2013 Pastor’s Christmas Letter The Unexpected Life One of the amazing aspects of the Christmas story is how it unfolds so… unexpectedly. Mary obviously knew she was expecting a baby, but she never anticipated her first child would be born so far from home, let alone in a stable. And then there’s Joseph. […]
Want to be happy? Be grateful! by David Steindl-Rast Related posts: Happiness Begins with Gratitude Haiti Mission Society Video Should Churches do Commercials? That’s My King
If we want to be happy, and who doesn’t, then we must focus our energy on what is rather than dwell on what isn’t. “To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us – and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of […]
“I want neither a terrorist spirituality that keeps me in a perpetual state of fright about being in right relationship with my heavenly Father nor a sappy spirituality that portrays God as such a benign teddy bear that there is no aberrant behavior or desire of mine that he will not condone. I want a […]
A young woman was lamenting the other day about how dismal, depressing and destructive the old testament seemed. “What a downer,” she said, “when will we ever get to the new testament filled with miracles, promises and the hope of heaven revealed?” I suspect many of us have felt that way from time to time. […]
I know, I know… I’ve heard it a million time, “there is no perfect church and if there was one, we would ruin it by joining it.” I am here to say I disagree. There is a perfect church, and I’ve found it. If that doesn’t get your attention and make you want to read […]
What does it mean to be blessed? How do you define it? Do you recognize present, past or future Blessings? Do you feel Blessed and are you energized by them? Are you motivated by your blessings to try new things, meet new people, and grow in new exciting ways? Do you ever expect to be […]
Imagine going through life never depending on anything or anyone. There are times when that certainly sounds attractive, but it doesn’t last long. We need people, we need some predictability, and we need some sense of direction. Without these three elements, we live lives that are lonely, chaotic and pointless. We build our lives on […]
In everyone’s life there comes a time when the vows we’ve made, the promises we gave, and the lives we live are either in harmony, growing and focused or it is revealed to be a shame, a lie, and hypocrisy of life. The results of which can be disastrous. Jesus was having dinner with a group of […]
Chips, Chisels and Choices One day the great Michelangelo attracted a crowd of spectators as he began to work. One child in particular was fascinated by the sight of flying chips and the ringing sound of the mallet as it struck the chisel. The master was focusing his attention on a large block of white […]
God initiates worship. It is His action, His work. He invites us to join the continuous fellowship and outpouring of joy that is occurring all the time around us and in the Heavens. All creations is constantly adoring and constantly exalting in perfect unity the creative power and majesty of God (see Psalm 9). Who […]
In the 1830s, when Alexis de Tocqueville recorded his famous observations on America, he noted a “strange melancholy that haunts the inhabitants…in the midst of abundance.” Americans believed that prosperity could quench their yearning for happiness, but such a hope was illusory, because, de Tocqueville added, “the incomplete joys of this world will never satisfy […]
“Awakening is not a thing. It is not a goal, not a concept. It is not something to be attained. It is a metamorphosis. If the caterpillar thinks about the butterfly it is to become, saying ‘And then I shall have wings and antennae,’ there will never be a butterfly. The caterpillar must accept its […]
“So what to do? Two Things, it seems to me. At least two. Use up each day. Fill it overflowing with good. Deliberately enjoy it. Two, begin now. Mend a fractured friendship, mail an overdue letter, repair a broken heart, lay aside a grievance, act on a noble impulse. As we all know, “The night […]
“Where others see but the dawn coming over the hill, I see the soul of God shouting for joy.” — William Blake What do you see with each new day? Problems to solve, People to criticize, Places to Avoid, or Life slipping away? What do you think God sees each day? People who will learn to […]
Children’s Ministry Mission for 2013 “It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, […]
Impressive Title don’t you think? I bet it got your attention, because most people hunger for a Life Mission that profound and transforming, but really haven’t found one that captures their imagination or especially their heart. A Brewed Awakening is about trying to ask the questions that awaken this mission within, providing helpful advice to […]
By age 16 the average person receives 173,000 negative messages about themselves (29.6 per day). On the other hand the same person will receive 16,000 positive messages about themselves (2.7 per day). – Life Studies Institute A positive attitude is like a fire: Unless you continue to add fuel, it goes out. — from Positive […]
