Sermon – Unusual Gifts Rev. Sandy Lacey January 04, 2026
There is only one time that I can remember being surprised by what I considered to be an unusual gift. I was a teenager at the time and my parents bought an electric toothbrush for me for Christmas. I remember feeling underwhelmed. I guess it is a bit like Mike and my gift to each other this year – a new dishwasher. How exciting! But nothing compares to what Jesus received as an infant/toddler. Foreigners from far away travelled with the guidance of a special star that pointed their way, and they brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Scholarship says that the gold symbolized his royal nature, frankincense symbolized his priestly nature in that it was often used in religious ceremonies, and myrrh predicted his death (because it is a spice used for burial.) Odd and unusual gifts indeed. Today’s Scripture passage from Isaiah talks about two of these gifts. This passage is written after the Hebrew people were given the opportunity to return home following many years of exile in the country of Babylon. The Persian King Cyrus had granted them their freedom and the opportunity to return home and rebuild the city and their beloved Temple. In returning home, however, things were not the same as they remembered. The destruction that permeated their homeland was shocking and overwhelming to the people returning. Those who had been left in the country during the exile did not have the wherewithal to rebuild, to educate, or to even know how to worship. And the few people in power had been put into place by the conquering country of Babylon; they were puppets of corrupt politicians. Figurative darkness covered the land and the people’s task to restore their country looked bleak and impossible. Their journey home was not as they had expected. The Prophet Isaiah writes to them and encourages them to remember that with God, all things are possible. God’s light, according to the Prophet, has come and you will see it if you lift up our eyes and look around. God’s light will pierce even the thickest darkness. Not only that, but the radiance of God’s light shines upon you, upon us, and is reflected through us to the nations. Those nations are then drawn to this light. Peoples and nations (according to the Prophet) are drawn to God’s light. The prophet says God’s glory that shines through God’s people is attractive; it draws people into God’s kingdom. So, according to the Prophet, God’s light is a gift to the struggling people then and to us today. Our job is to notice it, to see it, and to reflect it to the world around us. We, as followers of Jesus, typically read Jesus as the light into the passage; however, the Prophet is not referring to Jesus, but instead, the collective Hebrew people. When the Hebrew people (and us today) see and reflect God’s light, amazing things will happen. Nations will be drawn to this amazing light and those among you who have been lost, will find their way home. I would point out two interesting points in Isaiah’s claim – one, it is God’s glory and not some magical thing that we do that draws people, lest we ever take credit for what God does in our midst. Sure, we reflect God’s light either well or poorly, depending upon our faithfulness and vision. But the truth is God’s light shines whether or not we are paying attention and regardless of whatever medium we use to reflect it. So, let’s focus on the gifts we have been given, choose to give God the glory, and use those gifts to inspire movement in ourselves and others. Secondly, the larger church, and I am sure this church at times, has unfortunately done a marvelous job in repelling people instead of attracting them. It seems that we forget the central message of the Gospel, that God is life and love, rather than judgment and exclusion. We forget that people are not drawn to rules and harshness. The truth is that people are searching for a spirit that lifts them up while giving them purpose and meaning. Rather like a star, we are meant to point the way to truth and love. David Schlafer reminds us that the star light the wise men followed was not a blinding light; it did not require sunglasses for the magi. It was an attention-catching glimmer providing direction for a journey. We, like the wise men, have our own journey to make, one in which we are watching for gentle awakenings of what may seem like only pin pricks of light at times.[1] Like the children’s song, “rise and shine and give God the glory, glory”, the prophet encourages us to get moving and to become progressively brighter. “The more we become aware of ourselves as shined upon, the more we are able to reflect, and the more we are able to attract others.”[2] It is true that negative energy draws people too, but it is not life-giving. We have a purpose, after all, and that is to proclaim the praise of the Lord – to bring our gifts of gold, frankincense, tithes, talents – to the Source of light and life. The same God who created the heavens and the earth; the same God who spoke to the Prophet Isaiah; the same God who sent the world Jesus; that same God is still present today. This God still calls you from places of darkness, still keeps you in spite of yourself, and still equips you to do God’s work. And in that work God’s light shines. Open your eyes and look around. Open your mind and heart. It is an unusual gift, this gift of light and purpose. Friends, we are meant to see it, reflect its warmth and glory, and watch as others are drawn to do the same. For the past few years we have chosen to recognize and ponder unusual gifts from God at this time of the year. We call them star gifts and they are meant to inspire you, perhaps even leave you with questions. You are encouraged to ponder how these gifts might be manifested in your life this new year. There may be stories to tell in the course of the year as these gifts become present in your life. May God gift you with exactly what you need for this part of your journey of faith. AMEN.
BENEDICTION Minnie Louise Haskins – “The Gate of the Year”
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.”
[1] David J. Schlafer, “Commentary 2: Connecting the Reading with the World” in Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship, Year C, Volume 1. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2018.) p. 146. [1] Ibid. p. 146.
