Christmas means hope for everyone! And do we ever need hope this Christmas! This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. The candle that will be lit by a family from the church represents the hope of Christmas. Our story time for kids will be the story of the three wise men of Christmas. These stories have been so much fun, and this Sunday will be no different.

Three famous Kurdish (descendants of the great Persian empire) traveled from what is now modern-day Iraq or Iran to Israel to investigate the coming of the Messiah. Today people often forget how scholarly the Persians were. Persia, known for its rich history, made significant contributions in various fields. They excelled in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy. Algebra was greatly advanced by Persian mathematicians like Al-Khwarizmi, who laid the groundwork for the subject. Persian astronomers made strides in understanding celestial movements and developed instruments for observation. Additionally, Persian scholars like Avicenna made significant contributions to medicine and philosophy, shaping the foundations of these fields for centuries to come.

About the time of the Birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the whole world was fascinated by their knowledge, but it wasn't until much later did we truly understand the advanced nature of their knowledge. The Persian ziggurats, which are ancient stepped pyramids, served multiple purposes, including astronomical observations. Some believe these structures were used for tracking celestial movements, marking solstices, and understanding the stars' positions, aiding agricultural calendars and religious rituals. While not solely dedicated to astronomy, these ziggurats likely played a role in early observations and the study of celestial bodies by providing vantage points for observing the skies.

The Persian worship of Ahura Mazda is called Zoroastrianism and there is a long history of their mutual respect with Jewish - Christian theology. These Harvard-like scholars followed prophecy and astrological observations to travel over 1,000 miles to observe the Messiah. The collision of the two cultures was both insightful and exciting. Don't miss this week’s worship online or in person as we learn something together about hope and why great dreamers must follow their star.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White