Last Epiphany

The Rev. Martha Frances

Yr. C, Last Epiphany

14 February 2010

Text:  Luke 9: 28-36 [37-43]

Other Readings: Exodus 34: 29-35; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 

      Thank you all so much for worshipping with us today.  As we celebrate the culmination of my ministry here at Hope, & both Hope parish & I look forward to the new chapter in each of our ministries, all here at the end of the season of enlightenment at Epiphany, stories about journeys to the mountaintops & re-visioning of life & ministry are quite appropriate.  I invite you to open your eyes & hearts to what new vision God has for you at this time in your life which you might carry into your Lenten meditation & worship for the next 6 weeks so Christ's glory might be fully revealed in your life in the miracle of Easter.

      How many of you have ever experienced what you would classify as a mountaintop experience? (Pause)  And how many of you have wished you didn't have to come down from the mountain, thinking you'd rather just freeze-frame that awesome feeling & not have to face real life again, at least not soon? (Pause) 

      Well, you've probably heard sermons on these scriptures many times, so it's likely you've been told the Transfiguration is all about dealing with a mountaintop experience.  Right?  Though the Transfiguration might warn us, along with Simon Peter, not to linger on the mountaintop, that's not ALL this scripture is about, so we're going delve into these transformational scriptures.. 

      Often when we look at a scene from scripture, we try to relate to it, to see how our lives are LIKE whatever is going on in the passage. In the case of the Transfiguration, however, we experience, just as Peter, John, & James do, an event which is really UNLIKE any we've ever had.  The thing about Jesus' appearance with Moses & Elijah & his face & clothing's becoming dazzling white is that this is a one-of-a-kind appearance.  Surely, it reminds us of other earlier epiphanies like Moses at the burning bush or his face showing dazzling white when he came down the mountain, another story we read this morning.  Surely, Elijah encountered God at the mountain cave not in earthquake, wind, or fire but in a still small voice.  Jesus' transfiguration appearance with Moses & Elijah affirms him as the last in a whole line of prophets harkening back for centuries. 

      We're certainly reminded of Jesus' baptism when God declares, "This is my son, the Beloved."  Others whom John baptized didn't have a dove descend accompanied by a voice from heaven, did they?  Indeed, we're getting closer to the uniqueness of Jesus' transfiguration when we examine his baptism inaugurating his public ministry.  By the time of the transfiguration scene, Jesus has had a successful public teaching, preaching, & healing career in Galilee & has just recently turned his face toward Jerusalem which he knows will mean his crucifixion. His attention is now focused on training his closest followers for the costs of discipleship. 

      Immediately before today's lesson, Jesus has made his first passion prediction, & the disciples have only just begun to recognize a messiah very different from the one predicted by centuries of Jewish prophecy.  What better time for God to reassure Jesus publicly that he is following the path God intends than with an open declaration out of the cloud:  "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him."  Indeed, it is the awesome uniqueness of this ultimate Epiphany appearance which is most compelling to the disciples, & to us today.  We're told unequivocally that this experience IS unique, for Jesus is God's special chosen one to whom we best pay heed. 

      The disciples must still be in shock from Jesus' prediction that he must suffer persecution & death before he returns in glory.  Hey, why have they been following this itinerant preacher & healer if all he's gonna do is go to Jerusalem where he's likely to get himself—& possibly some of them—killed dead as doornails?  Have they been mistaken in throwing in their chips with him? He certainly seems to know what he's talking about? The healings & miracles are certainly real enough.  "So what's up?" the disciples might be saying while ascending the mountain for another of Jesus' long periods of prayer. 

      That's one point which Luke continually makes & we should notice, especially just three days away from Ash Wednesday and then Lent.  Every significant event in Jesus' life arises out of a period of prayer.  Jesus models a life of disciplined prayer, & it seems to me if Jesus needed that much time for communication with his Father, we can assume we need to pray regularly, intentionally & with fervor.  It's clear that the disciples, weighed down with sleep as they were, almost missed the miracle of the transfiguration.  How often do we miss miracles because we're not paying attention or we put expectations upon how we think things are supposed to turn out? 

      What's really up is that, though Jesus' ministry won't end with the success for which his disciples had hoped, he is nonetheless the messiah.  Jesus' destiny is to go to Jerusalem to face certain death, but all is not lost; his death is actually a modern-day exodus.  The people of the original exodus didn't really become Yhwh's chosen until after 40 years in the wilderness.  They formed a new covenant with God & a new identity with each other.  Later, Jesus' exodus from earthly life was necessary for the resurrection to establish life after death, & to birth the new Israel, the new Christian community. 

      Of course, the three disciples couldn't have explained all this to each other, much less to the larger group of disciples.  Perhaps that's why they were terrified & kept silent, telling no one what they had seen.  Miraculous things like the transfiguration happen at certain times in our lives, & we are seldom able to explain them.  The preacher Barbara Brown Taylor calls such events as the transfiguration "thin places."  In such experiences, heaven & earth meet in ways we simply cannot explain.  Who among us would like to have been present at the transfiguration?  And who would not have been terrified?  At times like these, logic cannot explain what's happening, yet it is enough for us to be open to what God wants for our lives rather than what we thought would be good.

      We read the Transfiguration story on this last Sunday of Epiphany as a bridge between the outward focus of Jesus' teaching & healing of Epiphany—for his is truly the greatest Epiphany—to the inward retrospection of Lent.  In order to be prepared to share the Good News of Christ during the Easter season, we must undergo the work of staying honest with God & ourselves we practice during Lent. 

      Ash Wednesday begins the 40 days of Lent.  In the next few days, we can consider what God asks of us during this holy season.  You might give up booze or cigarettes or sugar or lunch every other day because that's what you always do during Lent?  I invite you to consider what God calls you to focus on, both for yourself & for Hope.  I can't determine for you what your Lenten discipline should be, but I'll offer some suggestions which might be helpful.

      First: prayer time. Spending regular quality time with God will open you up to God's transformation in your life.  There are many excellent ways to stretch yourself in prayer during this time.  Perhaps you'll find a new way to pray which truly suits you.  6 weeks is enough time to find out if a new prayer style works for you.

