Inaugural Address

 Third Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

Luke 4.14-21

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook page (beginning at 25:15)

 

As we continue our journey through the season after the Epiphany, we continue to explore various ways in which Jesus is revealed as the Messiah. Up until now, we have heard the iconic stories of Epiphany, which give us a broad brush look at who Jesus is. In the visit of the Magi, we are shown that Jesus is the Messiah for all people, Jews and Gentiles alike. In the baptism of Jesus, we are shown that Jesus is in solidarity with us, no matter who we are, no matter what we have done, no matter what we might experience in our lives. And in the changing of water into wine at the wedding at Cana, we are shown that Jesus’ ministry is one of extravagance: the extravagance of his love, the extravagance of his grace, and the extravagance of his compassion. Today we move from the 30,000-foot view to ground level. We move to the practical day-to-day implications of Jesus’ public ministry. We begin to get a clearer idea of just how he will live into this role as an extravagant Messiah who is in solidarity with all people.

 

What we hear today is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry as portrayed in Luke’s Gospel—a very different start to ministry than the one we heard last week in John’s Gospel. Following his baptism in the Jordan River, in which he hears God’s commission: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Lk 3.22b), Jesus is whisked away to the wilderness, where he spends forty days being tempted and tested. A time for Jesus to figure out just what it means to be God’s Beloved and how that will influence and be manifested in his life and ministry moving forward. In what we heard today, Jesus has returned from this time in the wilderness ready to begin his public ministry. In fact, he has already begun. He had already been teaching in synagogues as he made his way to his hometown of Nazareth. This was the “soft opening” of his ministry, if you will.

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I'll Drink to That

Second Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C)

John 2.1-11

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook page (beginning at 21:10)

 

As we have discussed over the last several week, as we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany and then moved into Epiphanytide (the season after Epiphany) this is a time of intentionally looking at the various ways in which Jesus is revealed to the Gentiles. The most common manifestation is the visit of the Magi, which we celebrate on the Feast of the Epiphany. But there are two other stories that are equally significant as images of the Epiphany: the baptism of Jesus, which we celebrated last week, and Jesus’ first miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding at Cana, which we heard in today’s Gospel reading. While we generally commemorate both the visit of the Magi and the baptism of Jesus every year, in two out of every three years we do not hear about the changing of water into wine. Which is sad. Not just because it is a fun story. But also, because it somehow implies this story is not as important as the others in revealing who Jesus is.

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Fire and the Waters of Baptism

First Sunday after the Epiphany – Baptism of Our Lord 

(Year C)

Isaiah 43.1-7; Luke 3.15-17, 21-22

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook page (beginning at 19:35)

 

Thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

      and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.

 

These words from our Old Testament reading from the Prophet Isaiah, first spoken in the mid sixth century BC, transcend time: extending from long before they were spoken, back to the time of the Exodus, forward to the Babylonian Exile, to the time of Jesus, to where we find ourselves today. They similarly transcend space, extending from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea, to the Promised Land, to Babylon, to the Jordan River, to Southern California. They encompass a multitude of peoples from the Hebrews seeking liberation from slavery, to Jews both in exile in Babylon and those remaining in Israel, to those coming to the wilderness to be baptized in the Jordan River, to the people of a variety of faith traditions who call Los Angeles home. Speaking words of comfort and assurance, of hope and promise, to Jews and Christians alike, and even to those who believe in other deities or no deity at all.

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Guide Us to Thy Perfect Light

Epiphany

Matthew 2.1-12

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook page (beginning at 25:00)

 

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. “Epiphany” meaning “showing forth,” “revealing,” “manifestation.” This feast day is dedicated to celebrating the revealing or manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles—to non-Jews, to all of us. While we commonly think of Epiphany as the arrival of the Magi following Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem, it is technically a commemoration of three different ways in which Jesus is revealed to the Gentiles: the coming of the Magi, Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, and Jesus performing his first miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding at Cana. In our liturgical readings, we don’t always hear all three of these “epiphanies.” But this is one of those years when, over the next few weeks, we do hear all three of these stories.

 

While those other “epiphanies” are important to the overall revelation of Christ to the Gentiles, we do routinely emphasize the coming of the Magi this time of year, either at the tail end of the Christmas season or in a separate celebration of Epiphany, such as we are doing today. Likely because its theme connects so closely with the birth of Jesus we have just celebrated at Christmas. To the point that the Wise Men are commonly incorporated into the birth narrative, at least in Christmas Eve pageants and images on Christmas cards and the like. But the arrival of the Magi is not a Christmas story. It is its own thing, with its own special meaning.

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