February 4, 2007 Sermon
This page is offered for those unable to attend the service or who would like more time to study the message.
Epiphany 5 – C
February 4, 2007 Emmanuel, San Angelo
It was just two weeks ago that I stood in a cramped one room house which had been converted to a church, and preached on a hot Sunday afternoon to a crowd of men, women and children enthusiastically singing to the music of a poorly tuned but highly amplified youth praise group. Speaking through an interpreter I brought my greetings from the north country and marveled with them about how it is that we worship the same God in different styles, a different language and culture—and all inspired by the same Spirit; that has been since the foundation of the world. Folks there were quite impressed that Tom and I came from a church named Emmanuel - in itself was kind of prophetic: Emmanuel, God with us. The same God here is there, with us leading and guiding us. In good times and bad times, all times. These are people of limited means but great in their faith, and open to the workings of God.
The readings for today illustrate the importance of remaining open to God and looking for signs of God’s presence wherever we are. Three observations can be made from the readings:
First, God works in and through normal, every day people. While I have been gone these last few weeks my Bible Study has been in the book of Judges. There is a recurrent theme: God raising up a leader. Gideon was a foot soldier from a beleaguered tribe of Israelites. Here we read a bit of Jewish humor. That an angel of the Lord spoke to Gideon was one thing, but when that angel said, “The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior,” Gideon had to know he was joking. It almost sounds like the angel’s words to the Virgin Mary: “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you”. How ironic! Why would God favor someone like that?? Of course, Gideon did what any normal individual would do when faced with something that made no sense…he began to ask questions: How can this be? I am the least in my family? I am just a normal person! WHY God? HOW God? SHOW ME God!
In the other readings, likewise, God is shown to use normal people—Peter James, John, Paul. Paul Tillich is credited with saying, “How odd of God to choose the Jews,” but it is very accurate. God works in and through them all.
A second thing we can note here, is that God works in normal places. Not just in the pomp of a temple or grand cathedral…Gideon was working as a field hand. The fishermen were at their job on the lake. Paul was riding on horseback. God’s kingdom and presence is everywhere.
By contrast, a third observation is that, while God uses normal people, and comes to us in normal every day surroundings, the actions of the Almighty are anything but normal. One of the amazing things I find about doing missionary work is that, far from anything I do or bring to people in a foreign country, my eyes are forever being opened to the awareness that God uses the very ordinary to do extra-ordinary work.
As we read and reflect on these scriptures it is easy to feel that they have little to do with where we are today. No one that I know has ever seen a real, literal, angel. And no one in their right mind would simply walk away from job family and friends to follow a traveling preacher. We are much too advanced and educated to believe in talking angels or supernatural catches of fish…and yet if we are open to it I believe that God is most certainly experienced all around us here and now. This experience of the Divine is as individual as we are, yet in the most normal places, God’s presence can be felt. Gods comforting presence and Gods healing touch is seen in the work of our doctors and nurses. And in our times of distress, God is there. In our teachers, in parents raising kids in difficult times; caring for an elderly parent or spouse…all these, and many more, are places where our faith is tested daily, and yet we can draw strength from that One who is beyond us and yet with us. In so many ways, God says to us just as he did to Gideon, “Peace be to you, do not fear, you shall not die.” Or to the fishermen: You have worked all night and caught nothing? “Head out into the deep water and let down the nets…” In God is found our end, our reason for being, and in Christ is found true living here and now.
As we come to the Lord’s table we can see through the eyes of faith how God takes the ordinary—the bread and wine, our gifts, our prayers, our voices, and transforms them into the extra-ordinary. God operates with our normal, everyday lives and this is Good News. In Christ are we called to make this world a better place—to strive for justice, to be peacemakers, reconcilers and healers. Impossible, you say? Be open, and just see what God can do.
Copyright © 2003 Emmanuel Episcopal Church. All rights reserved.
Revised: 02/19/07