      Secondly, read a book.  Choose something you wouldn't ordinarily read, & discipline yourself to read & think about it through Lent.  You might covenant with a friend or two to read & then discuss an enlightening book.  Bookstores & Amazon highlight good Lenten meditations.

      In addition, inventory your life to see whether the goals you have set for yourself are still applicable.  Some wise sage said that if you don't know where you're going, it'll be hard for you to know if & when you get there.  At this hinge time in Hope's communal life, evaluating mission & vision for the future is crucial.  A spiritual director can be an invaluable help. 

      Certainly, though Lent is more introspective than other times of the year, we should reach out to our neighbors at this time.  At Diocesan Council yesterday, we celebrated a new companion partnership with Southern Malawi, watching Bp. Doyle & the Malawan bishop James Tengotengo signing the covenant of partnership.  In this time of economic downturn, the Diocese of Texas puts feet to our hopes in beginning a new outreach with Malawi.  We are incredibly wealthy here in Texas in comparison to our partners in Southern Malawi.  How can Hope reach out to others in a mutual relationship of give & take?  How can your own stewardship covenant for 2010 be fleshed out during Lent for you to give sacramentally of yourself.

      The Diocesan Council just completed yesterday marked a new beginning in the life of the Diocese.  +Bp. Andy asked us to reach beyond "playing it safe" in our spiritual lives & pray the prayer Sir Francis Drake prayed which began "Disturb us Lord. . ." with various ways we can grow beyond the status quo. Council passed a resolution of Unity within the Diversity we find in our Diocese which was crafted by a coalition of some of the most liberal leaders in the Diocese alongside others who are most conservative.  +Bp. Andy asks that 2010 be a year of prayer regarding the Anglican Covenant with a task force to design a method for study of our different stances on sexuality and biblical interpretation so that we may effectively focus on growing the church with a missionary spirit for sharing the Good News of God in Christ.  Hope will have a regular opportunity to be aware of & connected to the activities of the Diocese since our own Elizabeth Dowell has been elected to the Executive Board.  Let's celebrate Elizabeth's new position, but we also give thanks to Cornelius Perry who was also willing to run for Executive Board.  Please thank Elizabeth & Cornelius for their giving of themselves.

      I can't tell you what Christ is calling you to do this Lent, but I know that the Transfiguration challenges us to look beyond who & where we are to see how God is inviting us to new life.  At those thin places where God can speak to us more easily, God has a word for you as God has for me.  There are opportunities during Lent to balance introspection and caring for our world in sacramental ways. 

      I would remind you of Martin Luther King's last speech as he strengthened those who supported the sanitation workers in Memphis the night before his death.  He shared, "Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." 

      Mountaintops may be exhilarating, but God calls us to look at the dailyness of our lives & give them up to God.  May you & I be open to God's call to us this Lent. 

Epiphany V

By The Rev. Martha Frances+

Year C Epiphany V

6 February 2010

Text:  Luke 5: 1-11

Other Readings: Isaiah 6: 1-8 [9-13]; Psalm 138; I Corinthians 15: 1-11

      All our scripture readings today are call stories—moments when God calls people to ministry.  Especially at this time in the life of Hope, each parishioner has a call to ministry; ministry is not limited to those of us who wear clerical collars.  Listen carefully to these lessons, for God is calling you too!

      What a spectacular setting for God's call to Isaiah!  God is on the throne &, even before God gets a chance to speak, Isaiah is already back-peddling:  "Woe is me!  I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, & I live among a people of unclean lips;" he replies when the angels/God appears.  God's seraph touches his mouth with a live coal, forgives his sins, & commissions him to become God's ambassador.  Isaiah responds in 5 of the most significant words in scripture:  "Here am I; send me!"  Hmmm, seems like I've sung that somewhere before.

      Likewise, Paul's call from God follows the same pattern as the call to Isaiah.  Paul's call comes after many appearances the resurrected Christ has made to the disciples & finally to Paul himself.  Listen to Paul's objections: he is unworthy—as one untimely born, the least of the apostles—because he persecuted the Church. 

      Christ obviously doesn't take no for an answer from Paul, & it is by God's grace that he is equipped for the great missionary work ahead of him.  His response—". . .by the grace of God I am what I am"—echoes Moses' conversation with God on Mt. Sinai. Paul's frenetic activity for the spread of Christ's kin-dom speaks for itself.  Paul's proclamation has resulted in the Corinthians'—& many other new churches—coming to believe.

      Finally, we come to Jesus' call to his first disciples—the 3 fishermen—beside Gennesaret Lake, better known as the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus' popularity has caused him to resort to extraordinary measures to reach the crowds.  He borrows Simon's boat, & they put out from shore so he can better speak to the crowd.  Then he tells Simon to launch his boat into deep waters once more & to let down his nets.  How does Simon Peter react?  He argues with Jesus, telling him that they have already been working fruitlessly all night.  Nevertheless, he agrees to do as Jesus has asked & indeed puts out the nets.  What a miracle:  so many fish that they fill both his boat & that of his partners James & John! 

      At this point, we encounter Simon's self-centeredness.  Does he thank Jesus for this amazing catch of fish?  No, he responds by moaning about how sinful he is & pleads with Jesus to disappear!  Of course, Peter always over-reacts, & here is Jesus' first encounter with Peter in Luke's gospel.  Peter might have wallowed in his self-pity, yet Jesus does not allow that.  Jesus calls Peter out of himself to do the work of netting people, hauling them in to build up the Christian community, & really to lead that community, all with the help of his brother Andrew, his partners James & John, & the other folks Jesus calls to discipleship. 

      Notice they leave everything in order to follow Jesus.  In the group-oriented culture around the Mediterranean Sea, people don't see themselves as independent individuals but rather rely on the social unit of the extended family & community for their livelihood & indeed for their identity.  We independent Americans may have a hard time relating to the drastic steps these disciples take to haul off & follow Jesus, but their departure leaves serious gaps in the interdependent family structures.  Jesus' band of disciples becomes a non-traditional family for each other. 

