Celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany at St. Mary's, Cathedral Road

 

Jesus; the Light of the World

 

Happy Epiphany!

 

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.

Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men 

from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king

 of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 

and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them 

where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has 

been written by the prophet:

`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when 

the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, 

"Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word 

so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; 

and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped 

over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were 

overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; 

and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, 

they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned 

in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Happy Epiphany!

 

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.

Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men 

from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king

 of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 

and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them 

where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has 

been written by the prophet:

`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when 

the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, 

"Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word 

so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; 

and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped 

over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were 

overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; 

and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, 

they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned 

in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Join us for EPIPHANY Lessons and Carols - January 6th!

Join us for EPIPHANY Lessons and Carols - January 6th! 

Join us for EPIPHANY Lessons and Carols - January 6th!

Join us for EPIPHANY Lessons and Carols - January 6th! 

7 January ~ Epiphany ~ Follow the Light

In the past, men and women of old followed the star to find the baby Jesus.  In this marvelous hymn/poem, we have the wonderful imagery that we are also on a journey, we also are "on camino," on a pilgrimage always to seek and to find God.  Seeking God, following the light and enduring the journey, every step, until we find God in the most surprising of places.  And there, when we have encountered God, we lay down our treasures, whatever they may be - all things come of thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee.  And this giving is in Joy!  the joy of completing a journey, of the pilgrimage to follow the light, and to seek, and ultimately, to find God.

As with gladness, men of old

As with gladness, men of old

Did the guiding star behold

As with joy they hailed its light

Leading onward, beaming bright

So, most glorious Lord, may we

Evermore be led to Thee.

As with joyful steps they sped

To that lowly manger bed

There to bend the knee before

Him Whom Heaven and earth adore;

So may we with willing feet

Ever seek Thy mercy seat.

As they offered gifts most rare

At that manger rude and bare;

So may we with holy joy,

Pure and free from sin's alloy,

All our costliest treasures bring,

Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King.

~William Chatterton Dix

The Epiphany - 6 January 2014 - Readings

Isaiah 60:1-6 
Ephesians 3:1-12 
Matthew 2:1-12 
Psalm 72:1-7,10-14

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine; for your light has come,

and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth,

and thick darkness the peoples;

but the LORD will arise upon you,

and his glory will appear over you.

Nations shall come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around;

they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from far away,

and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant;

your heart shall thrill and rejoice,

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,

the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

A multitude of camels shall cover you,

the young camels of Midian and Ephah;

all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense,

and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.

Psalm 72:1-7,10-14 Page 685, BCP

Deus, judicium

1

Give the King your justice, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King's Son;

2

That he may rule your people righteously *
and the poor with justice;

3

That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
and the little hills bring righteousness.

4

He shall defend the needy among the people; *
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.

5

He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.

6

He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *
like showers that water the earth.

7

In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.

10

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *
and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.

11

All kings shall bow down before him, *
and all the nations do him service.

12

For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *
and the oppressed who has no helper.

13

He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *
he shall preserve the lives of the needy.

14

He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.

Ephesians 3:1-12

This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

T.S. Eliot reads Journey of the Magi

T.S. Eliot reads Journey of the Magi

Epiphany

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Sermon - 9 January 2010 - A strange and wild story

The Rev. Peter M. Carey

1^st Sunday after Epiphany Sermon

Emmanuel Episcopal Church in the 

Episcopal Diocese of Virginia

Greenwood, VA

What did Jesus do?  Upon his birth, he welcomed strange people, animals, and heavenly beings to himself.  First, the shepherds.  The shepherds were seen as strange and even vulgar and thieving figures in the time of Jesus.  Accustomed to rough living, contending with wild beasts and wild people out in the hinterland and wilderness of Judea and Israel, the shepherds protected their sheep with passion, but learned to be tough and learned to live rough.  They were shaped by their surroundings, by the work they did, and by those with whom they interacted.  The shepherds were, in many ways, wild and unpredictable – at least for those who lived in the towns and cities.  They were feared by many, and if people of Jesus’ time were asked to do a word association test and the word was “shepherd” they might respond, “thief,” “crook,” “undesirable.”

