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Epiphany Sundays provides many possible directions for preaching.
If one looks at all the lectionary texts for Epiphany as a whole, the general
direction is clear. In God’s plan for redeeming creation, Gentiles are
in. Gentile Magi are among the first to worship Christ (Matthew 2). In the
Ephesians text the mystery of the gospel is meant for all people. In the Psalm,
all nations bow before the King (72:11). And in our text from Isaiah, all
people from near and far are drawn to the light.
The inclusiveness of the gospel is clear. Prejudices and exclusions
are inappropriate. While our prejudices and exclusions will not be against
Gentiles, people are people. Left on our own, we tend to be exclusive. Once
we’re in, we’re okay. The welcomed aren’t always the best
at welcoming. As we see from Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant
in Matthew 18, the graced aren’t always faithful in sharing that grace
with others. This text forces us to face any prejudice, smugness, superiority,
exclusion, or apathy that may be found in our own hearts, or in the hearts
of our hearers. It enables us to see the wideness in God’s mercy and
the universality of His call out of darkness and into light. It also compels
us to declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness, into His wonderful
light, praises for the God who preached peace to the Gentiles who were far
away from Him, and peace to the Jews who were near (Ephesians 2:17).
Everyone needs a place to belong. Loners make us nervous, usually
with good reason. Athletes, musicians, skateboarders, intellectuals, computer
nerds, and drama folks—they have a way of finding each other. One of
the complaints about any given group comes when the group has an air of superiority
or exclusivity. While we don’t like it, we expect it to happen in secular
circles. But in a Church that is supposed to be revealing the manifest wisdom
of God we are reminded that exclusivity and superiority don’t belong.
The Good News that was shared with us and that we are called to share with
others (Matthew 28:18-20) is that in God’s plan we are included. Jew
and Gentile, male and female, slave and free—we are made One in Christ
(Galatians 3:28). The human need is for a place to belong, for those living
in the dark to be introduced to the light, for outsiders to be included and
insiders to be welcoming.
The Church. Here again we have an opportunity to elevate our
ecclesiology. God’s answer is for the insiders to welcome the outsiders,
breaking down dividing walls of hostility, whatever form they take. The Light
of the World calls us to rise and shine, to be salt and light, to announce
the good news of salvation that is for all who would believe. This is true
to the pattern we find throughout Scripture. Abraham wasn’t blessed
just so he could be blessed, but so he could in turn become a blessing to
the nations. So it is with the Church. We are not drawn out of darkness for
our own sake. We are drawn out of darkness so we might be used to share the
light with others. This is the message of Epiphany. We are to reveal God.
The appropriate response of the Church is to rise and shine.
Let our light so shine before others that they may glorify our God. Include
the excluded. Welcome the outsiders. Proclaim through our words and actions
the inclusiveness of the gospel. When the Church is most effective at reflecting
the heart of God for all nations, people are drawn to that light. We all know
people who have been turned off of God because they’ve been turned off
by the Church. But we (hopefully!) all know people who have been turned onto
God because of how the Church has faithfully reflected the heart of God. When
the Church is the Church, blessing as we’ve been blessed, welcoming
as we’ve been welcomed, extending the grace we have received, the world
is drawn to Christ who is the Light of the World. As the Church embraces the
call to rise and shine, it will be no surprise when others are interested
in coming to see the source of the light we reflect.
(For the full manuscript
of this sermon go to www.preachersmagazine.org and click on “Sermons.”)
One of the challenges we preachers face is regularly finding
analogies, parables, or vehicles big enough to carry the weight of the Word.
This is not just about novelty, but about finding a vehicle in sermon design
big enough to carry the message to the hearts of the hearers in a way that
is memorable, meaningful, and true to the text. For this sermon the Spirit
gave me an extended parable that incorporated the movement and meaning of
the text in a contemporary analogy. The message of Isaiah remained the same,
but was packaged in a form appropriate for a contemporary hearing of Isaiah’s
timeless words to “rise and shine.” Rise and Shine is the name
of Bob Evans’ most popular breakfast. (A complete description of the
meal can be found on their web site.) This sermon took the form of a breakfast
conversation with the prophet whose modern message was contained in this parable
on a plate—the call for us to rise and shine in response to the glory
of the Lord that has risen upon us, compelling us to be lights who share the
Good News with those who are in darkness.
Communion Idea: In this sermon I use the phrase “parable on a plate.” If Bob Evans’ Rise and Shine breakfast can help us remember what we are called to be about, how much more does the plate at the Lord’s Table remind us of the work of God that causes us to be who we are? The hope for this sermon is the same as the hope implicit in the sacrament—that it will remind us, help us to remember. Today we want to receive not only a once-a-year Epiphany reminder, but a more frequently experienced reminder of the death and resurrection of Christ and the grace extended to us at His table, empowering us to rise and shine.