      But we get ahead of ourselves.  When Peter steps out & follows Jesus, he has no clue as to what will follow.  Peter steps out in faith only after Jesus reassures him with the now-familiar, "Do not be afraid" & then promises "from now on you will be catching people" or, as one translation says, "you will net people."  Notice that Peter's not dangling a fishline out to catch an individual fish; no, he's hauling in schools of fish with a net—a whole community of fish!

      With Isaiah, Paul, & Simon Peter's calls to action, a pattern emerges:  First, God initiates the action.  God does the choosing.  God chooses according to God's qualifications, not according to those whom we humans consider worthy.  Even if you've never heard that call before, I want to assure you God is calling you right here, today.  Listen up!  Second, the person God chooses obviously doesn't consider him or herself worthy & gives God excuses as to God's poor judgment in choosing him or her.  In modern-day language, we call this whining, or sitting on our pity pots.  Are you familiar with such a response? Third, God doesn't take "no" for an answer; God goes right ahead with God's plans & urges the person to respond positively.  We often say that God doesn't choose the equipped but equips the chosen.  That applies to each of you too, not just to the preacher!  Finally, the chosen one responds & then acts on God's calling her or him out.  What ministry is God calling you to today?  Keep listening!

      Now, all 3 of these examples are of men, but this same pattern applies to women.  Remember God's call to Mary that we usually call the "annunciation"?  The angel appears &, after telling Mary not to be afraid, initiates the call for her to bear a son.  Mary is astonished & tells the angel he must have knocked on the wrong door; she can't have a baby as she is still a virgin.  Gabriel replies that God can accomplish more than we humans can ask or imagine.  Mary responds "then let it be to me according to your Word."  And she brings forth the Savior of the World.  God's call is not limited to one type person or group, & we're often surprised at those God chooses for a particular task.  One prayer I encourage for you is for you to be as open to God's calls to your neighbors as God is; you all need each other.

      As we ponder Christ's call to each of us, I think it is comforting to realize that this is an ongoing call to conversion, not just a one-time deal.  Paul alludes to the ongoing progression of conversion & growth in faith in the last line of the Corinthian reading for today when he says, ". . .and so you have come to believe."  You may remember a man who comes to Jesus for his child's healing.  He says, "Lord, I believe.  Help thou my unbelief."  Conversion & response are not once over & done with, you see.  Openness to the transformation of parts of ourselves which are unbelieving leads to a lifetime of spiritual adventures & gradual maturing in the faith.

      I hope you haven't sat back & thought smugly during this sermon, "Well, I've already accepted Jesus as my Lord & Savior, so these call stories don't apply to me."  Just as Jesus' call is not to a select few but to ALL, so is Jesus' call to a lifetime of growth in faith & in ways to act out our faith.  Each time we respond in love & obedience to Christ's call to us, we're strengthened for the next call to be faithful.  It is when we get comfortable with our faith walk that we are most likely to stumble.  Christ calls us over & over to turn again & follow him.

      Also, I want to make it perfectly clear that these call stories are examples not of the call of special extra-talented people to be professional Christians.  My brothers & sisters, this call to conversion & to living life with Christ & in a Christian community is to ALL of us. Some days I know we all want to say with Peter, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"  If Simon Peter could say that & then become the leader of the apostles, the one who holds the keys to God's realm, then not one of you is so sinful or untalented that you are exempted from the call to discipleship.  We're all in this together, you all.  We're ALL, every one of us, invited—actually urged—to a lifetime of conversion & new life in Christ.

      As you enter a time of discernment & new beginnings for Hope Church, I'll recommend 3 ways you can respond to God's call to you which will strengthen you for service & also build up the body of Christ.  These might be good Lenten disciplines.  The writer I'm borrowing from calls them the 3 Gs:

      First, go to church!  There's no better time in the church year to establish the habit of church attendance than Lent.  You need each other, & you need to pray and celebrate Eucharist together.  There will be Lenten supper & prayers on Wednesdays & Stations of the Cross on Fridays in addition to Sunday's services, & each of these worship times gives you the opportunity to pray for Hope & for each other. This is certainly not the time to hide out at home & watch to see what happens at the church.  Come & participate!

      Secondly, give significantly & generously.  Last Sunday was Covenant Sunday, & many of you brought your 2010 Covenant & placed it in the Ark here on the altar.  Those covenant prayer letters ask you to evaluate what you have to give to your church community, open your heart & your mind to give generously, commit to that on the Covenant which is for God's eyes only, then place your Covenant with the others in the Ark here on the altar, & make sure to ask God to help you keep your Covenant during the year.  In so doing, with the others who are led to do the same, Hope can blossom with a generosity of Spirit as never before.

      Closely allied with that generosity of Spirit is the 3^rd G:  give up grudges.  That many churches have become grudge-filled, resentment-infested places on earth is scandalous.  Jesus himself gave his life for our salvation, & many Christians have lost theirs also over the centuries of Christian history.  No church is ever going to be perfect; it's made up of imperfect people!  Your ability to contribute what you can & accept what you cannot change is one sign of a mature Christian.  Rumors are deadly to a small community like Hope, & no matter how transparent I've tried to be as I'm transitioning out as your rector, some amazing rumors have bubbled up like flotsam & jetsam on top of the waters.  Don't participate in that childish behavior.  St. Paul reminded us last week that when we become adults, we're to give up our childish ways.  Now is the time to be filled with the love of God & the discernment of the Holy Spirit.  Your Senior Warden, after the vestry retreat & a visit from the Canon to the Ordinary this past week, has affirmed that you will be just fine.  Believe that the Spirit will lead you to new life.

      And don't think that you've got all the time in the world.  Christ is incredibly patient, but why not begin to live abundantly right now?  What's more important than abundant life?  Whatever holds you back from conversion to new life today, shed it, let go of it, & let God fill that void in your life.  Epiphany is the time of year when we explore all the many places & persons God calls us to engage with in enlarging & strengthening God's reign on earth.  Soon, we will enter the season of Lent in which we are made ready once again to respond as an Easter people, "Here I am, send me!"  What is holding you back?  Can you give it up to God?

