Year C 5th Epiphany 2025 Call

 Year C 5th Sunday after Epiphany, 9 February 2025

St James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Call”

Collect:

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory."

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!"

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out." Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!"

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you--unless you have come to believe in vain.

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them--though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Epiphany blessings, friends! Our enlightenment continues!

Over the last few Sundays I inadvertently started a sermon series. In the normal course of preparation I read the lectionary readings for the day, and let them set while I ponder them. Then I read them again, then let them set. I ponder the thread that goes through all the readings, if there is one apparent. The last two weeks there were common threads.

Two weeks ago was Unity, looking at things being “all in one accord,” and the horrible joke that went with that. For us to be at work with God we must be unified to make a real and true difference in peoples’ lives. The world sees enough division and heartbreak.

Last week we looked at being Dedicated. And our need to go “all in” to accomplish things. We need to decide and commit, and that opens doors for us that we may not have even comprehended before.

And this week we are looking at Call. Yesterday I met with many from around the diocese for the Vocations Retreat. Committees on the Diaconate and Priesthood along with those involved in Vocations gathered to pray and discuss the processes that make up the path from what we are looking at today, Call, to the ordination to Orders.

The Call stories of Scripture are some of my favorites, because we repeatedly hear of God breaking in on folks in the ordinary, day-in, day-out routines. It rarely happens in Church/the Temple, but for Isaiah it did. It often happens when we least expect it.

But that is the way God works. Before we get started on what to look for, I want to bring up a foundational belief. God is calling to us all the time, yes, YOU, and YOU, and YOU, and YOU! Each and every one of us. We all are loved. That’s it.

But, Rock, that is not a call, is it? Yes, I believe it is. It is a call away from what is being ground into our hearts and minds by the world each and every day. That we are not enough. That we are not worthy. That we are irredeemable. That we have to look out for ourselves because nobody else will.

God is good and loves us is a call to a different way of thinking and being. We start there. That is a general call that comes to everyone made in God’s image, that imago dei, which according to Genesis is every daughter of Eve and son of Adam. And for the love of God, we are called to relationship with God and one another. That is the body of Christ, each and every one of us making up our part.

And that foundational general call is what guides us to our specific call, our special piece of the puzzle that only you can do. That is what we are going to be looking at the rest of this morning, what our call is and how we can be clear.

When I lead the discernment retreats for the diocese, I talk about that. Clarity. Not that we have 100%, we never will on this side of heaven. But I remind those on the retreat that God is not a God of confusion. A sense of peace and calm comes with God’s call. If the waters are murky, wait and be still. All will be made clear, just not on our demand.

When we hear the call of God I think there are at least three characteristics that come through. The first is a sense of the Holy. It comes with a feeling above the normal to a place of holiness. I remind you, Holy literally means to be “set apart.” Like the china you bring out for special occasions, it is not the norm. You have set it apart and it is special. When we hear the call of God, we have a sense that this is something special, and even more, that WE are something special. We might have thoughts, “I was made for this.” or “This is who I really am.”

When we hear God’s call to do something above and beyond for a season or a lifetime, that aura of holiness surrounds it and brings it to our heightened attention. 

The second part of it, I have found, is a sense of urgency. Urgency on our part to respond, and a sense of urgency that God wants this to happen and God wants it to happen RIGHT NOW. In our Gospel reading this morning, it says of Peter, and then James and John, that they dropped their old lifestyles of being fishermen and took on Jesus’ new call of them to “catch people.” They do so without hesitation. In Mark’s call stories of them, it says “and immediately they dropped their nets.”

When we hear those calls, we are ready. Now, we might question the call and be hesitant because everyone is surprised when God taps them on the shoulder to come and follow. Peter warns Jesus off, “I am a sinful man!” He is unworthy of the call. 

He’s right. And so is everyone else who made that excuse. Moses, Isaiah, Mary, Peter, me. I remember thinking that when I was on my discernment retreat so many years ago. The unworthiness dripped off of me, like gunk off dirty hands. But then God said, “I picked you. Just as you are.” God’s love and choice of us is what equips us. God does not call the Equipped, God equips the Called.