Got idols? It’s hard to believe there are perfectly sane people who dress up in elegant dress and then bow and scrap down in adoration toward inanimate objects. How childish and regressive, right? We are so beyond that? Right? Nope. Take a look at the kind of idols we worship and the kind of sacrifices […]
“A person who knows not and knows not that he knows not is stupid, avoid them. A person who knows not and knows that he knows not is to be pitied, help them. A person who knows and knows not that he knows is asleep. awaken them. A person who knows and knows that he […]
Hope is much more than wishful thinking or having a “Polly Anna” attitude about everything. Hope is certainly realistic about the problems and pitfalls of life, but it isn’t overwhelmed by them. Hope has a healing quality about it that suffers pain like everyone else, but has a confidence that the day always follows the […]
Each day present a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a new person, to walk a new path, to make new discoveries about yourself and others, and to act in ways never before tried or tested. Yet most of us see Monday Mornings as the beginning of another string of meaningless days and routines […]
Life is present in every community; and the challenge life presents to us is to find it, grab hold of it and run with it because life is moving on. We have a choice, of course. Life or Death. The language of death is easy to speak, but they call us to make a different […]
Caffeine Intelligence About how many cups of coffee does the average person drink daily? (1,3,5,or 7) ANSWER: 3 More than three-quarters of us drink coffee. And more than half say they drink it every day. Experts aren’t sure what the health risks are — if any — if you drink too much coffee. That’s […]
Life is present in every community; and the challenge life presents to us is to find it, grab hold of it and run with it because life is moving on. We have a choice, of course. Life or Death. God says, “I am offering you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so […]
“When story and behavior are consistent, we relax; when story and behavior are inconsistent, we get tense. We have a deep psychological need for our stories and behaviors to be consistent. We need to be able to trust the story, because it’s the lens through which we see reality. We will go to great lengths […]
“How would your life be different if…You walked away from gossip and verbal defamation? Let today be the day…You speak only the good you know of other people and encourage others to do the same.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free Here are 7 ways to stop gossip 1. Don’t repeat something you don’t […]
“You can be the most beautiful person in the world and everybody sees light and rainbows when they look at you, but if you yourself don’t know it, all of that doesn’t even matter. Every second that you spend on doubting your worth, every moment that you use to criticize yourself; is a second of […]
“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one–the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” [C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters] The easiest way in life is to follow the crowd, do what others are doing, and go where others go. But if you remember you’re mother’s advice (“would you jump […]
“To the people who love you, you are beautiful already. This is not because they’re blind to your shortcomings but because they so clearly see your soul. Your shortcomings then dim by comparison. The people who care about you are willing to let you be imperfect and beautiful, too.” ― Victoria Moran The kind of people around […]
“Words can be twisted into any shape. Promises can be made to lull the heart and seduce the soul. In the final analysis, words mean nothing. They are labels we give things in an effort to wrap our puny little brains around their underlying natures, when ninety-nine percent of the time the totality of the […]
You know the feeling. The day is dragging on, your eyes are having trouble focusing, and all you can think about is the slow plodding of the clock. It is between 2 and 3 in the afternoon — the “pit in the pm” in the words of biorhythm experts. The urge to grab a cat-nap […]
“In the 1950s kids lost their innocence. They were liberated from their parents by well-paying jobs, cars, and lyrics in music that gave rise to a new term —the generation gap. In the 1960s, kids lost their authority. It was a decade of protest—church, state, and parents were all called into question and found wanting. […]
“You may have noticed that the books you really love are bound together by a secret thread. You know very well what is the common quality that makes you love them, though you cannot put it into words: but most of your friends do not see it at all, and often wonder why, liking this, […]