Epiphany IV

By The Rev. Martha Frances+

Year C Epiphany IV

31 January 20010

Text:  Luke 4: 21-30

Other Readings: Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; I Corinthians 13: 1-13 

      This morning's readings give us a wealth of material to apply to our lives today, & the readings have a lot in common.  So we'll look primarily at the Gospel to explore what God presents to us today, but we'll also take a look or two at the other lessons. 

      Several points stand out as I've meditated this week.  First, God takes the initiative in reaching out to us with the Good News, desiring to share with us & hoping we will respond.  Secondly, God's intention is that all of humanity be included in God's reign even when we humans try to limit God's blessings to our own group or at least those with which we are comfortable.  Finally, God's abundant gifts to us are intended not just for our own edification & comfort but for the whole community which ultimately means the global village.  Let's look at each of these premises in our scriptures.

      Although we can certainly say that Jesus, God's Son, reaches out to his neighbors in Nazareth as he reads & interprets the Isaiah passage in the synagogue (the passage we read last week), our most obvious example of God's making the first move toward us is in God's call of Jeremiah to the prophetic vocation.  Not only does God commission the boy Jeremiah, but God has had intentions for Jeremiah's future from before he was born. 

      God tells Jeremiah that to be a prophet to the nations (we'll get back to that part in a few minutes), & God doesn't take "no" for an answer.  Can't you just hear Jeremiah whining, "Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy"?  God responds that Jeremiah is to go where God sends him, to whatever people are there, & God will tell Jeremiah what to say.  Just to make sure Jeremiah gets the point, God touches his mouth & then sends him on his way to all nations & kingdoms.  God definitely reaches out & chooses whom God wills, equipping the saints for ministry.  Jeremiah goes on to be a great prophet & gets himself in a lot of trouble, even getting dropped down into a well, all in response to God's commissioning him.  Further, God's call is not just to those of us who wear our collars backwards; God reaches out to each Christian, so I encourage you to recognize your own call to be an epiphany of God;  we're each to be a manifestation of the divine.

      Secondly, God has us reach out way beyond our comfort zone to people we wouldn't even give the time of day to if we had our say in the matter.  God really doesn't discriminate as we tend to do as followers are chosen; God accepts everyone. 

      Last week we were saw at first the crowds were very impressed with Jesus? His neighbors in Nazareth had heard good things about him, & today's gospel tells us all spoke well of him, amazed at what he had to say.  Almost immediately, however, the crowd begins to ask questions: "Isn't this Joseph's son?  Who does he think he is?"  And a little later, the crowd flies into a rage & drives him out of town, intending to hurl him off a cliff.  This rejection by his own friends in Nazareth is his first taste of crucifixion.  How do we explain this change of attitude of people who had known Jesus all his life?   

      Well, there are privileges to being the hometown boy, but there are also obligations.  Jesus is supposed to give preference to his family & village—you've heard of family discounts—yet he's been preaching & performing miracles over in Capernaum & goodness knows where else.  Capernaum is in Galilee & probably has more Gentiles than Jews.  Jesus' Jewish family & neighbors certainly don't like the idea of Jesus' doing for Gentiles what he hasn't done first for them.  After all, they've known all their lives that they are God's special people.

      Further, Jesus points out God's inclusion of all with 2 stories from their own Hebrew scriptures, both of which show God's healing touch upon Gentiles, not Jews.  Elijah could certainly have healed any number of Jewish children while providing for them & their mothers' welfare, but instead, Elijah was led to the widow at Zarephath in Sidon to take care of her & heal her son.  Likewise, Elisha didn't cure any Jewish people who had leprosy but rather Naaman the Syrian.  Now it is downright rude for Jesus to suggest that God offers healing & wholeness to foreigners before even the Jews are healed.

      Does this sound anything like churches & other groups in today's world?  We know to whom God offers love, healing, forgiveness, & the right hand of fellowship to become part of our community.  We want to make sure it's folks like us who are the privileged.  We at Hope are eager to attract younger people to the community, but they are supposed to believe & behave just like us; we are nervous about being challenged with new ideas.  Jesus comes along & emphasizes our responsibility to the poor, the hungry, the dispossessed, the captives---indeed all those people mentioned in the Isaiah passage last week.  Just in case you think it's only in fancy big churches where parishioners want to keep other folks out, I hear it more often than I like to admit here at Hope. 

      All through the gospels, Jesus includes people we'd just as soon leave out.  Jesus wipes away all that judgmentalism & tells & shows us that salvation is available to all.  It's a lesson we must always keep in mind, especially when we are tempted to exclude other people.  Who are the people whom we demonize in our own society & beyond?  Remember, those people are just as precious in God's sight as you or I are.  We must constantly be on the watch when those prejudices arise in our own hearts.

      Finally, God doesn't feed the hungry or clothe the naked just for their own sakes, & God certainly doesn't give people spiritual gifts so they can feel better about themselves & believe they are better than everyone else.  Jesus is pretty clear in last Sunday's & today's gospel that we're all in this together, & we're supposed to take care of each other.  Getting along together & affirming each other's gifts are not any easier to do in a church community than anywhere else, & that was obviously true in the early church, too.  Paul & other epistle writers have to admonish the young Christian churches repeatedly to use their spiritual gifts to strengthen the whole community, not just to act like super Christians themselves.  In the Love Chapter which we read today in 1^st Corinthians, the pinnacle of Paul's letter to this most challenging young community, he tells us that it is appropriate for a child to speak, think, & reason like a child, but we adults must be willing to give up selfish childish ways & celebrate the gifts of our differences as adults.

