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Epiphany 1, Year B
January 12, 2003
Christ Church, Covington
“See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now
declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them” (Is. 42:9).
Our Gospel reading this morning catches Jesus in an “epiphany”: in a
moment of manifestation and recognition at the very beginning of his
ministry. The manifestation is of the power and presence of God, as the
heavens are “torn apart” and the Spirit descends as a dove; the
recognition is of Jesus’ identity, as the voice is heard from heaven, “You
are my Son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Mk. 1:10-11). This
experience at baptism sets Jesus apart, and marks the beginning of his
ministry; from this point of recognition, life takes a different direction
of teaching, preaching, and healing that leads finally to death and
resurrection.
This is a story of call. The words spoken from heaven connect Jesus to an
earlier tradition; the tradition of the “servant of God” from the Prophet
Isaiah. Our first reading contains a bit from the first “servant song” in
Isaiah’s prophecy: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom
my soul delights” (Is. 42:1). This servant does the work of God, and
establishes justice: that is, the salvation of the People. Now, in this
moment of epiphany, and in the words so reminiscent of Isaiah, Jesus is
recognized as the servant, called and sent by YHWH to be “a light to the
nations”, “to open the eyes of the blind”, “to bring out the prisoners
from the dungeon”.
Jesus is called, and so are we. Baptism marks us as Christ’s own forever,
and makes us a People who are committed to following in his path. God
knows (literally, of course, since from him “no secrets are hid”) that we
stumble and fall along the way; that we take false paths and get lost deep
in the jungle of our own selves. We can even insist that we aren’t called;
that the word that God speaks must be addressed to some other person. But
we are called; and the One who has called us will not cease to do so no
matter how hard we try to stop our ears and avoid listening.
So how is God calling you? In all modesty, I must tell you I do not know.
It would be presumptuous of me to hazard a guess, without some deeper
conversation face to face. God is the One to whom all hearts are open and
all desires known, after all, who knows us better than we know ourselves.
But that’s not to say that there are not some pointers that we must bear
in mind as we go about responding to the call of God. The prophet Isaiah
suggests one which I repeated a moment ago, part of that ancient prophecy:
“See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth, I tell you of them”. One way of seeking the word
that God is speaking to you, of seeking the call of God for you, is to
seek the “new thing” that God is doing in your life. Where is the point of
transition? Where is the open door? Where is the new life that God wants
to give? I guarantee that these “new things” are going on in your life,
and that if you pay attention you may be astonished to hear God actually
speak in them.
This isn’t just true for individuals, but also for communities.
Communities, even communities of faith, are always in transition; the new
community that God is bringing into being is always taking shape around
us. God is always opening new doors, in new ministries, new programs, and
new relationships. The work just beginning across the street is just one
of those outward and visible signs, an actual “open door” that points
toward new beginnings. For us at Christ Church, being open to the new
thing that God is doing will always be challenging; but in this, we’re not
alone. Take heart; for in this, we can see God at work, calling us and
giving us a mission. “See, the former things have come to pass, and new
things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them”.
The Rev’d John Bauerschmidt is Rector of Christ Church, Covington.
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