And when we hear that call it feels like it must happen RIGHT NOW. You may have heard me say it before. When Harry Met Sally is one of my favorite movies because it speaks so clearly to the hopes of the human heart. When Harry figures out that he really loves Sally, he runs to her. He must tell her IMMEDIATELY. She blows it off, and then this movie speaks a truth about the human condition. “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” And the same is true of the call of God, “When you know what you want to do with the rest of your life, you want the rest of your life to start right now!” 

Immediately. Right Now. The funny thing about that is that it may seem like God is calling right now, the disciple probably told it that way and hence the Gospel writers, too. But if we look back, God has been at work for years, maybe decades, for us to have that feeling and thought that it was immediate. There is a phrase from our Buddhist siblings, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” The funny thing is often the teacher has been there all along, we are just finally seeing them there.

The call of God is so often the exact same way. We are just finally seeing it. I remember when as a teen I told my mom that I wanted to be a pastor, and I thought it was a big deal and would be news to her. She smiled, and said, “Of course you are, it’s all you have talked about for years.” What I took as all of a sudden and immediate God had been working on all my life.

And that fits in with the third thing I wanted to say about the call of God. There is a sense of the Holy, and there is an urgency of immediacy. The third thing that comes about is that it is Enlightening, we are overwhelmed with God’s glory. 

Peter had his haul of fish after working hard all night. Paul had his blinding enlightenment on the road to Damascus. Isaiah is probably the most clear, there in the Temple, with God’s glory filling the Temple. And Isaiah’s sin is purged and he is able to respond, “Here I am, send me!”

When we hear the Call of God we are given a moment where we see so clearly, and we hear God’s voice, and we are given a vision of what could be. It shakes us out of our complacency and puts us on a mountaintop where we can see the promises that God is making as if they have already come to pass. What a gift! If the Holiness were not enough, if the urgency were not enough, the Glory is wondrous.

That specific call, that feeling of “I was born for this.” and “This is who I really am.” is something any of us can see and feel, if we are open to God working in our lives and we are ready when the call comes.

Think of paramedics and the military. They train and prepare for whatever the call may be and whenever it might come. They have to have their lives prepared in such a way that they can respond to the Call.

Our spiritual lives are no different. We have to do those daily disciplines of prayer and listening to God in God’s word and in silence. We gather with our siblings also seeking God’s call for fellowship, support, and encouragement. And we gain strength through our sacraments, finding those outward signs of our inner devotions.

Friends, if you have a heartbeat, God is not done with you yet. God’s love of you is the bedrock on which we stand, and God’s call of you for the part you play in the Kingdom is built off of that. Be ready. Be Hopeful. Say yes when it comes. Amen

Year C Candlemas 2025 Dedicated

 Year C Candlemas, 2 February 2025

St James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Dedicated”

Collect: Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Hebrews 2:14-18

Since God's children share flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Luke 2:22-40

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."

And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too."

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

When I was a kid I remember running across some things that I just set my mind to so that they would be accomplished. I just did. I remember hearing about a German exchange program in the local high school and thinking, “That would be cool.” And so from 5th grade when I heard about it to 9th grade when I applied, I tried to make myself the most eligible candidate I could be. Between grades and making German my foreign language, I set myself up to fulfill what I committed myself to doing.

I also have had things that were not so positive which caused me to dedicate myself. A friend in college shared my first name, my given name, Jeff. Jeff, however, was a senior many times over when I was a freshman. He would go on academic probation, or have to take a semester off, but he kept at it, hoping, one day, to graduate. He was already married and had a house. And I remember one of the advisors to the program where I met the other Jeff say out loud that I was just like him. The comment was not to me, but it was about me and I just happened to hear it. Now the other Jeff and I had a lot in common, and many similar interests. But that comment hurt, and I remember thinking in my head, “That will never be me. I will graduate and I will make that reality happen.” While Jeff had 5 plus years with no degree, I broke my back graduating in 3 ½ years from the University of Richmond. While that was not the reason I worked so hard,that comment stuck with me and motivated me to do my best.

For positive reasons or in response to something negative, we commit ourselves through those actions we repeat day in and day out. Our determination shows our dedication.

Dedicated. It is not a word we use a lot any more.