      We're all learning, one day at a time, to live together in love & care & to reach out to share Christ's love with others.  God has already offered it, so we're just cooperating with God's plan to go into the streets & nooks & crannies of Houston to invite others to come & see a Christian community in action.  It's important when others come, of course, that we are a Christian community in action & that we truly open ourselves to welcome others.  God offers unconditional love to all, even those we'd just as soon not be in relationship with, so we might as well start loving them instead of trying to set them apart from us.  This going into all the world—even the parts of it that our lives touch most closely—is pretty exhausting, but we're not asked to do it alone.  In fact, that's one reason why we're supposed to be building up the church, not going it alone.  As you begin this new phase of your life together after I begin my medical leave, this can be an exciting time of learning better to live out of the qualities of love which Paul describes in his "Love" chapter we read today.  The Greek word for the self-giving love Paul describes is "agape."  This is not the romantic love which is turned inward connecting  two people but rather an unselfish love which can indeed bear, believe, hope, & endure all things for it begins with God, & we can return it to God through other people, sort of like paying it forward.  With such love, we can begin to see others as God sees them, the beloved.  

      During this time of Epiphany, may we show forth Christ's light to the nations, or at least to all whom we meet.  Please join me in a prayer which our Diocesan Bishop +Andy Doyle includes in his meditation upon today's scriptures:

      "God of the prophets, your love reaches far beyond the boundaries of covenant and command.  Redeemed by a love so patient and king, may we offer that same love to others & so proclaim you to the world by the witness of our lives.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever & ever. Amen."

Epiphany III

By The Rev. Martha Frances+

Year C Epiphany III

24 January 2010

Text:  Luke 4: 14-21

Other Readings: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a 

      Last week we revisited Jesus' first miracle at the wedding at Cana in Galilee, & today we continue with Luke's version of Jesus' inaugural teaching in his hometown of Nazareth.  As we listen to Jesus' important "firsts" during the Epiphany season, the "showings forth" or "manifestations" of Jesus' wisdom & action can guide us to recognizing epiphanies in our own lives.  When we see Jesus touching our lives in new ways, just maybe we will also learn ways to share Jesus' love & manner of life with others, heeding Jesus' call at Epiphany to let our light shine before others, even to the ends of the earth.

      Immediately before this passage in Luke's Gospel, Jesus has been baptized, received the Holy Spirit, & then undergone temptations in the wilderness.  We're assured that Jesus is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit upon returning to Galilee, specifically to his hometown of Nazareth.  Jesus has been praised early on for his teaching in the synagogues, & don't you imagine he's excited & just a bit apprehensive when he enters the synagogue where as a youth, he first sat at of other rabbis' feet to learn the Law & the Prophets, the lore of the Jewish holy men? 

      Jesus went to the synagogue, as was his custom, the text says, because it was Sabbath, &, as a good Jewish man, he participated in worship & study.  In one synagogue visit, Jesus affirms 3 of the most important Jewish traditions: Sabbath observance, the centrality of Scripture, & the importance of Synagogue worship.  As a visiting adult male, he would normally have been invited to read & elaborate on the Prophets, so there's nothing unusual about this day's actions. Still, I'll bet the hometown rabbis recalled what a good student he had been. 

      Notice that he stands up to read, just as we do in worship, & the people would have stood in reverence & affirmation for the scripture reading.  At least when you stand for the Gospel reading & when Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah, the people didn't have to stand all morning long like when Nehemiah read in our first lesson for today!   Jesus reads one of the Servant Songs from Isaiah, one you're probably familiar with, that which we [sang & then] read today.  This passage celebrates the hope of Israel for a Messiah they had anticipated for centuries, yet note how Jesus emphasizes that it applies to him, that they are seeing & listening to the fulfillment of their hopes & dreams for a Messiah, a Christ.  Just in case they don't snap to his self-description as he reads Isaiah's prophecy, he ends the reading by stating clearly, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."  You'll have to return next week to find out how the people responded to his proclamation, or perhaps you'll want to read the passages during the week.

      However, we have much to encourage us today in seeing how this servant song describes Jesus so aptly & also how the same actions of Jesus described in Isaiah relate to us today.  Looking back upon Jesus' life, death, & resurrection, we can say, "Of course, the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus.  Jesus was God's son."  But we can also appreciate how his old neighbors might say, "Who does he think he is?  I remember when he used to work in his father's carpenter shop.  He was a good kid, but going off to Lord-knows-where has certainly made him think a lot of himself." 

      We miss the next part unless we remember that the word "anointed" means either "Messiah" or "Christ," so Jesus is telling them right here who he is.  They don't "get it," at least not yet, but Jesus has declared he is the one set apart & anointed for his role as Savior but also he calls not only Israel but all the world to a new relationship with God.  He doesn't come to wipe Israel's enemies off the face of the earth as many had hoped a Messiah would do, but he comes to challenge the way things are in society & to call everyone to live a more giving life.  In fact, we can read all the rest of Luke & Acts in light of Jesus' self-revelation here.  In reciting Isaiah's words, he sets forth his own mission statement—what his intentions are in his ministry.  Might they also be an effective mission statement for us?

      Jesus says he has come to bring good news to the poor, & for countless poor in the following centuries, Jesus' Gospel, the word that means good news, has lifted up millions of people who are poor in lots of ways.  "The poor" includes not only all on the bottom economically—including the impoverished & homeless—but also those outcast for any reason:  race, gender, physical or mental limitations, color of skin or slant of eyes, degree of education, sexual orientation, cleanliness or manner of dress.  We humans are amazing in the ways in which we can separate ourselves from others & set ourselves above or below other categories of people.  Jesus doesn't set those barriers; he is convinced his purpose is to extend the Gospel to ALL.  That's enough to make nervous anyone who believed the Messiah was to come to save only the Jews.  We need to be very careful when we think we're smart enough to figure out who belongs in God's kingdom & who doesn't.  No wonder Jesus told us that God is the judge & we aren't.

