the world so high
like a diamond in the sky.

The morning's lesson is the story of three men following a star to Bethlehem. The star is a symbol of something greater than themselves calling to them.

The early religious leaders, and philosophers thought that the earth was flat ...beneath was the underworld and evil.... above covered like a tent was the heavens, and in this canopy were holes through which the gods looked down on human beings.

As time passed they felt there was a strange dynamic between themselves and the stars.

Two of the stars were worshipped ...Sun and Moon. Even today they still have a great influence on our lives. By the sun we have established our calendar. Most of our religious holidays are still figured by the movement of the moon. Almost every ancient civilization has one thing in common with another. Each one developed their own way of following the moon, or the sun. Somehow they understood that these two neighbors which we know as a planet and a sun, were friendly stars which had an affect on their lives.

Later it occured to them that there was a relationship between humanity and all the stars. Astrology was developed. Everyone was given a sign, and when your star was in a certain relationship with other stars certain things were supposed to happen to you. If, an especially important person was born a new star was born to celebrate that birth.

Eventhough the Hebrews had outlawed this black magic it is strange that the Star of Bethlehem played such an important role in the Christmas Story. It seems that three wise men from the orient where this belief grew and carried weight discovered the star, and sat out to find out where it would lead them. They were convinced this star could lead them to a great leader. One whom they would serve and who in turn would help them reach the greatness which was nestled within each of them.

Maybe the morning's lesson has something to say to us at this point.

We need a spiritual goal for our lives! ...  A star to follow!

What is your spiritual goal today? What is happening in your spiritual life?    Are you excited about the possibility of finding the Christ?

In the business world there is a billion dollar business going on in helping people believe they can reach for the stars. People pay hundreds of dollars for a weekend to establish a new goal for their lives.  An expert is brought in who tells them how, and gets them excited.  They leave in a state of euphoria. The power is ...IN THEIR CONCEPTS AND IDEAS. When people leave these experiences they believe they can sale, and they do. They believe they can become financially independent, and many of them do. They want to better themselves in this world.

The spiritual componet in life is ever so important.   We all ought to be interested to finding the Christ over and over again in every aspect of our lives.  His spiritual power will transform us into people who are proud of what Christ is doing through us. What a source of life He is!

Duke University Hospital has done a great deal of work in the field in the past 30 years.

Several years ago I was visiting on the Cardiac Care floor looking for a member who had recently had by-pass surgery. I saw his doctor coming down the hall and asked how he was doing. His reponse was ... I've done my job, ... physically he is in as good a shape as can be expected. You get in there and do your job and he will be home in a couple of days. In his room we fought the battle of believing patched arteries could with stand the pressure brought on by an active body, and the real desire to truly live. He left the hospital the next day.

Faith coupled with desire can do wonders in a person's life. What kind of spiritual desire do you have? All of us have faith ...we are members of the church. What kind of desire do you have. Desire determines what you grow up to be as a Christian. You are growing aren't you?

Can you imagine what it would be like if the child you sent off to school stopped learning at the end of its first year.

How would you feel if you went to work on a new job and after the first month found out that your salary was established for life?

Can you imagine what the world would be like if, all vegetation just popped through the ground and stayed at that level for the duration of their life, never reproduced themselves?

Would you like to own a new car that could not be used, it had to stay just like it was the moment you purchased it and could never go anywhere?

All of us want a spiritual star to follow to the Christ.

Many never took spiritual pilgrimage seriously because the preacher laid out something which was beyond their comprehension. All of us are different people. Consequently, what is pilgrimage will be different for each of us.

1. Some of your spiritual growth is directly related to something concrete you can do. Attend church with greater regularity, and give more money. You need someone to help. Your religion must be something touchable.

Volunteers in Mission ...Erwin Tate...ASP We were sitting on the front porch of our lodge as Erwin begin to tell of the work he had done that day on an 85 year old widows house. The outside walls had been shored up, but the living room and the rest of the house was sagging in the middle. He designed a main beam that could would run from one end of the house to the other. They had poured the concrete foundations for pillars several days before. But the actual act of jacking the sleeper in place and then building up the brick pillars had brought from him a great deal of meaning and pleasure. You should have seen the old ladies face when he floor became level for the first time ever. Tears welded up in his eyes. Yup ... Tom...I don't believe all this stuff that Jesus helps us, we have to help ourselves. I didn't have the heart to tell him that at that point and time he was Jesus. For two years he has lead his team, and is now on the planning board for Applachian Service Project.

2. For others of you spiritual pilgrimage means learning more about the Bible, and theology. You are a person of the mind. You grow by your mental abilities.

Seasonal Studies ... Dorothy comes by the mind. She was a Psychological Nurse. All her life she had dealt with mind and emotions. For her it is helping people discover fact, and feeling and put the two together. Eventhough she was 80 years old. She came to the Bible Study. A Bible Study which had a dozen young mothers and a dozen middle age, and older ladies. She would sit there in the study and pick up the pain, difficulties of the younger mothers ... move close and one by one helped them. It was tender helping. She could tell a story, make a suggestion, or carry on a torrid argument if there was totally inaccurate information. For her Christian Growth was in becoming a mature human being able to cope.

3. Some of you are sensing people. You need to have your feelings excercised. You need to sense the presence of the spirit in worship, color, sound, and beautiful examples of goodness affect you.

The family was wrapping Christmas presents. Little Julie was a 4 1/2 year old. She wanted to participate. When her father took the cover off a box and laid it a side Julie took it. When a piece of paper was discarded she took it and went behind the tree and in her clumsy way wrapped her special present for her father.

On Christmas morning The family gathered to give out and open gifts. All the gifts were opened except Julie's. She gave it to her father. He shook it. Julie it's mighty lite, he said. Then he opened it, and exclaimed Julie it's empty. You shouldn't give empty boxes. Its not empty she said. Before I wrapped it I blew it full of kisses, and my love.