Readings for Epiphany
4C
Jer. 1:4-10; Ps. 71; 1Cor.14:12b-20, Lk. 4:21-32
February 1, 2004
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
At this point in the Episcopal Liturgy, a sermon is preached. A sermon (which can also be referred to as a homily) is a religious discourse, delivered in public, usually given as part of a worship service. The purpose of the sermon is to help communicate the meaning of the Scriptures, to encourage discipleship and faithfulness, and to assist in converting the human heart from a place of fear to a place of love. Some sermons (like today's) are for teaching, while other sermons exhort or convert. But what should under gird all sermons, is the hope for transformation from fear to love, as taught to us by Jesus. The Holy Scriptures inform the preacher's sermon preparation. We just heard four readings from the Bible plus a collect. The Episcopal Church reads more of the Bible during its liturgy than any other denomination. I could have preached on any one of these biblical readings.
If you take a look at the “theme of today’s readings” you will notice that all of the readings have to do with how we use our tongue to glorify God. In the first reading from Jeremiah, a young man of 6th century BCE Palestine, is called by God, to speak to the political hierarchy of Judah. He is to use his tongue as a prophet. In those days, the kings of Judah were engaged in a dangerous political game of trying to appease both the Babylonian and Egyptian empires in order to preserve Judah's political sovereignty. Jeremiah publicly challenges their political decisions using theological arguments. Here was a prophet who clearly mixed religion and politics. If I were to give a homily about the life of Pastor Ward McCabe, this would be a good reading to use as an example of his life.
Psalm 71 is a psalm uttered by an old man, lamenting the lying charges of cruel enemies. In spite of his difficult predicament, he recounts with his mouth, God’s mighty acts and saving deeds in the midst of his trials. This would be a good reading to use if I were to speak about remaining faithful to God even when God seems absent.
The Gospel story begins with Jesus impressing his audience in the synagogue only to have them turn against him when he challenges them with difficult words. They become filled with rage and try to kill him. In his ministry, Jesus comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable. I try to follow his example in my preaching. After all, we are here to be transformed, not to be placated. However, there are many people who do not want to be challenged. Some people will only attend a church where the preacher agrees with their point of view. While no one has to agree with the words of a preacher, the purpose of preaching is transformation. Transformation does not happen without change and change does not happen without discomfort and pain. The next time you are irked by a sermon, think about what irks you. What pushed your buttons? How might God be calling you to change your perspective? If you think that the preacher is just plain wrong, then give the preacher some feedback. Dialogue is encouraged in the Episcopal Church! Usually, sermons about war, peace, economics, sex, and political life illicit the strongest reactions. Because sermons should address the issues of our everyday life, a preacher who stays away from these issues, is not being faithful to the Christian tradition of striving for peace and justice and respecting the dignity of every human being.
Finally, the epistle reading from Paul's letter to the Corinthians, speaks about using one's tongue in corporate worship. The congregation in Corinth, Greece was having a lot of difficulties during the worship service. Some of the people had the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, and spoke this different language during the worship service. If you have ever been to a service where speaking in tongues is going on, you know that it is almost impossible to understand what people are saying. In Corinth, those who could not speak in tongues, became irritated and felt left out. Paul advises the people to focus on speaking the native language in corporate worship so that everyone is included. At St. Jude's, we have only a few people who speak in tongues and they have never done so during the Sunday morning service. So, I probably wouldn't use this reading to admonish our congregation. However, this reading does give us insight into the various ways people worship God.
It is this worshipping of God that is the topic of today’s sermon. Worship is an occasion of encounter with the Living God. Worship can be expressed privately or corporately. Each Sunday, we gather together as a community to corporately express adoration, praise, and thanksgiving to God in response to God's activity in our lives and in the world. Our Sunday worship reminds us of who we are, to whom we belong, and where we are headed. But worshipping God is far greater than gathering together for an hour on Sunday morning. Worshipping God needs to be an ongoing activity. Worship is having a relationship with God. Worship is enjoying the presence and power of God in our daily lives.
We were created by God and for God. Once we truly understand this, then life takes on more meaning. What on earth are we here for? We are here to enjoy God’s presence and God’s creation. But without an intimate relationship with God, it is difficult to experience God’s presence or to worship God. The word worship comes from the word “worthy.” The object of worship is something that is worthy. What is “worthy” in your life? For some, money, power, family, or a job, is the most worthy thing in life. To determine what is worthy in your life, look at your calendar and your check book. For Christians, God is the center of all worth, and is the only appropriate object of worship. Worshipping anything else, is idolatry, which can never give true meaning in life. I think the emptiness that many people feel in life is caused by worshipping idols, rather than God. The first and great commandment is this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
At the core of true worship, is a loving relationship with God. God is not simply an idea. God is a person - not a human person, but a divine person; a loving entity that communicates, inspires, and makes us whole. An intimate relationship with God is characterized by surrender, trust, obedience, and communication. If you choose not to surrender to God, then you are surrendering to chaos.
Too often, Episcopalians seek an experience of God rather than seeking God. Seeking an experience has to do with feelings while seeking God, has to do with substance. Enjoying God is like falling in love with a person. When you first fall in love, all you can think about is the other person. Of course you continue to work, eat, and play. But throughout the day, your thoughts, feelings, and passions extend to your beloved. You schedule your time and energy to include the other person’s presence. This is what it is like falling in love with God (i.e. worship). It includes practicing the presence of God throughout the day. We don’t have to “get away” from our daily routine in order to worship God. Instead, we turn the menial tasks of cooking, washing dishes, and mowing the lawn into acts of praise and thanksgiving to God. The key to friendship with God is not changing what you do, but changing your attitude toward God. When you begin doing for God what you normally do for yourself, (such as bathing, working, relaxing), then you are worshipping God throughout the day.
So worship is something we can do 24/7. Corporate worship however, is a little bit more formal. Each Sunday, we choose to come together corporately, to worship God using the tradition of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. This ritualized worship is called “liturgy”. Our liturgy can seem strange to the newcomer which is the reason why we are having this instructed Eucharist. Let me conclude by saying a few things about the Episcopal Liturgy:
Finally I want to say, that all churches vary in their worship style. Different styles appeal to different folks. All are pleasing to God if they are done with authenticity and love. So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And if you do not feel close to God, guess who has moved?
| Updated 2/1/04 |
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