      When Jesus says God sent him to proclaim release to the captives, his word for "sent" means he has a commission from someone else, in this case God, to free people from whatever keeps them captive.  "Release" originally meant the forgiveness of debts.   Many people then & certainly now find themselves trapped in a web of debt & accompanying hopelessness with no chance to get out of debt.  In today's economic downturn, debt is at crisis proportions.  A Jewish concept called Jubilee may have actually happened from time to time.  The idea was that people should be released from debt every 7 years so that they could start from zero instead of constantly trying to pull out of a hole.  Some times in my life, the idea of "Jubilee" would have given me very-needed hope.  Right now, think about what keeps you captive from which you would like release.  Perhaps it is debt, or perhaps cigarettes or fatty foods, scratch-off Lotto tickets or alcohol, addictive relationships or hopelessness which keeps you from believing you can accomplish anything better.  What are you captive to?  Are you willing to let Jesus release you from it?

      Who is blind in our society?  Perhaps I ought to ask you who is NOT blind, at least about some things, in our society?  Recovery of sight for many of us means the ability to break through the denial of our addictions.  Someone once said Denial is not a river in Egypt.  We can ignore character defects for a long time before they destroy enough of our lives that we must face them head on.  Education doesn't solve all our society's blindness, but it certainly helps us see things we haven't paid attention to before. We can all benefit from Jesus' removing the blinders from our eyes.  In studying the Word of God & other good literature, layers of denial can peel away from our eyes.  What have you been trying to ignore or avoid that you finally need to face squarely & look at in your life?  What person or group can aid you in doing that? 

      Who in this congregation has ever felt oppressed?  Oppression is sometimes only in our minds, but breaking through that oppression to the offer of new life which Jesus makes is part of what we are about in the Christian community.  When we think about what oppresses us, we need to ask what part of that do we have some control over, & then begin to work on that.  Sometimes the only thing we have some control over is the way we think about a difficult situation in our lives, but a change in our attitude can make all the difference.  We open ourselves to an attitude shift in the Serenity Prayer that many of us say regularly:  "God, grant me the serenity to accept those things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, & the wisdom to know the difference."  What we can often change but resist doing is our attitude about it.  Seeing something as an opportunity to grow instead of something which oppresses us may make all the difference in the world.  The ability to figure that out & act on it is wisdom!

      Finally, Jesus proclaims the year of the Lord's favor! The passage begins & ends with proclamation, & anything which Jesus proclaims is surely Good News, don't you think?  Remember the concept of Jubilee is a time each 7 years when things go back to their rightful owners & debts are cleared so people start over, even-steven as my kids used to say.  It's like starting a new game & forgetting who won the last one.  Everyone starts from square one!  This concept of Jubilee was never practiced as much in Hebrew society as it was preached.  But it is such a strong & healthy idea that we still talk in terms of Jubilee when we think of Jesus' desire for everyone to belong in society & all to live life abundantly. 

      Your vestry will be on retreat this Friday evening and during the day on Saturday, making plans for the ministries of Hope for 2010, & I urge you to commit to praying for them at least 30 minutes during that time, trusting they will use Jesus' mission statement in this gospel to focus their decision-making.  In addition, all of the parishioners of Hope can note the passage from I Corinthians reminding us that our spiritual gifts are many & varied but are given us in order that we might accept & celebrate our diversity while recognizing the essential nature of our being unified in fulfilling our mission.  Please keep the vestry in your prayers this week.  Also, consider faithfully & generously what of your time, talent & treasure you are willing to covenant with God for 2010 and fill out your covenant letter, seal it with the "For God's Eyes Only" golden seal, & return with it next week to place it in the ark on this altar as your solemn promise to God of your intentions toward God and toward this congregation.  Bless you in your holy prayer and meditation time this week.

Epiphany II

By The Rev. Martha Frances+

Year C Epiphany II

17 January 2010

Text:  John 2: 1-11; I Corinthians 12: 1-11

Other Readings:  Isaiah 62: 1-5; Psalm 36: 5-10 

      The story of the wedding feast at Cana is a favorite of mine, partially because the mother of Jesus is the character who activates the action.  She is at the wedding, & we're told Jesus & the disciples have also been invited.  Why does Mary, a guest at the wedding feast, become aware that the wine has run out, even though the chief steward doesn't even know it.  She's curious enough, or trusted enough, to have learned there is no more wine.  Mary is concerned that the family giving the wedding feast will be embarrassed not to have enough wine.  So she turns to Jesus.

      When Mary explains the dilemma to Jesus, we're surprised at his harsh response:  "Woman, what concern is that to you & to me?  My hour has not yet come."  Now I have sons about Jesus' present age, & if they addressed me as "Woman," I would not be happy!  Yet, Jesus seems to mean no disrespect or harm to his mother as he tries to keep a low profile.  He's not ready to come out & show his power publicly.  He's "off duty" at this function, anyway, so he may just want to relax & enjoy some down time with his buddies. 

      Jesus is not unlike other leaders called to step out of their comfort zone & risk.  Do you remember Moses' response to God at the burning bush?  He tells God he's not much of a speaker & doesn't think he's equipped to lead the whole nation of Israel out of bondage.  God doesn't put up with such excuses but sends Moses back to Egypt to begin the Exodus.  And then there's Jeremiah, none too pleased that God calls him to the thankless job of prophet to misfits who weren't even important enough to get hauled off to Babylon.  Jeremiah says to God, "You must have gotten me mixed up with someone much more experienced.  I am only a boy!"  God isn't impressed with that excuse either.  So off goes Jeremiah to straighten out a group of 2^nd classed citizens who got left behind when the beautiful people moved to Babylon. 

      Why, even Martin Luther King, whose birthday we celebrate tomorrow, was none too eager to get mixed up in the civil rights movement.  He was a young Baptist minister, just called to his first church after serving as his dad's associate, & he had no intention of getting involved with a movement which would detract him from his new position & eventually lead to jail time, threats on his family, & eventually death by an assassin's bullet.  Dr. King was called out of his comfort zone to greater & greater leadership & developed his belief in & practice of non-violent resistance while among the protestors & through countless sleepless nights. 