There is only one time that I can remember being surprised by what I considered to be an unusual gift. I was a teenager at the time and my parents bought an electric toothbrush for me for Christmas. I remember feeling underwhelmed. I guess it is a bit like Mike and my gift to each other this year – a new dishwasher. How exciting! But nothing compares to what Jesus received as an infant/toddler. Foreigners from far away travelled with the guidance of a special star that pointed their way, and they brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Scholarship says that the gold symbolized his royal nature, frankincense symbolized his priestly nature in that it was often used in religious ceremonies, and myrrh predicted his death (because it is a spice used for burial.) Odd and unusual gifts indeed. Today’s Scripture passage from Isaiah talks about two of these gifts. This passage is written after the Hebrew people were given the opportunity to return home following many years of exile in the country of Babylon. The Persian King Cyrus had granted them their freedom and the opportunity to return home and rebuild the city and their beloved Temple. In returning home, however, things were not the same as they remembered. The destruction that permeated their homeland was shocking and overwhelming to the people returning. Those who had been left in the country during the exile did not have the wherewithal to rebuild, to educate, or to even know how to worship. And the few people in power had been put into place by the conquering country of Babylon; they were puppets of corrupt politicians. Figurative darkness covered the land and the people’s task to restore their country looked bleak and impossible. Their journey home was not as they had expected. The Prophet Isaiah writes to them and encourages them to remember that with God, all things are possible. God’s light, according to the Prophet, has come and you will see it if you lift up our eyes and look around. God’s light will pierce even the thickest darkness. Not only that, but the radiance of God’s light shines upon you, upon us, and is reflected through us to the nations. Those nations are then drawn to this light. Peoples and nations (according to the Prophet) are drawn to God’s light. The prophet says God’s glory that shines through God’s people is attractive; it draws people into God’s kingdom. So, according to the Prophet, God’s light is a gift to the struggling people then and to us today. Our job is to notice it, to see it, and to reflect it to the world around us. We, as followers of Jesus, typically read Jesus as the light into the passage; however, the Prophet is not referring to Jesus, but instead, the collective Hebrew people. When the Hebrew people (and us today) see and reflect God’s light, amazing things will happen. Nations will be drawn to this amazing light and those among you who have been lost, will find their way home. I would point out two interesting points in Isaiah’s claim – one, it is God’s glory and not some magical thing that we do that draws people, lest we ever take credit for what God does in our midst. Sure, we reflect God’s light either well or poorly, depending upon our faithfulness and vision. But the truth is God’s light shines whether or not we are paying attention and regardless of whatever medium we use to reflect it. So, let’s focus on the gifts we have been given, choose to give God the glory, and use those gifts to inspire movement in ourselves and others. Secondly, the larger church, and I am sure this church at times, has unfortunately done a marvelous job in repelling people instead of attracting them. It seems that we forget the central message of the Gospel, that God is life and love, rather than judgment and exclusion. We forget that people are not drawn to rules and harshness. The truth is that people are searching for a spirit that lifts them up while giving them purpose and meaning. Rather like a star, we are meant to point the way to truth and love. David Schlafer reminds us that the star light the wise men followed was not a blinding light; it did not require sunglasses for the magi. It was an attention-catching glimmer providing direction for a journey. We, like the wise men, have our own journey to make, one in which we are watching for gentle awakenings of what may seem like only pin pricks of light at times.[1] Like the children’s song, “rise and shine and give God the glory, glory”, the prophet encourages us to get moving and to become progressively brighter. “The more we become aware of ourselves as shined upon, the more we are able to reflect, and the more we are able to attract others.”[2] It is true that negative energy draws people too, but it is not life-giving. We have a purpose, after all, and that is to proclaim the praise of the Lord – to bring our gifts of gold, frankincense, tithes, talents – to the Source of light and life. The same God who created the heavens and the earth; the same God who spoke to the Prophet Isaiah; the same God who sent the world Jesus; that same God is still present today. This God still calls you from places of darkness, still keeps you in spite of yourself, and still equips you to do God’s work. And in that work God’s light shines. Open your eyes and look around. Open your mind and heart. It is an unusual gift, this gift of light and purpose. Friends, we are meant to see it, reflect its warmth and glory, and watch as others are drawn to do the same. For the past few years we have chosen to recognize and ponder unusual gifts from God at this time of the year. We call them star gifts and they are meant to inspire you, perhaps even leave you with questions. You are encouraged to ponder how these gifts might be manifested in your life this new year. There may be stories to tell in the course of the year as these gifts become present in your life. May God gift you with exactly what you need for this part of your journey of faith. AMEN.
BENEDICTION Minnie Louise Haskins – “The Gate of the Year”
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.”
[1] David J. Schlafer, “Commentary 2: Connecting the Reading with the World” in Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship, Year C, Volume 1. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2018.) p. 146. [1] Ibid. p. 146.
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[1] David J. Schlafer, “Commentary 2: Connecting the Reading with the World” in Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship, Year C, Volume 1. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2018.) p. 146. [2] Ibid. p. 146.