We live in a world designed to be obsolete. We have drive-thru food and disposable lifestyles. Even our existence, which was already fleeting, seems disposable.

I long for an age of craftsmen, of people who take a lifetime to do things right and good and true. This is such a rarity in the days we live in. One of the things I so appreciate about our former deacon, Harrison Higgins, is his ability to do what he did as a master craftsman, and has a legacy of amazing projects that he has done to show proof of his dedication to the craft.

Commitments are momentary it seems in our day and time, and this word we are looking at today, dedicated is arcane. So let’s look at the definition…

ded·i·cat·ed /ˈdedəˌkādəd/

adjective

(of a person) devoted to a task or purpose; having single-minded loyalty or integrity.

(of a thing) exclusively allocated to or intended for a particular service or purpose.

Today we see Jesus being dedicated in the Temple. The tradition in England was to call this day Candlemas. The tradition was to bring the candles made in the dark of winter to be blessed for use in the home for the coming year. It was a festival of lights which had ancient roots. Winter was lessening with the lengthening of days and the hope of Spring was in the air.

The first written records of this celebration date back to the 5th century. They narrate the journey Mary and Joseph made to the temple with the Infant Jesus. The Church created this celebration to replace pagan cults that placed light at the heart of their rituals. The Romans in fact held torchlit processions in February to purify the earth at the end of winter. It was also the month of the Lupercalia, a festival of purification held in Rome on 15 February to revive fertility by releasing vital forces. Syncretizing with the Roman holidays, Christians celebrated this purification ritual and presenting of Jesus as the firstborn son on this day, Candlemas, 40 days after Christmas.

Because this was seen as the end of winter and the return of the light to our days, it got tied in with the Groundhog and the like. Candlemas honors the end of winter and the return of light, so various proverbs link it to the weather, to the cold or the return of the sun. Here are two examples:

“If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another fight. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter won’t come again.”

Or, more likely you have heard, “If the Groundhog sees his shadow there will be 6 more weeks of winter.”

As we look today, though, may we see Jesus as this light because it is tucked firmly into our season of Epiphany.

So culturally we see our candles blessed and dedicated, but it honors the law abiding Joseph and Mary following the strictures of the Torah for her purification and Jesus’ presentation. The firstborn son was to be dedicated to God.

The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals, is mine.” Exodus 13:2

And they brought the required sacrifice for those that were poor, two young turtledoves or two young pigeons.

And speaking of those dedicated, today’s Gospel reading includes two that I wish that we knew so much more about. Simeon and Anna.

Simeon had dedicated his life to God, and for some wonderful reason, he had been given a word from God that he would see the Messiah with his own eyes before he died. He waited a long time and was nearing his last days, especially for then, but on this day he received this blessing. The Spirit’s promise became reality.

Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

"Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,

according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles

and for glory to your people Israel."

That may sound familiar. It is something that comes from one of our favorite liturgies, our Evening Prayer service which is a great way to close our working day.

In our Prayer Book it is called the Canticle of the Song of Simeon, and say it with me if you know it.

Lord, you now have set your servant free *

    to go in peace as you have promised;

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *

    whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

A Light to enlighten the nations, *

    and the glory of your people Israel.

We are blessed to be like Simeon, and proclaim in our enlightenment, in our Epiphany, that we “see” Jesus to be the Messiah, our Savior.

Simeon’s dedication to righteous living impacts still today, encouraging us to dedicate ourselves to God’s call.

We may quote Simeon, but one of the great and unsung heroes of mine in the New Testament is Anna, the 84 year old widow who lived in the Temple year round. She is called a prophet, and could have easily lived in the Temple for sixty years. If she was married around 13 to 18 and was married 7 years before becoming a widow, then that leaves 60 years since she was alone where she could have given a portion if not all of it to God.

She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

She shared what she knew. Like Simeon, she proclaimed that the redemption of Jerusalem had arrived. What a gift! Dedication paid off.

And the one who was dedicated by his parents, and celebrated by these devout souls Anna and Simeon, had dedicated himself long before.

In our Hebrews reading we see Jesus being so devoted and dedicated to US, that he fully committed. He was all in. He was dyed-in-the-wool human. Fully. Lovingly. Devotedly.

