Sunday, December 29, 2013

For Epiphany: Wise Men / 3 Kings / Magi stuff



Richard Perkins, The Urban Pastor, A Myrrh-Velous Gift For Jesus - http://theurbanpastor.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/a-myrrh-velous-gift-for-jesus/  - Myrrh the worst ever birthday present illustration

Michael Jensen – Written in the stars - http://mpjensen.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/written-in-stars.html?m=1- includes recent astronomical suggestion that the star was Jupiter in Aries, appeared then seemed to move

Radio 4’s Beyond Belief on The Three Wise Men (includes The Revd Dr Steve Jeffrey) - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00wr6r2/Beyond_Belief_The_three_wisemen/

Paul Blackham - http://christthetruth.net/2013/12/24/ultimate-christmas-sermon/ - The wise men get a brief but to my mind striking mention in this sermon - maybe there were loads of them from China!

T S Eliot, The Journey of the Magi (text and a reading by the poet - http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=7070 )

I see that I’ve commented on the Magi before:







Unusually Gold, F & M are all mentioned together is the Song of Songs 3:6-11, associated with the arrival of the bridegroom-king

“Who is this coming up from the wilderness
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and incense
    made from all the spices of the merchant?
Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
    escorted by sixty warriors,
    the noblest of Israel,
all of them wearing the sword,
    all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
    prepared for the terrors of the night.
King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
    he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
    its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
    its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
    and look, you daughters of Zion.
Look on King Solomon wearing a crown,
    the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    the day his heart rejoiced.”

See also comments below - G, F & M are associated with the altar of incense in Exodus 30.

We Kings Have Journeyed Far – a song enjoyed at our primary school - http://www.starshine.co.uk/digital.php?product=335&iframe=true&width=500&height=600

  We are also going to sing Jesus Shall Reign Where're the Sun since it's based on the Psalm for the day, Psalm 72.

A search on the All Souls, Langham Place website returns quite a few sermons on Matthew 2:1-12 including:



Communion service (Christmas Eve 1999)




Recorded:
24/12/1999








When God came to earth




Recorded:
13/12/1992


Reference:
Matthew 2:1-3









The King who is Shepherd




Recorded:
22/12/2002







Long live the King!




Recorded:
08/01/2012




Series: Epiphany: In Danger from the Start







Will the true King please stand up?


Series: Behold the King (Christmas from Matthew's Gospel)






We three kings




Recorded:
21/12/2003




Series: Christ in the Carols








You can find the following sermons on the Emmanuel, Wimbledonwebsite:

Matthew 2:1-12




Recorded:
25/12/2013
Emmanuel: God with us (10:30am)

 Carols by candlelight




Recorded:
19/12/2010
Reference:
Matthew 2:1-17
Carols by candlelight (2010) (18:00)

Family meeting




Recorded:
26/12/2004
Christmas 2004 (11:00)

The adoration of Jesus




Recorded:
20/12/1992
Reference:
Matthew 2
St Matthew's Christmas (18:00)




Any other resources / stuff to recommend / things to say? Family service gimmicks welcome

2 comments:

Thomas Renz said...

Gold, frankincense and myrrh are also all associated with the altar of incense in Exodus 30, as Chris Hamer-Hodges points out at http://goo.gl/aTPT5u.

See also http://hadleyrectory.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/myrrh-bitter-perfume.html and http://hadleyrectory.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/meditating-with-carols-on-gifts-of-wise.html

Marc Lloyd said...

Ah, thank you, Thomas. I stand corrected!