“The critical question for our generation—and for every generation— is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures […]
Celebrating Their place in the Church, the Family and Community! Most parents, at least the healthy ones, want their children to grow up to be mature, healthy, and happy functioning adults able to appreciate life and enjoy healthy relationships. But its a daunting task to keep our children safe and secure while providing a healthy […]
“I don’t wonder anymore what I’ll tell God when I go to heaven when we sit in the chairs under the tree, outside the city……..I’ll tell these things to God, and he’ll laugh, I think and he’ll remind me of the parts I forgot, the parts that were his favorite. We’ll sit and remember my […]
“I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.” ― A.W. Tozer Do you expect and look forward to new experience, new challenges and new friendships in […]
The comedienne Lily Tomlin once said, “The trouble with the rat-race is that even if you win the race, you’re still a rat.” Having spent a number of years in the maze, I always felted called to something more than just life in the maze, running here and there, exhausted and confused living each day […]
How well do you listen to what other people are trying to say? Are you able to discern the underlying needs? Notice I didn’t say ‘problem’ but needs. So often when people talk we try to find a problem to solve rather than a need to be understood. We listen in order to respond rather […]
A Summer Prayer for Grace God of gentle rains and warm sun, God who created me for growth, beauty and wisdom; too often I get stuck, grow impatient or fail to embrace the gifts you have given me. God of freedom, of liberation, of binding ropes being cut; too often I fail to see the […]
The Swiss psychologist Carl Jung once said that “the primary neurosis of people is emptiness.” There is within all of us an insatiable desire for something worthy of our lives, something to fill the void we feel but somehow cannot quite describe or discuss in polite company. It is a hallow feeling, a yearning to […]
There are time in everyone’s life when we feel dry, parched and worn out. Perhaps it is the routine of daily activities that seem to be going no where, or it is the lack of meaningful relationships that leave us alone, or it is the failure of the past that doesn’t give us much hope […]
The 23rd Psalm is a classic in Christian literature. People refer to it more often than any other passage, prayer or petition in times of death, grief and personal crises. It is the quintessential Judeo-Christian statement of faith that stirs something deep within every one of us. As human beings, we are are all connected […]
be·com·ing /biˈkəmiNG/ [Noun] The process of coming to be something or of passing into a state. To grow to be, to turn into. A human spirit is, in a real sense, not a finished product; rather it is a lifelong endeavor of becoming. Each day, through the choices we make, the words we say, and the […]
“What’s the point of striving to get to the top, to be better than everyone else, to be admired, applauded and worshiped if in the process you lose that spark of life that makes you more than just another face in the crowd? What need is so valuable you would be willing to give up the artist, […]
Fact #1: Life isn’t worth living without healthy relationships. Fact #2: Relationships are hard work. There I said it. Are you surprised? Everyone has relationships, they come with being alive, but does everyone have healthy relationships? I don’t think so. Most people feel that relationships should be like breathing, you just do it, and when […]
“Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to his summons and service.” (Os Guinness, The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life p. […]
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Benjamin Franklin Our spiritual lives are filled with excuses. Adam blamed Eve for the apple he bit into, Eve blamed the snake for the apple she plucked, and you and I blame everyone and everything for the inconveniences, conflicts and challenges that […]
The Artists eye sees beyond the obvious to the obscure and oddities in life that reveal something more profound. The Artists eye lives each moment in wonder, amazement and humility. We’re not just passing through our days and our relationships we pause to see what’s really happening. It means having a big picture perspective. The Goal […]
We hide our brokenness from the world and eventually from ourselves. We are shackled with the chains of perfection in an imperfect world. Our children try to live up to standards that we ourselves have never kept but hide behind a facade of respectability, success and achievement. Unfortunately none of it is true. Perhaps our […]
John Ortberg tells the story of a friend who made his first trip south of the Mason-Dixon Line from Chicago to Georgia. On his first morning in the South he went into a restaurant to order breakfast, and it seemed that every dish included something called grits…which, as my Tennessee friends tell me, is exactly […]
