Questions for the new year

Here are five questions I am using to begin this new year. I shared these with my church family yesterday, with the sermon included. I offer them for your considered use.

1. What do you want to learn more about this year?

2. How am I applying what I am learning to my life?

3. Whose voices or perspectives on God or the world do I need to start paying attention to?

4. Am I giving my time and treasure to God and others with no expectations of receiving anything in return? Is the giving itself enough reward?

5. Where in my life do I need to surrender my control over so that God can use me?


This sermon is based on Matthew 2:1-12

            The first of the year is a good time to assess where you are in your life and to set goals for the next year. We set resolutions, we write down goals, we commit ourselves to stop doing some things and start doing other things. We make plans. Now is a great time to look ahead to what the next year will bring.

            This morning, we are going to look at the actions of the wise men, as they made their way from far away Babylon to Bethlehem, following the star that led them to the new born king of the Jews. There are things they did that can guide us as we enter into this new year. You have with you a piece of paper that has on one side a prayer that was written by John Wesley to be used for an annual covenant renewal service. And on the other side is a list of questions. I invite you to begin thinking about how you would answer those questions as I lead you through this reflection on the wise men. And then take this home with you and sit with those questions for awhile. Write out your answers. This can be a helpful resource for you as we enter into this new year.

            The wise men began their journey after noticing something they had not seen before. It was a star. And this star appeared in a way that they interpreted as a sign that the king of the Jews had been born. See, they were astrologers. They studied the stars and looked for signs. And they saw this one, so they went to Jerusalem to find out more information. One thing we learn from the wise men is that they were always looking to the stars searching for signs. And when they saw something, they went on a journey in order to find out more about it. They saw the sign of a new born king, so they went to discover who this king was. They were curious. They wanted to know more, to go on journeys of discovery.

            So that is the first question I invite you to consider. What are you curious about? What have you noticed that you want to know more about? There is always something more to learn, more discoveries to be had. Consider exploring something new to you that strikes your interest. Do some research, read some books or magazine articles. See if a class is being offered somewhere. Think about something you would like to learn more about this year.

            When the wise men got the information from Herod, that the king is to be born in Bethlehem, they quickly went on their way, continuing to follow the star which led them to the place where Jesus was. Once they had the information they needed, they acted on it. They applied this new information so that they could continue their journey of discovery.

            It’s one thing to learn something new. But you can’t stop there. You have to then take what you have learned and apply it to your life. You have to act on this new knowledge that you have obtained. I’ll admit to you, this isn’t always easy. We are all creatures of habit. We have our ways of doing things that we pick up as we go along. When we are exposed to new ways of doing things, it is not a given that we will adapt this new knowledge into how we live. Instead, if you are like me, we think about what we are learning, it satisfies our curiosity, and then we move on to something else. If we don’t do the necessary work of discerning how to apply new knowledge to our understanding of the world and of ourselves, or of God, then it is like looking in the mirror, seeing what you need to change, and then walking away and forgetting what you just saw.

            There is a great teacher I know named George. I was at a workshop he was leading on church development. We covered all kinds of material on how to help churches become vital. At the end of the sessions, George asked us to take some time and write down three things that we learned that day that we will apply in our ministry setting. He knew how easy it is for us to be exposed to new learnings and get all excited about these new insights, but then not do anything, not allow those insights to impact our lives. It’s so much easier to just do things as we have always done them. It’s hard to change. But if we don’t apply what we are learning then we are falling short. We aren’t growing.

            That’s the second question I invite you to consider. Ask yourself, “How am I applying what I am learning to my life?” As you learn new things, are you asking of yourself how you might apply what you are learning so you can improve yourself, be a more faithful Christian, a more engaged citizen, a better person, whatever? Commit yourself to apply what you learn so that it becomes more than information in your head, but something that you incorporate into how you live your life or how you understand the world or how you understand God.

