From Fear to Awe
From Fear to Awe – An Epiphany Sunday Sermon
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Politics has a long history
Of striking fear in hearts.
In Matthew, we hear the king asking,
“Where’s the new child in these parts?”
The Magi responded and left
With a heavy sigh of relief;
But all of Jerusalem was frightened
As their king behaved as a thief.
He seemed to want to steal
The joy of this promised birth.
His fear spread throughout
This part of the Christ-child’s earth.
We, too, live in fear of things
Beyond our ability to control.
Fear of God is extraordinary
As we are confused by our role.
If we are God-fearing, it is
Not the same as fear of faith.
It’s an invitation to see
Our loving God face-to-face.
Fear is a cascading emotion.
Fear begets fear, you see.
A chain reaction occurs –
The fear of Herod passes down to me.
What if Herod’s fear had turned
To trust and awe of the Lord?
Trust and awe are emotions
We must know we CAN afford.
We cannot afford, in fact,
To live in fear instead of awe.
Read the stars, find the Christ Child.
Trust God and His Word – His Law.
Are YOU in awe of the Lord??
Sermon notes by Jan Beekman based on the message:
“See and Be Radiant!” by Pastor Steven Mabry
Plymouth Congregational Church, Paso Robles, CA
Written
on January 2, 2019