Wisdom
says: in extreme winter weather's hazardous driving conditions, cancel Sunday worship & encourage parishioners to worship at
home, saying Morning Prayer from our Book
of Common Prayer. Below is the sermon not preached today:
“How Will You Shine the
Light of God's Love in 2017?”
Homily
by The Rev. Marcia McRae
St.
Francis Episcopal Church, Goldsboro, NC, 8 Jan., 2017, Epiphany 1:
The Baptism of Our Lord
Year
A RCL:Isaiah 42:1-9' Psalm 29; Acts 10: 34-43; Matthew 3:13-17
Waters,
beginnings, God's spirit & God's approval flow through &
connect our scriptures today.
In
the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, the waters of baptism flow
over him. In
our Gospel, Matthew tells us
Jesus stands in solidarity with the people of Israel1
who are re-dedicating their lives to God. By his actions, Jesus shows
us public commitment to God, to what God calls us to do.2
Then
God's Spirit descends like a dove.
Remember
in Genesis:
The
dove offers a fresh olive leaf as a positive sign to Noah after
chaotic flood waters subside – a sign of peace as human life begins
anew.
Human
life begins anew as Christianity begins to spread. Waters of Baptism
flow over believers &, as
Acts tells us,
“everyone who believes in [Jesus] receives forgiveness of sins
through his name.”
Notice
what Peter emphasizes as he speaks in Acts:
This
means we Gentiles [you & I] can be part of God's holy people. How
do we share this Good News? How will you shine the Light of God's
Love in 2017?
As
members of God's family, we have work to do sharing the Good News of
Jesus & supporting each other as we grow in knowledge & as
God's grace continues the work which begins in the beginning of
Christianity.
It
is work we catch a glimpse of as we read in Isaiah about the
coastlands waiting for God's teaching. The
Jewish Study Bible
notes
“coastlands” refers to people far away4
– you & me.
God
has been reaching out to all people for a very long time.
Notice:
our Gospel tells us of Jesus' unique status5
when God's Spirit descends like a dove. God says clearly:
“This
is my Son, the Beloved...”
This
is a lived relationship with God. We
have a lived relationship with God. What
else does God say in this sentence?
“This
is my Son, the Beloved,
with
whom I am well pleased.”
How
does it feel when someone says something like this to you? “With
you I am well pleased! Great job!” “I admire how you handled
this.” “You are special to me.” When
I see a person hearing such words, I usually see a positive reaction
in the relationship.
In
this Epiphany season, we focus on God's reaching out to us Gentiles.
We
enter the world of beginnings.
Like the wise men who encounter the baby Jesus at Epiphany by
following the star, we may find it helpful to have a star to guide us
in 2017.
Thanks
to the artistic skill of 2 of our young people for creating these, we
have a star word for each of us! [I
appreciate your due diligence, girls! Good work!]
Let
the Holy Spirit guide you as you select your star, your special word
for 2017. [Unless weather
prevents us, we will have church next Sunday & you can discover
your star word!]
Some
of us post our star on a mirror, in our car, at the office, or use it
as a bookmark for reading the Daily Office in the Prayer Book.
We
place the star where it can easily remind us & teach us its
deeper meaning.
What
message does the Holy Spirit have for you in your star word for 2017?
How
will this star guide you into a deeper relationship with God &
a
fuller relationship with your Brothers & Sisters in Christ with
whom &
for whom you shine
the
Light of Christ & share God's Love?
Let
us pray: Loving
God, bless these stars to guide your holy people. Grant that your
children reading their special stars may receive insight & wisdom
in daily life & work for the increase of your love in this world.
We prayer in the name of Jesus, the Light of the World. Amen.6
Bibliography
Barclay,
William. The
Acts of the Apostlesk.
Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press. 1962.
Harper’s Bible
Commentary.
General Ed.: James. L. Mays. San Francisco: Harper & Row
Publishers, 1988.
Holy
Bible with the Apocrypha. New Revised
Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press. 1989.
http://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2012/01/blessing-of-epiphany-chalk.html
Accessed: 6 Jan. 2017.
Jewish Study Bible:
Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation.
New York: Oxford University Press. 2004.
The
New American Bible for Catholics.
South Bend: Greenlawn Press. 1986.
5
Ibid. Harper's.
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