Faithful to their profession, the magi willingly move out
of their comfort zone and, intrigued by the bright new
star they observe, set out on a journey. They take with them
the best gifts of their culture: gold, myrrh, and frankincense.
The magi’s inquiry forces Herod and his religious advisers
to search their own scriptures.
The magi continue on their quest. Although the star
leads to a stable, they experience no disappointment, for
the child is more important than the location. They bow in
worship and adoration and then, obeying God’s direction,
return home via a new route. The magi’s journey challenges
us to ask many questions as we make decisions that will
impact our church in this next quadrennium:
As delegates entrusted with this holy work, are we, like
the magi, fully prepared for the twists and turns our journey
may take on the road ahead?
• Are we listening respectfully to the full range of voices
and positions before making decisions?
• Are we bringing our best as worthy and faithful disciples
of Jesus Christ to glorify our Creator God?
• Do we attempt to find God and experience the love of
Christ even when discussions take us to the stable?
How open are we to acknowledging God’s presence in
our deliberations and to learning from God?
• When the Holy Spirit nudges us to a completely fresh
and new direction in our deliberations, do we have
courage enough to give up our agendas and follow
God’s calling?
By Suda Devadhar from The Upper Room: 60 Days of Prayer for General Conference 2016