Unpreached

Epiphany 5 - Feb 9, 2014 unpreached

Text: Matthew 5:13-20. You are the salt of the earth

Just a few weeks away is our “giving up for Lent” custom. Some of us, at least speaking for myself, have such a habit for Epiphany also. My habit for long years has been to look for an epiphany in every Sunday's lectionary readings. And my Epiphany Season hymn of choice is "Open my eyes that I may see" * and

for years my Epiphany prayer has been open my eyes to see God’s hand at work in the world about me, keeping eyes and ears open for the joyful or obnoxious presence of God in light shining down from “heaven” to speak to me in some way, ready or not. With self-conscious hesitation, I’ve shared my eccentric, quirky "call story" with you before, and will not repeat the details today nor again anytime soon, that in a time of personal and emotional crisis, the year after I was first ordained and most unhappy in my first church assignment, I tried all kinds of things to give God a chance to speak to me, and of course as many of you know, God did speak to me and here I am. But in that time of uncomprehending unhappiness I was doing dumb stuff --

closing my eyes and opening my Bible and putting my finger on a verse to let God speak, it never worked.
turning on my car radio and listening to see if God would speak to me in the words of a song or a radio announcer --

but God was too subtle for that. It turned out that my very unhappiness was itself the word of the Lord, God speaking, the voice and presence of God forcing me out of my “comfort zone” into a different direction for my life. If not a detailed plan, God at least surely had hopes and dreams for me. My dissatisfaction and anger, my unhappiness, my puzzlement about what was going on in my life was itself the voice and word and presence of God. I tell you these things this morning, not to titillate you about my life, but to stir in you the epiphany -- that God may be chasing you as capriciously as God tormented me and Job. And why would God be capricious about it? Because otherwise I would not listen, just as you will not listen.

I witness to you this morning that God has been, and is, real and alive, present and active in my life.

I also know, and can and do confess, that life can have long experiences of the silence of God, the absence of God. Times of nothingness in response to prayer, times of near despair when I have wondered whether I had been mistaken, illusioned about God those other times. I have found, with Moses and the prophets, that God has God’s own agenda, and God’s unhurried schedule and timeframe and matrix for life and creation -- and that none of it depends on me; but that I am welcome to participate in God’s plan of salvation and God’s loving purpose in the world. “Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us” says one of our Eucharistic Prayers, a wonderful prayer for Epiphany, and that prayer for me is a gateway into the life that in faith I believe is God’s love for me.

Unlike many Christians, I do not believe that God has a plan for my life, but I do believe that God has had, and still does have, hopes and dreams for my life, including life in God’s service; and that my Free Will ever since Adam chose disobedience in the Garden, is to choose to participate in God’s work in God’s creation, among God’s creatures.

Or I can choose to be selfish.

I believe too, with the challenge of this morning’s Gospel, that I -- you, we -- we are called to be God’s salt and light in the world, that those around us may see and enjoy the love of God because of us. And we are salt and light. In this parish alone the outreach ministries are astonishing for the relatively small size of our congregation --

Our support of Holy Nativity School and encouragement of Holy Nativity students to be active ministers for Christ,
a Backpack Ministry that feeds nearly a hundred poor and hungry children every weekend,
our folks who prepare, cook and serve Supper at Grace to families and individuals, some of them who live out in the woods, who otherwise would not have a hot meal this week,
a Food Bank that helps supply groceries to rescue missions and other charities and works of God in our community --

and not only powerful outreach ministries, but right here within our parish we are bright and salty, with fun and enjoyable ministries for members of our congregation -- a new one being Wednesdays at Holy Nativity,

quick noontime Communion followed with Bible study and a delicious free lunch, an hour and fifteen minutes of fun the middle of every week.
And then our super event of the week on Wednesday evenings, with incredible music, and everybody hashing over the Sunday Gospel for a few minutes, then the children gather round the Altar with the priest for an enthusiastic if not raucous and rowdy celebration of Holy Communion -- then everybody comes into Battin Hall for delicious supper. If you haven’t come yet I’m sorry, because you’re missing what is for me coming to be our main and most fun parish event of the week. Spicy Wednesday, salt and light into the night.

I started out saying that Epiphany Season is my time to look around for God’s hand at work in the world about me. It’s not too late, you can open your eyes too: God is alive and well in my life, and I promise you, for all that God is to me, God wants to be even more for you. And wants you to be more and more and more, salt and light in the lives of others.

The Gospel of the Lord.

* 1. Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

2. Open my ears, that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear;
and while the wavenotes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!

3. Open my mouth, and let me bear
gladly the warm truth everywhere;
open my heart and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Clara Scott, 19th century Christian