Pivotal Circumstances – something big happened, death, sickness, divorced, birth of a child, lost a job, got a job, got married had a child and now responsibility set in. A miracle given to us, perhaps not the one we asked for, and now we’re responsible for a beautiful life or the hard work of rebuilding […]
We are relational beings and everything we do revolves around this central hub. Our careers, our sense of fulfillment and our drive to achieve all revolve around how we are perceived by others, how we try to impress others and how connected we feel to certain groups we want to belong. If you know someone […]
“Faith is living in the confidence that what we hope for will actually come to pass; it gives us assurance about things we cannot yet see.” Hebrews 11:1 Imagine how different your outlook on life would be if you had absolute confidence that God was with you? Imagine how differently you would respond to difficulties, […]
Imagine how different your outlook on life would be if you had absolute confidence that God was with you, right here, right now? Imagine how differently you would respond to difficulties, temptations, and even good things if you knew with absolute certainty that God was in all of it and was planning to leverage it […]
“I am a little pencil in God’s hands. He does the thinking. He does the writing. He does everything and sometimes it is really hard because it is a broken pencil and He has to sharpen it a little more.” ― Mother Teresa, The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living There is a great story […]
Have you ever faced disappointment, grief or rejection so powerful that you felt so alone even God seemed to have walked out. Have you ever felt forsaken? Forsaken means to be “complete deserted or helpless, abandoned.” I think if you’re honest with yourself, you’ve been there once or twice before. Looking back at those times, […]
Baptism is the initial step of a faithful heart. Max Lucado A Jailer becomes a Disciple (Paul and Silas in Prison) Acts 16:25-34 The Story of the Jailer and his family has always fascinated me. The jailer’s experience and his amazing conversion from being a hard-nosed, control oriented, government official, to a joy-filled host who washes, feeds […]
Last Sunday Esther shared her experiences during February mission trip to Haiti and how being a part of the mission both inspired and challenged our understanding of the Gospel and God’s love for the world. Enjoy and Share. Slides: Esther’s Mission Testimony Audio: Mission Moment E Dehmlow 4.7.13 Related posts: Haiti Mission: Matt’s Story Expectations of […]
Satisfy- to fulfill the minimum expectations, needs, or demands It’s hard not to have an Easter hangover. I get caught up in our Lenten studies, engaged in the events of the Passion of Christ leading to a special sunrise on Easter morning. So it’s probably not surprising that I find myself on Monday morning scratching my head and wondering what […]
According to an ancient legend, if you could find a touchstone on the coast of the Black Sea and hold it in your hand, everything you touched would be healed and restore life and vitality. You would recognize the touchstone from ordinary stones by its warmth. Ordinary stones would feel cold and empty, but when […]
Casting Nets_The Abundance 5.2.10 L Casting Nets_The Abundance 5.2.10 E Casting Nets_Gone Fishing 4.18.10E Casting Nets_Fishing 4.25.10 E Casting Nets_Finding the Flow 5.30.10 L Casting Nets_Finding the Flow 5.30.10 E Breaking Free 7.10.11L Breaking Free 7.10.11E Born for Something More 4.11.10L Born for Something More 4.11.10E Ben White Ben Fenton Christmas Eve 2008 6pm Baptism […]
Did you know (I didn’t) that the word passion comes from the Latin word “pati,” which means to suffer or endure? The connection resonates with me. Passion is intense, it pulls us, it drives us to new places, and sometimes, it even eludes us. Yet we often think of our passions as only enjoyment and […]
Mask: To conceal one’s real personality, character, or intentions Masks prevent us from looking at our lives honestly or experiencing true intimacy with others. Mask don’t protect they suffocate. Jesus’ encounter with people was so dramatic because he saw right through the masks we wear, address the fear that made us feel we needed them, and gave […]
Everyone has a fresh perspective, a different take on events shared with others and their what they mean to them. Our trip to Haiti is no different. I’m learning that the trip has meant many different things to different people and has had an impacted the team members in a profound and personal way. […]
This Sunday, Erin Long and Barb Richter shared how their trip to Haiti impacted their life. It was a huge risk to Erin who’s never done anything like this, but it opened a whole new door to what she’s capable of and what God is able to do through her. Her story and her experience […]
