Grow up

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10  • Psalm 71:1-6  • 1 Corinthians 13:1-13  • Luke 4:21-30

In the season of Epiphany, we have considered Jesus' baptism, his first miracle, and last week his first sermon. This week we get part II of his sermon in his home town of Nazareth. Epiphany celebrates the light come into the world in God's time. We have been studying the new ways to look at things, to grow as a church and as God's people, illuminated by God's love.

This week Jesus chose his home town to inaugurate his mission, pointedly, not just to the "home team," the Jews, but to the whole world. The poor will be fed, the blind will see, the captives will be set free, the oppressed freed, and God's Jubilee is thrown open to all. Why do you think Jesus said and did this in his home town? What was their reaction?

What do we expect from Jesus? What does he expect of us? What do  we expect of  ourselves? Read The Tev. Kirk Kubicek's "We Are His, The Rev. Danae Ashley's "Putting God's Expectations Above Our Own," and The Rt. Rev. Robert Wright's "Love is for Grownups," which ties in St. Paul's beautiful "love chapter" from 1st Corinthians with the message Jesus brings to us from Nazareth.

What are your hopes and expectations?

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10  • Psalm 19  • 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a  • Luke 4:14-21

In this age of immediacy, "reality shows," and the "in your face"  media and way of "communicating" today, is there anything left for our imaginations - for mystery, and hopeful expectancy?

This third week of the Epiphany season, Jesus takes us into an exciting new enlightenment between tradition and revelation, as the Word made flesh launches his mission in his home town of Nazareth. Jesus came filled with the Holy Spirit, and had gained fame and praise throughout the surrounding country. He unrolled the scroll, stood and read from the prophet Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." What powerful, inspiring words to a poor, oppressed, occupied people! As he sat to teach, in the custom of rabbis, you probably could have heard a pin drop, as they waited with "all eyes fixed on him" in hopeful expectation of what their favorite son would have to say. And then something totally unexpected, something beyond awesome happened. Jesus said "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." What was the reaction of his fellow villagers? What were their expectations? What would our expectations have been. Now that we know the "rest of the story," what are our expectations for our church and our mission today?

 The Rev. Rick Morley in "eyes fixed," asks us what do we expect from our church experience, and for our church? "But, how many of us go to church really expecting the Spirit of God to actually show up? Do we expect news so good that it might shatter the despair of the poor? Do we expect release, recovery, and the ending of oppression?... Do we go to church looking to fulfill our own (oftentimes paltry, self-centered) expectations? Or, do we come ready and open to see God’s expectations manifest themselves before our very eyes?"

  Dr. W. Scott Dillard invites us to see who Jesus really is with wonderful anecdotes, acknowledging the heritage of tradition, while showing us the revelation of God, true God from true God, true light from true light in  "The Nature of Revelation: Jesus' Sermon at Nazareth.

Once we see Jesus as he really is, what should, or do we do with him? What happens when we trust who Jesus is? See The Rev. Danae Ashley's "Trusting Jesus."

There's something in the wine

Scripture: Isaiah 62:1-5  • Psalm 36:5-10  •  1 Corinthians 12:1-11  •  John 2:1-11

John says that Jesus did "many miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples." He also says that he doesn't include most of them in his gospel. The first "sign" was at a wedding at Cana in Galilee, about nine miles northwest of Jesus's hometown of Nazareth. To the embarrassment of the host, the wedding wine ran dry. With his mother Mary and his disciples present, Jesus filled six stone pots used by Jews for ritual washings with water (they had been empty), and then turned the water into wine. On this second Sunday of Epiphany, why do you suppose that we study Jesus performing his first miracle at Cana? See Dan Clendenin's "Turning Water Into Wine: God's Excess and Extravagance."

Jesus' miracles were performed and meant to have those who hear him, then and now to exercise faith in him. His signs, wonders, works and healings forced a decision one way or another: "Believe the miracles, that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father… Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." 

 With the first of his "many miraculous signs," Jesus revealed the character of an extravagantly generous God.

You are my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased

Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8:14-17; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

The second week of Epiphany we return to the baptism of the Lord - Luke's account in Year C. Luke treats us to the marvelous picture of the dove descending, and those beautiful words "This is my son in whom I am well pleased." What is happening here? See "God Believes in You" by the Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams.

I especially liked the following story from the Fred Craddock Stories about the man who lived ashamed and ostracized because of the status of his paternity: "One day, before I could escape, I felt a hand on my shoulder.  It was the minister.  He looked closely at my face.  I knew that he too was trying to guess who my father was. 'Well, boy, you are a child of. . .' and then he paused.  When he spoke again he said, 'Boy, you are a child of God.  I see a striking resemblance.'  Then he swatted me on the bottom and said, 'Now, you go on and claim your inheritance.'  I left church that day a different person," the now elderly man said.  "In fact, that was the beginning of my life." "What's your name?"  Dr. Craddock asked.
He answered, "Ben Hooper.  My name is Ben Hooper."  Dr. Craddock said he vaguely recalled from when he was a kid, his father talking about how the people of Tennessee had twice elected a fellow who had been born out of wedlock as the governor of their state.  His name was Ben Hooper.

How many times have you told your children, grandchildren, or for that matter, all God's children, "You are a child of God, whom he loves, claims, and in whom he is well pleased?"

The Rev. Karoline Lewis explores what baptism is. In, "Baptismal Epiphanies," among other things, she focuses on "the heavens opening," and sees the rediscovery of God breaking into our lives.

New Audacious Beginnings - Forces of Light & Darkness

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:7-14 or Sirach 24:1-12  • Psalm 147:12-20 or Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21  • Ephesians 1:3-14  • John 1:(1-9), 10-18

 

This second Sunday of Christmas, before the Epiphany, it is appropriate, as we begin a new year, to talk about new beginnings. And John, in his gospel, does just that. He tells us about a new Genesis in which the "Word" was in the beginning, was with God, and was God. In his first chapter, he also tells us that the "Word" became flesh and dwelt among us, and in him was life, and that life is the light of mankind.

 

After a year of increased violence, and a world where many have lost their homes and seek refuge - and life itself, it seems that the forces of darkness are overwhelming. They are certainly present.

 

And yet, John, and we, have a message to tell and live, that the forces of light will overcome the darkness. What is that message? How can we do that? See The Rev. David Lose's "On New Beginnings and Audacious Promises" and The Rev. Dr. Janet Hunt's take on the the new Star Wars movie, "The Force Awakens: The Light Shines in the Darkness."