      Jesus doesn't think he is ready to come out in public either, but his mother has been watching & waiting for all his life now.  Remember his presentation in the temple at Jerusalem when he was an infant & then last week's gospel, when he was 12 years old, Mary & Joseph returned to find him speaking with the elders at the Jerusalem temple?  Both stories end by saying that Mary kept all these events, pondering them in her heart.  Jesus' mother has had a lot of time to ponder by the time he is 30, & SHE knows, even if Jesus doesn't, that it's high time for his public ministry to commence.  Even though Jesus tries to quieten his mother, she tells the servants to follow Jesus' instructions. Sometimes when I am on the brink of doing something new & risky, I need the unconditional confidence of a friend who believes in me.  Sometimes, someone has to say, "Martha, just do it!"  Jesus' mother did that for him.

      Now we come to the miracle itself.  The evangelist John provides much detail about these huge stone water jars filled to the brim which Jesus very simply changes from water into wine.  John goes to great length to impress us with the extravagance of this miracle.  Not only are there suddenly copious amounts of wine to continue the celebration, but the steward assures us this is the best quality wine served all day.  If we're but willing to trust Jesus in the risky areas of our lives, the gifts given us are greater than we could ask or imagine.  Jesus takes the common old stone water jars & transforms the water into more flavorful new wine than the whole crowd could have dreamt. 

      That's how God works in us if we but take the risk to trust.  Just because there are more roadblocks than we had anticipated doesn't mean that God isn't at work in an enterprise.  Hope Church had a difficult year in 2009 as did most churches.   Nearly 5 years ago, we stepped out in faith to grow together in love, & Jesus has worked mightily in the people & community called Hope.  Just look around at the people you treasure in your spiritual life whom you didn't even know 5 years ago. 

      Now our 5 years of life together hasn't always been easy, & Jesus' transformation of water into new wine didn't happen effortlessly.  Mary, Jesus & the servants all had their parts to play in the miracle's happening, & Hope wouldn't be here today had many people not stepped forward to accomplish the practical tasks of coming together.  A much larger group has prayed faithfully for our community throughout the beginnings of Hope.  When we pray for a miracle, it is best to be willing to do what God needs us to do so that miracle can come about.

      St. John tells us this miracle was the first sign that Jesus performed.  The transformation Jesus caused to occur in the wine certainly revealed Jesus' glory only fully accomplished when he was crucified, buried, & resurrected.  Sadly, many people tend to quit before the miracle happens.  We're often so sure what Christ's miracles will look like in our own lives that we miss the real miracles when they occur. 

      Fortunately, as John says "the disciples believed in him."  Part of the outcome of this first of Jesus' miracles is that the disciples saw what amazing things could happen if they but believed.  I'm put in mind of 2 things related to the disciples' belief.  First, the disciples had to believe in Jesus before they could experience what power God could work in each of them.  Our selection in the epistle to the Corinthians today reminds us that we all have spiritual gifts that we need to discover & offer up to God's glory.  Paul tells us all the gifts are given by the same Spirit, the Holy Spirit, & the gifts are given for the common good.  Other places, he says that each gift we have is meant for the building up of the body of Christ, not just for our own gratification.  In looking at what we do well that the larger community needs, let's not sell ourselves short.  All of us have talents which we've not explored.  Paul offers quite a list in our scripture today:  wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, & discernment of spirits as well as speaking in tongues & interpreting them.  If we listen to our hearts, to God's call, to where we're encouraged to venture out of our usual ruts, we may find extraordinary gifts we've previously ignored.  No fair saying we don't have gifts.  Paul says clearly we all have gifts & the Spirit activates them.  Let's give God a chance to work in us to develop those gifts.

      Why?  So we can be super Christians?  Nope, Paul says so that we can build up the body of Christ, to reach out to others & help them know the love we've received.  Just think; that small band of apostles spread the gospel of Good News throughout the known world.  We're called to do our part, too.  Part of what we celebrate during this Epiphany season is Christ's light which we hope others can see through us because the Spirit dwells within us.  We can't keep the light shining alone, though.  We're called to do this in community. 

      As another year begins at Hope parish, I challenge you to open yourself up to how God wants you to use your gifts for the up-building of this community.  At the end of the month, the vestry will go on retreat to explore in & beyond our community where God wants us to focus our efforts.  I invite each of you to do the work of discernment that ALL may benefit.  Please pray for your vestry as they discern how to move forward in Hope.

      There you have it.  I'm urging you to step out of your comfort zone & discover what Christ may be calling you to do with the gifts which are yours.  I'm suggesting that, if you believe that Jesus Christ can make all things new, you give Christ a chance to do just that in your life.  For Hope to fulfill God's call this year, you must think & act outside the box.  Each day, open yourself up to learn what new opportunities Christ is offering you to grow in faith & love & to share with the world.

Christmas II

By The Rev. Martha Frances+

Year C Christmas II

3 January 2010

Text:  Luke 2: 41-52

Other Readings: Jeremiah 31: 7-14; Psalm 84; Ephesians 1: 3-6, 15-19a 

      Merry Christmas!  That's right; this is the 3^rd of January, & there are still 3 more of the 12 days of Christmas.  Unlike the marketing world which has moved on to advertising Valentine's Day, we Christians are still in the Christmas season until Wednesday when we celebrate the ancient holiday of Epiphany.  In fact, Epiphany has been celebrated longer even than Christmas itself, & we will observe the Feast of Epiphany at 6:30 on Wednesday evening here in our chapel.  So for those of you who wonder what happened to the Magi following the star from the East, come to our service on Wednesday where we'll relate that story again. 

      Today's gospel takes up the story of Jesus when he is 12 years old, traveling to Jerusalem for the festival of Passover, an obligatory pilgrimage for Jewish men.  Since Jewish males take on adult religious responsibilities when they are 13, Jesus is just on the cusp of being considered a grown-up.  After a week-long celebration, the crowd from Nazareth begins its journey home & travels one full day before Mary & Joseph discover that Jesus is not among the neighbors.  