Jesus is on a mission. He’s turned his face toward Jerusalem and knows there is a destiny with death that lies before him. On his way, just outside of Jerusalem, he stops at the home of his dearest friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. If you’re not familiar with the details of the story, I encourage […]
Crowds are clueless. They never get it right. They cheer for the superstars, and look past the saints. They glorify the rich and even cast votes for a new American Idol. Crowds are addicted to all the hype, bling and buzz they can consume, but then complain of loneliness, fatigue and overload. They look for […]
This has powerful implications for leadership. Unconsciously, the church will mimic you. This means: If you are late to meetings, your people will be late to meetings. If you don’t take notes in meetings, your people won’t take notes in meetings. If you are angry and defensive when you get negative feedback, your people will […]
Like seasons of the year, the church also has seasons for spiritual growth, renewal, harvest and planting. Seasons for self-reflection, seasons for joyful exuberance and seasons for tending the seeds already planted. We find ourselves in the season of Lent, a time of inner reflection and self-evaluation. During Lent, we confront our own self-righteous attitudes and look at […]
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” [Psalm 40:1-3] I […]
If I asked you if you were a confrontational person, how would you respond? Do you admire confrontational people or flee from them? Are they helpful or hurtful? Most of us I think avoid conflict and confrontations at all cost, even if it means sacrificing our happiness and our better judgment as long at it […]
“If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” Exodus 33:13 Well, as a final entry in the sometimes chaotic, sometimes inspiring, but always entertaining adventures of our little band of disciples, I though I would let you know that […]
Heading Home.. When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going? Where did you come from?” Judges 19:17 My last entry from Bon Repos, Haiti. Looking back at the time, the experiences and the miles we’ve travelled it all seems to be some kind of […]
Today started with great expectations, lots to do and adventures yet to be realized. We started the day with devotionals by talking about the experiences we all had at DBR and what it meant for our relationship to God, to the Church (the body of Christ) and to others. There is still a lot of […]
We’re back, safe and sound at the orphanage at Port-au-Prince. We’ve travelled long and saw many things and experienced even more. We left Da Bois Rouge this afternoon at 2:20 pm and arrived here at 8:20pm. It’s been a long day. We left the mountains but we’re still talking about the trip we plan to […]
Adventure of the Haiti Mission Team… Yesterday was filled with adventures some planned, a lot unplanned. After my last post we were on ou way to Mount Cabri or Goat Mountain to be part of (i.e. observe) a revival service in a small mountain community, or so I thought. We were all excited to experience […]
What Specific events have helped inspire you to participate in this mission trip? Previous mission trips. The greatest growth in my understanding of God’s global mission of healing and reconciliation of humanity has come through my journeys to Haiti and my support of a small boy’s orphanage on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. Working in community, […]
The Adventures of the FUMC Mission Team… One of the great advantages of sleeping on the roof, is looking up at the stars as you go to sleep with gratitude and awe, feeling the cool Caribbean breeze all night and NO mosquitoes. One of the down sides is listening to the thousands upon thousands of […]
I am incredibly excited about our trip to Haiti! The ironic thing is that when I attended our first “missions team” meeting about six months ago I had no intentions of being anything more than a supporting member of the group who helped from behind the scenes. In fact, had it not been for Erin’s interest […]
Describe what you hope to gain from this international mission experiences 1. Finding a lost soul and giving them Christ 2. Blessing the children with our presence and prayers. 3. Work with the boys to bring them some sunshine (Sonshine) in their lives. 4. Heeding the call of going into the whole world (even though […]
The Adventure Continues… Yesterday our day was marked by two major events. One was the time we spend with a woman I met on my first trip to Haiti in 2011, Denise DeLafleur. She is typical of many of the people we’ve met and certainly the reason I return. She has a deep power faith […]
What Specific events have helped inspire you to participate in this mission trip? When Steve came back from Haiti last year and told his story, I immediately felt connected to the boys! I know it sounds crazy, considering I’ve never met them, but I really feel like the Lord is leading me on a new […]
