In the time of King Herod, after Jesus
was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child
who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and
have come to pay him homage." When
King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the
chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah
was to be born. They told
him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
'And you, Bethlehem, in the land
of Judah,
are
by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from
them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search
diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I
may also go and pay him homage." When
they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star
that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the
child was. When they saw
that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw
the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then,
opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense,
and myrrh. And having been
warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by
another road.
REFLECTION | God Gives Provisions for Our Spiritual Journey
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?” They were searching and seeking, wondering and wandering, following a “star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright,” as the old hymn goes. They inquired of King Herod where they might find this new King, so that they might pay him homage. Herod consulted his chief priests and scribes, and learned that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. And so, the wise men began the next leg of their journey.
I wonder if they were surprised by what they found—a young boy with his mother, in a humble house? Perhaps they were expecting to find the one born King of the Jews in a palace, surrounded by riches and luxury and attended by nurses and servants. I wonder, as they sought to pay homage to this baby king, if they were surprised by twists and turns of the journey itself?
In some ways, we are all like those wise men of old. As we pay homage to our God in worship, as we desire God’s will for our lives, as we search and seek, wonder and wander, we often encounter surprises along the way. We travel with and learn from other pilgrims, we meet new people, we return to familiar places.
I write this reflection on Epiphany, which falls on a Sunday this year. I am in the middle of another spiritual journey, a pilgrimage of sorts, as I transition from one pastoral call to another. I recently concluded nearly two years of ministry in Northwestern Minnesota; at the end of the month I will begin a new call in Northwestern Ohio. Right now, I am "in between," which is a difficult place for me to be. My family and I are "homeless" for the moment; nearly all of our worldly possessions are on a semi truck, located somewhere between there and here. I am tired of spending hours in the car with three infants. I am already missing friends in Minnesota, but excited about being reunited with extended family in Ohio. I am ready to unpack and explore our new home.
One thing that has sustained me in my spiritual journey is Holy Communion. The Meal is refreshing food and drink for this weary traveler. In the sacrament, God provides the strength that is needed for the next leg of the journey. Each entry in this blog will provide a reading, most often from scripture; a reflection on an aspect of Holy Communion; and a recipe for bread, which may be used in the celebration of the meal, depending on the tradition and context of the assembly.
RECIPE | Rosca de Reyes
Rosca de Reyes, or Kings' Ring,
is a bread eaten on Epiphany in Spain and some Latin American countries. With its round shape and dried fruit
decorations, it may look like a crown worn by the magi that visited baby
Jesus. Often a tiny Jesus figure is
hidden in the bread, though this is not recommended if the bread is used for
communion. Here is a recipe for Rosca de
Reyes from the Food Network's Ingrid Hoffman.
Ingredients
1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup dried figs, cut into strips, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup candied orange peel, cut into strips, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup candied lemon peel, cut into strips, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped candied cherries, plus more whole for garnish
2 tablespoons light rum
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, divided
Water
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the yeast and warm water;
stir to blend. Let stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, about
5 to 10 minutes.
Put all of the candied fruit in small bowl and
drizzle the rum on top. Let stand for 15 minutes to 1 hour to infuse the
flavor.
In a small pot, warm the milk over medium heat. Add
the sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
In a large bowl, mix 3 1/2 cups flour, 2 eggs, yeast mixture, milk mixture, and the rum soaked candied fruits, mixing very well until the dough gathers into a ball. If the dough is too wet, Add additional flour, a little at a time, if needed to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it's smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Put the ball of dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a
lightly floured surface. Using your palms, roll the dough into a long rope.
Shape the coil into a ring, sealing the ends together. Insert a little doll or
coin into the bread from the bottom, if desired. Line a baking pan with
aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully transfer the
dough ring to the prepared baking pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl with 1
tablespoon of water to make an egg wash, and brush the top of the bread.
Decoratively garnish the top of the bread with more candied fruit and bake for
35 to 40 minutes until the cake is golden.
Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Cook's Note: Let your guests know there is a little
doll or coin inserted inside.
Thank you to Pastor Scott Morey for the inspiration
for this blog entry. Photo by Tamorlan.
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