            The wise men followed the star to Bethlehem, which led them to the house where Jesus was. Where Jesus was did not bother them. They had no preconceived notions of where a king would be born. Because Jesus was not in a palace or in a large city made no difference to them. That he was born in poverty in a little village was no obstacle for them. They followed the star wherever it led them.

            We all have biases. We have our sources of information that we go to and we close ourselves off to other perspectives. Let’s say you identify yourself as politically conservative. You want to learn more about the issue of immigration. You could certainly read up on what people are saying from your own perspective. But what about exposing yourself to the perspectives of others who are on the liberal side of things, and to do this leaving open the possibility that you might learn something?

            Or consider where God may be at work in the world. The world is a lot different from what it was even a few decades ago. We live in different times. No longer do people look to the church when it comes to finding meaning in life. The joys and sorrows of life are experienced by many outside of a church community. But that doesn’t mean that people don’t have community. Their community may be co-workers, friends they hang out with, whatever. God is there too. The question is, are you open to the possibility that God is present among people who don’t go to church? Are you open to learning something from those who have a different perspective than yours?

            Once the wise men arrived, they presented to Jesus their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They left empty handed. This was not a quid pro quo situation. They weren’t looking to get anything from Jesus. No, they were giving something precious to him in order to honor him. He wasn’t going to be their king. There wasn’t anything Jesus could do for them. They simply gave these gifts as an act of honor and left with empty hands, but with joy filled hearts. Amazing, that they would be so generous with no clear benefit to themselves!

            How not like us. How much do we wonder what someone can do for us rather than ask what we can do for that person, no strings attached? We live in a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” kind of world. We think that if we don’t get any benefit from helping someone out that maybe they are taking advantage of us. And what about our relationship with God? Do we only turn to God when we need something?

            Gifts should not have any strings attached. They should be given as an act of love or appreciation with no expectation that you will get a gift in return. If you expect a gift in return, it’s no longer a gift you are giving, but a bribe. This next question asks about your relationship with God. Are you offering what you have to God freely, as an act of love, with no expectation that God will bless you in return? I’ll admit, it can be discouraging when you give of yourself to help others and you are dedicating your life to serve God, and it seems like life keeps throwing obstacles at you instead of blessing. Life can be discouraging at times. We can get discouraged in our relationship with God sometimes. The hard question I’m asking you to wrestle with is, do you give your time and treasure to God and others with no expectation of getting anything in return? Is the giving itself enough of a reward?

            The wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, but to go home by another way. That’s because Herod was not ready to surrender to the reality that his time in power was coming to an end. He liked being in charge. He would not surrender his position of power and authority easily. He was willing to kill every male child in Judea if that’s what it took to be rid of the new born king, so that he could stay in power. The corrupting influence of power is so real. We see so many examples of it all around us. For those of us who have enjoyed some power and authority, anyone who would challenge or try to usurp that authority becomes a threat. It is amazing what people are capable of doing to keep their power.

            The Christian life, however, is not one of amassing power and influence. It’s not a life of ambition, of climbing to the top of the heap. It’s not a life of clinging to what little power and influence you have over others. The Christian life is a life of surrender, of humbling yourself, of not seeking wealth, fame, influence, or any of that. The Christian life is one that calls us to surrender our will to God’s will. It is a call to live a life of service, even if that creates inconveniences or requires sacrifice on our part. It is a life, not of grasping, but of letting go, of surrendering to Jesus Christ as our Lord. That’s the last question I’m asking you to consider. What area of your life do you need to surrender so that you can be a more faithful servant of God? Maybe it is your finances. Perhaps it is an attitude that you have to always get your way. Take some time and ask yourself, “Where in my life do I need to surrender my control over so that God can use me?” It can be hard to let go sometimes. But if our hands are clinched fists, we can’t hold on to the hand of God and be led where God wants to take us.

            I hope you will take these questions home with you. Pray and reflect on them. Write something down. Say the prayer on the other side as an act of commitment. And keep these questions somewhere so that you can review them throughout the year. It is my hope that by doing this we will experience 2015 as a year full of blessing, richness, and significance, all to the glory of God.