An update from Bon Repo, Haiti. I thought I would take this opportunity to give our families and friends an update of our adventures in Haiti. I cannot express our deepest gratitude to our prayer partners and supported that gave their out of their generosity that we might represent you here. I personally am amazed […]
What Specific events have helped inspire you to participate in this mission trip? Over the last several years, I’ve developed a passion for international mission. Pastor Steve’s accounts of his Haiti experiences and my own experience as a missionary in Ghana have inspired me to participate in this trip. Why do you feel called to […]
Haiti Team, That is a great answer to prayer! I will happily ride in a dump truck. Never done it before–I think Haiti will add more new “firsts” for me. I am getting more excited about the trip as it gets closer. I found a great free app for my phone: Brainscape French Creole. Apparently it […]
Sojourn: To dwell for a time; to dwell or live in a place as a temporary resident or as a stranger, not considering the place as a permanent habitation; to delay; to tarry. I believe we all have a deep ache in our hearts to change lives and make a lasting, positive difference, to leave our […]
Most of our lives are governed by our expectations of what we looking for. If we expect to succeed, we’re optimistic, positive and hardworking, if we expect to fail we don’t. But what about our expectations of others or of God. Think about the expectations people had of Jesus prior to the Transfiguration as recorded […]
“I close my eyes, only for a moment and the moment’s gone. All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity. Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind.” [Dust in the Wind” by Kansas, 1978] As a Christian I don’t share the hollow despair of “Dust in the Wind,” yet […]
Eternal and ever present God, we open ourselves to you in the spirit of reverent prayer. We pray for your guiding spirit as we have gathered to send these, your disciples, on a new and exciting journey. Your love has redeemed them, Your message has inspired them and your Holy Spirit has called them from […]
This will be the third journey to Haiti in as many years. I’ve made this journey each year to reconnect with my spiritual roots, feel something spiritual and to see life from a completely different perspective I can’t find around here. So I travel to a place that is about as different from my ‘normal’ […]
Have you ever been walking down the street when you came upon someone in need, either asking you directly for help (financially or perhaps a hitchhiker) or someone caught in a mishap that looks like it is going to ruin their day (flat tire, shopping cart overturned, etc.)? What do you do? What should you do? […]
Two Weeks from Today! I leave for ten days with five other people on a journey to Haiti, not just a different country, but a different world. Although I can’t take you all with me, I’d still like you to be part of the experience (if you want). Here’s How… On February 16, our team […]
I have a vision of a Generous Church… gen·er·ous 1. Liberal in giving or sharing. 2. Characterized by nobility 3. Marked by abundance; ample 2. free from pettiness in character and thought, 3. full or plentiful Generous in their praise of God and care of others. Generous with their resources to fulfill a mission that is challenging, inspiring, and […]
As leaders of God’s church, our greatest responsibility is to create an environment in which people can give generously. When people in our churches have an encounter with the living God and are touched by his grace, we find no greater evidence of God’s power than the existence of a culture of reckless generosity. Generosity […]
If life isn’t about money, then why does it cause so many problems. A recent survey the Barna Research Group found that 54% of Non-Christians and 51% of Christians believe the MONEY is the main symbol for determining a successful life. In Paul’s letter to pastor Timothy, he speaks about the temptation, the […]
Natural wisdom says, “I’ll give when all my needs are met.” “I can’t afford to give” or “I’ll give when I’ve got some surplus.” God’s wisdom says, “Give now, even in your time of need, and watch me work!” The Bible teaches that when we give in faith (trusting totally in God) even when we […]
The church council exists to create and supervise the strategic plan for your local congregation so that the congregation fulfills its mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ. This twofold function includes both leadership and management. Leadership is the visionary, “big picture” work that assesses critically where your congregation is at the present moment, where God is calling […]
The story of the Magi travelling to Bethlehem has value for us today for several reasons. (1) it reminds us that the birth of Jesus is for Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. The Magi represent the inclusion of the whole world. (2) To those who seek find, to those who knock […]