Homily for 1st Sunday of Epiphany, The Baptism of the Lord

My brothers & sisters let us be refreshed in our commitment to follow Christ. 

In our reading from Isaiah we hear that “your Creator has redeemed you!”  You are precious and be loved in the sight of God.  The prophet address the people in the voice of God: you are created by God and should not fear for the future.  God will come through for you.  The prophet uses many symbols of danger (“waters ... rivers ... fire, etc.) to dramatize the point that God will be with them in any circumstance.  God’s people are precious to Him. 

In our reading from Acts, we see Jesus’ disciples reaching out to the non-Jewish world.  Prior to this story Philip has traveled from Jerusalem and found a willing audience.  He was part of the first group of Deacons chosen by the Church.  When persecution became strong in Jerusalem, he traveled to Samaria to preach the good news there: the first known evangelism outside Jewish areas.  Now the apostles send Peter and John to Samaria.  Usually in Acts, converts receive the Holy Spirit at baptism (or even before it) but here they receive it sometime after being baptized, and only when the two apostles, representatives of the mother church, come. 

Our Gospel story, Jesus is baptized and recognized as “the one.”  John recognizes him and God miraculously gives his blessing on Jesus’ future ministry.  John uses lots of symbolic language but some is probably not all that familiar to us.  A “winnowing fork” is used to separate the wheat grains from the stalks.  First the harvested wheat plants are threshed, i.e., they are laid out on the ground and animals are walked over them so that the grain is separated from the stalks (chaff).  Then a fork, like a pitch fork is used to toss bunches of trampled stuff into the air.  The breeze then blows away the lighter stalks (chaff) and the grain falls back down.  Once the chaff is all removed the grain can be gathered.  It is clearly a symbol of separation and judgment.  What is good and valuable is kept and what is not is thrown out. 

One of many symbols in Jesus baptism is to show his solidarity with John’s proclamation; it is all part of God’s plan for salvation.  God shows himself to believers at the moment in an event beyond human language.  The author uses the imagery of the dove and booming voice from heaven to describe the experience to his audience.  It must have been a powerful and mystical moment. 

Today we commemorate the day Jesus was baptized, the traditional moment that his ministry began.  Traditionally, Jesus was seen as working in the trade of his father Joseph until he heard of John’s preaching and went to be baptized.  From that moment on we see the public (prophetic) Jesus taking up his mission.  It all begs the question: when did Jesus know who He really was?  One can reasonably assume that the human part of him grew as would any boy; gradually coming to know who he was.  Somehow he became fully aware of his unique relationship with the Father in heaven and the mission that was uniquely his. 

Certainly his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptizer was one of the high points of his personal journey.  Certainly at that moment, we just heard about in today's Gospel account, he was committing himself to the destiny that lay in front of him.  Today then is a perfect time for us to recommit ourselves to our mission or destiny, as Christians.  We will have just that chance when we renew our Baptismal Promises together. 

An Open Letter to People of Faith on Violence in Human Society

Dear Sisters and Brothers, who acknowledge our Creator,

I write this letter to continue and deepen the conversation about the tragic violence at Sandy Hook elementary school and the overall reality of violence in our society.  I am taking this opportunity to share stories and reflections from my decade of experience ministering in the South Central and East sides of Los Angeles.  Many of these are painful memories which I normally keep to myself but in our present reality I feel compelled to share them here.  I am remembering the funerals I have done for teenage gangsters and the hands of weeping mothers that I have held.  I am also remembering my fellow minister whom I visited in the hospital after he was savagely beaten in the very sanctuary were we led prayer and worship together.  I was just barely a mile outside the perimeter of violence when the riots of 1992 tour through the city.  And I vividly remember standing on the steps of the church praying with refugees, police and national guardsmen.  I also remember stepping out of my shower to be accosted by a man who had just broken into my home.

Like many, I am also remembering the victims of other mass murders, e.g.,: Columbine high school, the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building.  My memories go all the way back to the “Unabomber.”

I enter this conversation with a deep and long-standing commitment to addressing my spiritual tradition (Christianity) to our deepest human flaws.  Ancient Christianity reminds me that the source of evil and sin in our world is the human heart, i.e., the human condition; I am sure your traditions make a similar point (Mark 7:18-22).  It comes from fear, hatred, desperation and mental illness. 