      Can't you imagine the apprehension with which they return to Jerusalem to begin their search for him which ultimately takes 3 days?  Three days is forever when a child is missing, & of course, this is an allusion to the later story of Jesus' 3 days in the tomb after his crucifixion.  As a mother & grandmother, I am astonished at Mary's restraint as she comes upon Jesus conversing with the teachers in the temple!  She questions him in terms of what his absence has meant to his father & her—how worried they have been.  Jesus doesn't even apologize before responding that they should know where he would have been—in his Father's house or about his Father's business. 

      How must Joseph have felt, knowing Jesus spoke of a Heavenly Father?  Yet, even at 12 years old, Jesus is aware he has conflicting loyalties to God & to his family, & he is choosing to distance himself from his earthly family already.  Luke softens the edginess on his response by telling the reader that Jesus returned with Joseph & Mary to Nazareth where he was obedient to them.  And once again, we learn that Mary treasures these memories in her heart as Jesus continues to grow into maturity.

      The overall atmosphere of today's readings is celebratory, & we now turn our attention to today's Hebrew scripture.  It takes place centuries earlier in Jeremiah's celebration song to God for the Hebrew people's release after Babylonian captivity.  Look at the joyful tone of praise & the gratitude of the people for God's saving the remnant of Israel, those who have stayed faithful even when they were shipped off as slaves to Babylon.  It's certainly not by their own might that they are able to return.  Jeremiah reminds the people that the blind & the lame, those nursing children & even those preparing to birth them are among the remnant.  These are the poor & the weak, those who could not save themselves.  Their salvation is all God's doing, not by their own strength.

      Nor does God abandon them in their travel.  Just like a father, Jeremiah says, God leads them next to fresh water supplies & smoothes their paths so that they are able to return to the land of milk & honey.  God cares for the remnant of Israel like the loving shepherd of a flock.  Notice that Jeremiah uses verbs which are later attributed to Jesus himself: God has ransomed the chosen people & has redeemed them from those who are stronger than they are. 

      Today's psalm is a song of joy & praise for God & for those sacred places where God can be worshipped, especially the temple to which they return after their captivity.  It is the same Jerusalem temple where Jesus is found later grappling with scripture & the intricacies of Jewish law.  The journey to freedom in the psalm echoes Jeremiah's words as the desolate valley becomes a place of springs with pools of water. 

      Celebration is truly what Christmas is about, & I'm glad that the church calendar allows us 12 days to do so.  But why all this celebration?  Because one child was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago?  Well, yes, on one level, that's why we celebrate Jesus' birth.  But actually, we're reminded of the reason this birth is so important to us in our opening collect for the day which you'll find on the front page of your pew bulletin.  Let's look at it again:  "O God, who wonderfully created, & yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature:  Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; . . . ."

      We celebrate God's gift of Jesus the Son today because Jesus' creation & birth in the form of a human baby affirmed more than any other act could have done God's belief that God's creation so many centuries before—& especially that of human beings—was indeed "very good."  God cast the divine lot with humans unreservedly when God chose to make God's own child, part of Godself, human.  Jesus' birth, by a human mother, with a caring human father who adopted him as his own & reared him as a good Jew, was the capstone of God's creation. 

      However, even more, Jesus' life, death, & resurrection were the continuation of the story, & through Jesus' saving action of being crucified for us & being raised from the dead, humans were indeed given a dignity which they had not previously had.  At Christmas time, we celebrate the whole of the story of Jesus' saving grace.  The collect tells us why Jesus humbled himself to share our humanity.  Why is that?  So that we can share the divine life with him.  God made Jesus to live like us so that we can learn to live more like God.

      You might say to me, "Yeah, right!  I know very little about the divine life & I darn sure can't live it."  Well, we can all learn a lot about the divine life by observing the way Jesus lived his own life here on earth & working toward emulating Jesus' life.  That's the miracle of the gift of Jesus as a human.  And you're right that you can't live a divine life, at least not on your own steam.  Nor are you supposed to do so.  That's also why Jesus was born a human baby in a stable:  so, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can learn to be more like him. 

      You might ask how the heck that can happen.  Well, as is often true, I like to turn to the 2^nd lesson, the epistle, for answers to practical questions like that.  After all, an epistle is a letter to one or more of the early Christian churches, encouraging them along the way to be more faithful Christians.  We at Hope can learn much from observing the issues these first Christians grappled with & listening to the missionaries' answers.

      We see that the writer to the Ephesians starts by praising God who has given us the spiritual blessings we need to grow in love & faith.  God acted first, we are reminded, & chose us before the foundations of the world to adopt as children.  That adoption was accomplished through Jesus Christ who also had an adoptive father, & it was God's pleasure to adopt us.  Have you ever known a couple who have desperately wanted children & finally got to adopt one?  What joy they have in finally having a child in their family!  So much more must God's joy be to adopt us as children.  Don't you ever forget that!

      In the 2^nd part of the epistle reading, the writer encourages the Christian community by bragging on their reputation for faith in Jesus & love toward the rest of the community.  When I'm told what a great job I'm doing at something, I surely want to keep doing a good job.  Don't you?  Then we're told that the writer is praying for them to have the wisdom & revelation to come to know Jesus.  He prays that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened so that they might fulfill God's call to them as individuals & as a community. 

      What a wonderful phrase, that the "eyes of your heart" may be enlightened!  Much of what we learn is through what we see with our eyes, but for the eyes of our heart to be enlightened, our heart must be open to learn new things.  We at Hope must be open to new ways of being church if we are to grow & especially if we are to be attractive to younger seekers.  The kind of learning that the writer speaks of here anticipates that the learner act on what he or she learns.  If we are enlightened, we respond in faith by doing whatever we're called to do.  Is your heart open to be enlightened?  Are you ready to respond to God's call to behave in new ways, to learn how to participate in Jesus' divine life? 

      Whatever way God is calling you to stretch your faith at this Christmas season, don't let this opportunity go by to have your heart become more enlightened so that you may participate more fully in Christ's divine life.  Jesus came to free us all from our sins, to teach us by his humanness how to be more divine.  Don't miss the opportunity this year to grow in Christ's love & faith.  All of us at Hope can benefit from such enlightenment. Amen.