As the reading states:

…he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

He put on the flesh, he incarnated, so that he could experience all the good, the bad, the ugly, and the glorious aspects of being human. Talk about Dedication. It could not have been more full or complete.

And remember that. When you are being torn and tested. You had someone who lived so you could fully live. You had someone who was tempted and overcame it so you could, too. You had someone who did all this for you before you were born, so that you could be born again.

Today, listen closely as we come to Christ’s table, and we dedicate ourselves to God in Christ. 

Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Think on the words said, mean them in your heart. The world needs dedicated and devoted followers of Jesus so much. May God dedicate us more fully, each and every day. Amen

Year C 3rd Sunday after Epiphany 2025 All in One Accord

Year C 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, 26 January 2025

St James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“All in One Accord”

Collect: Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News

of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and

the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

All the people of Israel gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of

the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men

and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing

the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who

could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of

all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the

Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and

worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation.

They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the

people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of

the law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom

nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Luke 4:14-21

Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.

He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom.

He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it

was written:

"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."

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then

he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Good morning, friends. There are not many Sundays when I couldreally preach on any of our lectionary readings and deliver amessage I want to deliver passionately. Often there might be two,usually there is at least one. But this morning, our readings fit hand in glove with one another, and it fits where we are so well.

When people receive an organ transplant they are given anti-rejection

drugs, immunosuppressants. But those drugs not only suppress the

rejection of this new thing recognized as foreign in the body, but it

makes all other infections more likely as well. But we would have to be

in dire need to take that drug, because then we can live.

We are meant to be whole. We are meant to work in unison with all our

parts and pieces. While some get more attention, which is what St Paul

is alluding to in today’s I Corinthians reading, all are so necessary. We are

made to be a community where all that is needed is provided and all the

parts work together for the common good.

That is our Common Wealth, the strength and security of being as one.

That could be our family, our church, our nation, our world. The more

we work and provide for the common good the better we all are. It has

been proven over and over and over again.

In our Old Testament and Gospel readings we see two different ways

this can go.

In both readings we see that what brings people together is the reading

of God’s word.

You may not know the context of the Nehemiah reading. This is when

the people were sent home after the Babylonian Exile. They had been

invaded and captured, and the best and brightest had been taken off to

be the servants of the mighty Babylonian Empire. But after 70 years or

so, they were allowed to go home and worship in the Temple. But first

things first. Nehemiah, the governor, and Ezra the priest, called the

people to a solemn assembly and reminded this new generation who had

never been in their ancestral home who they were and where they came

from. So they read out loud the law of Moses. The Torah, the five books

of Moses, was the artifact that made them who they were. It was a

record of God’s creation of everything and particularly their nation,

their call and following of God, and instructions for a good life. This

document reminded everyone why they mattered and why they were

cared for.

This follows when Nehemiah called upon all the people to rebuild the

walls of Jerusalem and make it safe for everyone. He battled hard

opposition, but was just and continued doing what needed to be done.

He convinced those around him to be unified for all their sake and to

accomplish the important task at hand.

And in response, the nation came together to worship, remember,

celebrate, and rededicate themselves to the call of God on them as a

people. In today’s reading we see a snippet of this powerful story.

I have stood in Jerusalem and seen the work of their hands. I distinctly

remember seeing a glass floor in an underground shopping mall. Just

outside the Gap Store, yes, the Gap Store, there is this view of the

Nehemiah’s Wall just below one’s feet. This is not some story, this is

history. Our reading says the people were so overjoyed in hearing God’s

law that they wept. 

"This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or

weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of

the law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and

drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for

whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord;

and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Celebrate, friends, because you are beloved by God! “The Joy of the

Lord is your strength!”

The people came together out of need, rebuilding their wall. The people

really came together in their identity, including the men AND the

women (the passage says this directly all who could understand were

included!), and they rededicated themselves to what their ancestors long

before had promised. 

They were all in one accord, and those walls are still there to this day.