There have been many practical efforts over the years which have contributed to the overall downward trend in violence in our communities (Federal Bureau of Investigation: Uniform Crime Reports).  We must draw inspiration from this as we continue with the unfinished work ahead of us; especially the rising trend of mass murders.  One very important change we must promote is the empowerment of law enforcement and the funding of mental health services.  It is vital that individuals who are mentally ill in a way that makes them dangerous to society are identified (incarcerated when necessary) and treated; before they get their hands on a gun or make a bomb. 

Crime and violence continue to be a plague in the inner cities and ghettos of our country.  I have been there and I have seen how it is driven by poverty and desperation.  But we know programs that work and I have personally seen their success.  We need to strongly promote a reinvigoration of efforts for: inner city economic development and the creation of meaningful jobs, neighborhood policing, genuinely equal educational opportunities for children in inner city schools, and gang diversion programs (I was chaplain for one of these).

I have been "there" and looked into “the eyes” of the beast of human violence.  I am personally tired of political posturing and glamorous superficial gestures at controlling violence which accomplish little or nothing.  I am committed to making a real difference across a broad spectrum of violence and throughout the depth of the human condition.  It is time for all of us who are people of faith to focus our prophetic voices on the source of violence and real long term solutions.  It is time to face the hard ugly truth and recommit to the hard work which our Creator has called us to do!

Thank you for taking the time to read my personal reflections. 

Your brother in faith

Victor Sarrazin

Homily for Epiphany 2013

My sisters & brothers, let us put Christ in the first place in our lives and keep all else in balance under his grace. 

Our first reading today we see Isaiah’s prophecy of the Epiphany story.  As familiar as it is, there are a few details that are worth noting.  Darius, King of Persia, has permitted the people of Israel to return to Jerusalem.  Isaiah is basically telling the people to enjoy this event as a blessing from God.  God is with them; their life in the city will reflect the presence and power and glory of God.

Most importantly for us today is the promise that many nations will seek the wisdom of God and come to pay homage to God in Jerusalem.  We see this in the symbolic language “thus the wealth of Arabia will come to the city.” 

One of the key elements of Matthew’s gospel is the demonstration that Jesus fulfills prophecies and is, undoubtedly, “the one.”  In the Gospel story we just heard, Matthew illustrates his point about Jesus by relating how stories of his birth fulfill the prophecies of the anticipated Messiah.

When Matthew states, In the time of King Herod, he sets a time for Jesus’ birth in or before the year 4 B. C. E.  We know this because The King Herod Matthew refers to (Herod the Great) died in 4 BC.  I spoke of this last week also. 

The Wise Men Matthew speaks of would have been members of a Persian caste of astrologers and interpreters of dreams.  Astrology was widely accepted then.  A star was commonly associated with each person, the way the star rose told the astrologers that a king had been born.  The book of Numbers 24:17-24 prophesies that “A . . .  a star shall come out of Jacob, a scepter shall rise out of Israel,” and that this ruler will conquer surrounding nations.  Once again, Matthew demonstrates that Jesus is the one who truly fulfils prophecy. 

As I mentioned one of the key points of this prophecy and fulfillment is that foreigners came to recognize God’s presence in Israel and travel there seeking God out.  The Gentiles are meant to receive the blessings of the messiah just as the Jewish people. 

In our second lesson today, Paul is talking about how he dedicated his entire life to this mission.  Paul sees the non-Jewish Christians, Gentiles, as equal in every way to the Jewish Christians.  Paul calls them co-heirs and co-members and copartners in Christ. 

This is a very important piece of our story today.  It’s not enough that we recognize that Jesus fulfills the prophecies of Isaiah and Numbers; we must also recognize that in him the prophecy about foreigners seeking God and worshiping God is fulfilled.  It was this awareness that led the early Christians to share the gospel with non-Jews.  Paul ran hard with this idea and gave his life to the mission. 

In our day and age we need to take to heart this call and remind ourselves that any prejudice is out of place in a Christian community.  We are not of higher status because of our color, language, education, citizenship or ethnic heritage.  It’s not about Republican or Democrat; it’s not about view points or perspectives, insider knowledge or anything else that makes us different from one another.  God has made us all in God’s image and holds a place at the table in heaven for each of us.  The early Jewish Christians were not elitists, and did not hold the gospel to themselves, neither can we.  It is our responsibility to lay out the welcome mat for all who seek Christ in an authentic way and wish to share in God’s Word and Sacraments with us.  In this way we put Christ first and keep all else in his graced balance.  It is in this way that we follow the example of our ancestors in faith. 

The Feast of St. Stephen: January 30, 2012

My sisters & brothers, Saint Stephen's ministry was about making sure no one fell through the cracks ‑ let us do the same! 

