Gifts – both giving and receiving them – seem to be the centerpiece of the holiday season in our culture. But in a way, I think that’s appropriate. After all, the story of Christmas is all about the greatest gift ever given to mankind. Over the next three weeks, we will be taking a look at the gifts the wise men brought to the Christ Child in a new series called The Gift.

Sometimes, I think familiarity with the Christmas story causes us to just read right past those three baby gifts without really thinking about them. I can’t imagine Mary putting those items on her Amazon wish list! Have you ever stopped to wonder why the wise men gave the things they did? How are gold, frankincense and myrrh even helpful for a new baby? Wouldn’t burp cloths, blankets and diapers make more sense? This week we’ll dig a little deeper into why frankincense was among the gifts given.