Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? [Matthew 2:1-2a]
I wonder what they saw in the sky that first night—What it was that got them thinking? What was it that motivated them to pack their bags and begin a journey to who knew where? Something had been revealed to them—But what was it? Was it a star in the sky, or was it something in their mind or their heart, a premonition maybe?
They came from the East, some have speculated they were from Persia. We like to think that there were three of them, but the gospel of Matthew doesn’t say for certain. We call them Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar but those names didn’t come to us until the seventh century. And what about “the star?” It has been viewed as a supernatural phenomenon, just a regular star, a comet, or sometimes as a conjunction or grouping of planets.
This anonymity and lack of historical information is a reminder that this story, this Epiphany journey, is not just the wise men’s journey; it is everyone’s journey. The truth of sacred scripture is never limited to or contained only in the past but includes what the divine has in store for us in our futures—it is a living story of hope! Join us this week at Sedona United Methodist Church as the Rev. Fred Mast shares a message entitled “When You Wish Upon a Star” based on the story of the “Epiphany” found in the second chapter of Matthew’s gospel.
Sunday mornings we enter the spirit of worship at 9:30 am featuring meaningful and uplifting music, special times of prayer and passionate life changing messages designed to move you closer in your relationship with Jesus Christ and others. Immediately following worship, you are encouraged and invited to stay and join us in our Fellowship Hall for the friendliest and best fellowship time anywhere featuring delicious snacks and great coffee and always friendship.
Need to work off some of those Christmas goodies? —Friday, January 4th @ 8:30am the Verde Valley community is invited to join Pastor Fred in “Prayer Walking”. Invite neighbors and friends and come exercise your body and your spirit. Walk around the beautiful pathways and gardens of the church property or head inside the warmth and beauty of the sanctuary. We meet each 1st and 3rd Friday of the month so come and enjoy a conversation with God followed by a brief time of fellowship together—we’ll have coffee, juices, and breakfast goodies.
On Saturday morning January 5th the men of the Verde Valley are invited to gather for a delicious SUMC Men’s Breakfast at 8:15 a.m. at The Golden Goose Restaurant in West Sedona. This would be a great way to kick-off the new year—Bring a canned food item for the Food Bank—All men are welcomed, encouraged and invited to attend and come and make a new friendship.
We offer several weekly book and bible studies: Wednesday’s our Men’s Bible Study at 9am; and Thursday’s our Women’s Bible Study at 9:45am. So many great missions, ministries and events happening at Sedona UMC—Visit our website at us on www.sedonaumc.org and “Like” us on Facebook. We would love to pray for you! —Prayer requests may be submitted online or by calling us at 928-282-1780. We are conveniently located at 110 Indian Cliffs Road off the Back O’Beyond roundabout on Route 179 in Sedona. All are welcome at Sedona UMC—Come and grow with us!
