2 Epiphany/Year A

January 15, 2023

Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-12; John 1:29-42

Prayer: Holy God, you sent your son to be the light of the world, so that all may know the brightness of your love. Fill us with grace this day that we too may bear witness to his light and serve your coming reign. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen (Feasting on the Word: Worship Companion)

We celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany just nine days ago, on January 6th…On this day, every year, we read the familiar scriptures that take us on a journey with the wise men following a star that leads them to the Christ child, Jesus, and his family… a journey that enabled them to be among some of the first witnesses to the light of the holy child that was born, an encounter that changed them, transformed them, and sent them home by another way…

As we begin this season in the church year, that follows after the Epiphany, I want to invite you to look up at one of the stars above you (that the Sunday school kids created for the family Christmas pageant this year) when we are gathered here in the church, pause for a moment, and be reminded of the wise men’s journey to the Christ child, Jesus, as they followed the star that led them to finding the One, they were looking for…

And my hope for all of us, as we move through this season after the Epiphany, is that we, too will be changed anew and transformed anew by the light of Christ revealed to us in the scriptures, the prayers, in the music, in the company and fellowship with one another, these next several weeks…and that we too will discover new ways, along the way, to bear witness to this light of Christ, to follow Jesus, in the coming year…

The gospel readings throughout the next several weeks will point us towards getting a clearer picture of who this Jesus is, revealing more about who Jesus is, inviting us to “come and see” for ourselves, in our own lives, and through the witness of others, that indeed Jesus is the One who we’ve been longing for, hoping for, looking for…

On the 1st Sunday after Epiphany – last Sunday – we celebrated the Baptism of our Lord…in which the Spirit of God descending like a dove, alighted on Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Today, on this 2nd Sunday after Epiphany, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”…and later on, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples, when Jesus walked by and exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

Next week, On the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, we will hear about Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, being called by Jesus to come and follow him…and how they immediately leave their nets to follow him…

On the 4th Sunday after Epiphany, we will listen to Jesus’ words to the crowds that were gathering all around him, as he spoke and taught them, what is commonly referred to as the beatitudes…the opening words from his Sermon on the Mount…

On the 5th Sunday after Epiphany – Jesus’ teachings continue to reveal his wisdom and divinity as he speaks about coming “not to abolish the law or the prophets…but to fulfill them”.

On the 6th Sunday after Epiphany – Jesus spends time teaching and breathing new life into the commandments… as they were understood in ancient times…

And then, finally, on the last Sunday after the Epiphany, we hear about Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountaintop, and circle back around to the beginning of the Epiphany season, by ending with the same words, that we began with on the 1st Sunday after Epiphany, at the time of Jesus’ Baptism: “from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased”…

As we move through this season after Epiphany, I pray that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds anew with awe and wonder to all the possibilities of discovering that yes, Jesus, is the One…Jesus is the One who is the light of the world, the hope of the world…Jesus is the One who invites each one of us…to follow him…walking as a Child of the Light…bearing witness to his love, light, hope, peace and joy…wherever our feet take us throughout the day…

In a world where so many people are grieving, struggling, living with chronic pain, worrying, not sure where their next meal will come from, or how they will pay rent this month… and in a world, where so many peoples’ worth and dignity are still brushed aside, and discriminated against, and oppressed and turned away at every corner….In a world where a deep sadness seems to blanket the everyday lives of so many of God’s beloved children…We are called to share Christ’s light in all the ways we can, with all the people we can, in all the places we possibly can….

By our baptisms, we are called to testify to the light…to share the light and love of God, revealed to us in Jesus….

At the time of our baptisms, a small candle lit from the paschal candle, is given to the newly baptized child…the light of Christ…

Every one of us, have the light of God within us…inviting us to share it with the world around us….

To shine our little light is to be the presence of Christ in the world today.

(Face to the Rising Sun: Reflections on Spirituals and Justice, The Rev Mark Bozzuti-Jones)

Hymn after the sermon: This Little light of Mine

This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine…(x3)

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine…

This Little Light Of Mine (Jazz Ensemble)

https://youtu.be/8kYFIji1KNQ

(Rev Julie Platson, St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church)