In our first lesson we see Jeremiah calling the nation back to God from its sinfulness.  The people who hear him react violently and he is brought into court for trial.  There he gives his defense by simply stating that he is doing God=s will.  If they kill him they will make matters worse by Abring innocent blood upon@ themselves.  Stephen is likewise, falsely accused and innocent of the charges brought against him. 

In our second lesson we heard the story of Stephen=s arrest, trial and murder.  His speech is really not a defense against the charges but an evangelical speech.  It is important to note that Stephen=s dying words are the same as Jesus himself.  Luke is making an unmistakable parallel between Christ and the martyrdom of Stephen.  Stephen is following his Lord=s example to the fullest! 

In our Gospel story, Jesus be-wails the reality of Jerusalem who=s inhabitants regularly reject God=s messengers.  In the line of the prophets, Jesus himself is rejected and killed.  So is Stephen after him, and the long line of other martyrs. 

The quotation, "... your house shall be desolate...," is taken from Psalm 17 and most likely refers to the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 C.E. 

You may remember that I mentioned briefly last year that Stephen was one of the first deacons of the Christian church.  They were called and set aside to take charge of the charitable works of the church for its members.  The community was growing rapidly and the Apostles were becoming overwhelmed, they asked the members to elect several individuals to help in the ministry of caring for the widows and orphans of the membership.

The legacy of Stephen is not simply that of a courageous preacher, but of a servant of the neediest.  Deacons and others who follow Stephen=s example are a reminder to us that in serving the helpless we are serving Christ himself!  Today, ministers following Stephen=s example are involved in caring for: the bereaved, hospitalized, terminally ill, separated, divorced, unemployed, relocated, and others facing a crisis or life challenge.

We have talked many times about the different things we do as a congregation for sick and suffering people.  But the truth is that there is always more to do than people to do it.  Today is a very appropriate day for us to look at our individual involvement and to pray about what ells we might do.  We could certainly use more volunteers to bring communion to sick members of our congregation.  We also need more people in the Altar Guild who take care of setting up and decorating for our services.  Maybe God will inspire you to something completely different.  What we must do today is begin asking God for the grace to embrace and follow St. Stephen=s example of service to others.

Homily for Christmas 2012

My sisters & brothers, how do we respond to the love God expresses in the birth of Jesus? 

Our Gospel tonight is the Nativity story and Luke is concerned to place Jesus in the time-line of history, as a real human being; placing his berth in the context of major event.  It is possible that Judea was included in a census of 8-7 BC, “the first registration.”  From Matthew we know that Herod the Great sought to kill Jesus by slaughtering all children aged two or less. Because Herod died in 4 BC, Jesus was born no later than 6 BC. The dating between Luke and Matthew is pretty close considering that birth records were not kept in those days. 

Jesus is treated like any other newborn of the time: he is wrapped in cloths, but there may be a message in his being born in “a manger” and there are many interpretations circulating among Christian writers.  At the very least it testifies to the low statues of Jesus’ family.  Luke moves on to underline the point by describing the lowly shepherds as being the only ones who the pronouncement by the angels. 

Traditionally, the Christian feast day we refer to as Christmas is also call “The Incarnation,” i.e., God entering human flesh in the person Jesus.  It reflects the Christological doctrine that Jesus was fully human and fully divine.  Mary is God’s chosen assistant, for this blessed union of God and humanity. 

A modern Christmas hymn by Peter McCann called: “The Star”

Just another homeless family

Hoping for a stranger’s charity

Just one night in one safe place to stay

Underneath a star so far away

She carried everything they had and more

The little one the world was waiting for

And somewhere in the night her child was born

Into every heart so tired and torn

And the light shining from that star

Will show you who you are

And his life shining in its light

Will lead you through your darkest night

They couldn’t find a room for him back then

But he found a place in the hearts of men

The hope that all the world would come to know

Born beneath that star so long ago

In this hymn, we see a poetic description for what incarnation means.  The all powerful Creator takes on the experience of human vulnerability.  A helpless child of poor travelers, yet with greater potential than any would guess. 

If one is open to God and seeking goodness in life then Jesus’ simple birth can bring a spiritual light to your very soul. 

My sisters and brothers, the bottom line of the Christmas story is a question of faith: “will you embrace the belief that God loves you enough to share your human pains and joys?  That is, in Jesus the Christ, God will bring you healing & renewed life – if you accept it.  This is the core message of the Christmas mystery!