Jesus, in today’s Gospel reading, comes home. Word had gotten around

that this kid they knew for the last decades was making a name for

himself across Galilee. He was sitting in the synagogue there in town,

and is asked to do the reading and an accompanying talk, or sermon, or

homily on what he read. They wanted his 2 cents, and in a sentence he

gave it.

Now, just as an aside. When the people returned from the Babylonian

Exile, the synagogue structure was one of the things they brought home

with them. Not being allowed to worship in the Temple for 70 years, the

organized in groups of at least 10 men to form prayer and worship

circles. Instead of traveling across the country, every Sabbath God’s

people could congregate to worship and pray. I love that Luke says of

Jesus going to worship weekly, “as was his custom.” If Jesus felt the

need to be in a worshiping community weekly, what does that say to us?

So Jesus shows up and he quotes Isaiah here, and a tagline from

Leviticus. 

This is the passage he looks up…’

"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."

Remember now, to the people then, and to us now, Isaiah is a prophet.

And a prophet is not just a teller of the future, though that may be a

part of it. A prophet is one who speaks for God and delivers God’s

message. Often that is what is to come. Often that is a judgment against

sin. Sometimes it is hope-filled, after a time of faithful longing. 

And Jesus, when he reads to the friends and neighbors who watched

him grow up, says, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your

hearing."

Part of our Vestry meetings every month is starting with Bible Study so

that your leaders and I are in the right space to discuss the spiritual and

practical leadership to our parish. We use the Gospel lectionary reading

for the next Sunday, which is today’s Gospel.

Someone brought up what it would have been like to hear Jesus

proclaim the fulfillment of prophecy. Now the verse directly following

his one sentence sermon goes thus:

All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that

came from his mouth. They said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” (v. 22)

So they were nodding politely until someone said, “Hey, who does this

guy think he is!!!” And it escalates from there. And after some back and

forth, they decide he has gotten too big for his britches and take matters

in their own hands. Never be surprised by the idiocy of the mob…

When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with

rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to

the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that

they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the

midst of them and went on his way.

So in Nehemiah, the people were unified and dedicated themselves to

God. From Luke, the people who knew Jesus best were unified in

getting rid of him.

He quoted Scripture. He gave a message of inclusion and making sure

all were in on God’s goodness in the emerging Kingdom Jesus came to

bring about. The last on most peoples’ priority lists over the centuries

were first on Jesus’ list.

From this week’s headlines we see that things have not changed very

much. Tell people to put themselves first, and there are cheers. Remind

people to respect all and have mercy for the “least of these,” like Jesus

did in the synagogue, and people are vilified.

Friends, for us to be the people of God, we need to be unified. That is

the only way we can accomplish Christ’s work in this world. As Jesus

said, and Lincoln quoted, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

It is house in Matthew and kingdom in Mark. Either way, our only hope

is being with one another. Which reminds me…

What kind of car did the Disciples drive? A Honda. Because they were

all in one Accord. 

Dad joke? Really bad Bible joke? I will let you make the call. But it is still

true.

We need to all ride together or we will not make it where God would

have us go.

After all the press the Episcopal Church received this week I saw several

on social media say that they were atheists or agnostics, but they are also

Episcopalians, supposedly. If you are with us for the first time this week

because of that, welcome. We are honored that you are with us. I hope

you will join us in our coffee hour so we can speak. I really want to meet

you!

I work very hard to not be political, truly. Christ welcomes one and all.

After the election, I said, and had someone repeat to me last week,

“God is not an elephant and God is not a donkey.” I strive to preach

and teach God’s word and the Good News of Christ found in the

Gospel. 

Bishop Budde quoted our baptismal covenant about being a respecter

of all people and then the prophets about including the ones last one

the world’s lists. Asking for mercy for those without power is something

Jesus did. It is something we do and always should do.

The overwhelming vehemence and the overwhelming applause shows

me all the more, the Good News of God in Christ is needed still. And together, we can make a difference in Ashland, and Hanover, and

all the world. When the enemy works to divide us, God’s kingdom is

hurt. God has given us all we need to make this work do-able. Now it is

up to us to hang together, or we will certainly hang separately. Thank

you, Ben Franklin, by the way. Let us respond to Christ’s call:

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how

can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything

but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be

hid. (Matthew 5:13-14)

Amen.