However, it was these thieves, crooks and undesirables to whom God sent the Angel – “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy.”  And they went to the manger (a strange and wild place to be born!) and they were welcomed there by Mary, and Joseph and Jesus.  Our image of this meeting is cleaned up in our imagination by artwork and by cute Christmas Pageants, however, it must have been quite a meeting, quite an encounter – quite an epiphany – for these thieves, crooks and undesirables as they encountered “God with us.”  From the start, Jesus, himself showed his radical hospitality and welcome to even those who might be outside the margins, who might be seen as “other,” and who were not “perfect” or “holy” or “cleaned up and ready for prime time.”  Jesus welcomed them though they were thieves, crooks and undesirables.  Jesus welcomed them not because they were good, but because he is good, and desired them to be with him.  Strangeness and wildness.

Strangeness and wildness continues in the story.  We hear that “Magi in the East” follow a star and end up visiting Jesus.  The Magi come from far off, perhaps India, perhaps present-day Pakistan, perhaps Babylon (Iraq), perhaps Assyria (Iran).  These Magi make the shepherds look normal and predictable.  The story does not tell us how many came to visit – but that they brought three gifts, but there could have been dozens of Magi.  Also, they weren’t kings – that’s a 20^th century retelling (from the Hymn, actually).

Now these Magi were most likely strange and mystical figures who mostly spent their time attuning their senses to the ways of nature, to the stars, to the seasons, to animals, to whatever signs they might be able to notice.  They worked to be attuned to the workings of the Spirit.  Now, they wouldn’t have called it the Holy Spirit- the third person of the Trinity, for they were not Christian (well, no one was yet, of course, Jesus wasn’t even born); and they weren’t Jewish.  But still, they came.  These strange figures, living somewhere outside of the political structures of India, Babylon or Assyria, but who were possibly consulted from time to time, left their lands to visit this king.  They were, pretty much the definition of “other.”  They were not inside the community of Jews, they were not inside the Roman citizenry, and they were not identifiable as merchants, traders, soldiers, pilgrims, or visitors.  Strangeness and wildness.

And so, on this first Sunday of Epiphany, our story jumps over some key stories from Jesus’ childhood and moves right to his baptism.  However the story of strangeness and wildness continue.  The boy who was born outside in a barn to a mother and father who were away from home and unmarried had as his first visitors the shepherds – the thieves and crooks of their time, and the Magi – these strange mystical astronomers from other lands, lands that conjured up fear and concern in Jesus’ day, and in ours – India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq. 

You know, when I was preparing to be a father the first time, there were many many guidebooks for mothers-to-be; understandably.  There must be a minor cottage industry of publishing these books.  However, there were only a few specifically for men.  My “research” centered on two, 1) Fatherhood, by Bill Cosby – which is full of wise statements and wisecracks about parenting.  The other 2) was something about fatherhood.  But the key thing I learned from the fatherhood book was that as a father, my role early on is to be the “lion” that protects the lioness and the young lion – I could be the gatekeeper for who would be able to visit the hospital room, and once we were home, who would visit us there.  I often think about Joseph, and the way that he must have had a very generous and hospitable style of welcome – risky, perhaps – as the shepherds and magi tromped in to visit the young child.

This child who was visited by these strange and wild people decides that to initiate his ministry, he would need to participate in something strange and wild.  You see, usually to receive absolution for ones sins, a good believer would go to the Temple – where a priest would offer absolution.  However, out at the River Jordan, some wild and strange things were going on.  Instead of relying on the Temple hierarchy, which had gotten itself tied up with the corruptions of Rome, people were going to the River.  At the River, John was dunking people in the water, and proclaiming them free from Sin.  For us, this sounds great – perhaps.  However, for people then, this would be heresy, and punishable by death.  But, this is where Jesus went.  To initiate his quite strange and wild adventure of ministry, he went to his cousin John and asked to be “cleaned up”…”washed up”….

The boy who was born outside of any house or Inn, and who was visited by strange shepherds and magi grew up into a man who would continue the theme of strangeness and wildness.  He would go to the places where pain was evident.  He would go to the people who were being forgotten.  He would call his disciples to follow him, to take up their cross, and to do as he did.  He went to the Jordan where he would “fulfill all righteousness” which means he would continue the process that God had laid out for Jesus to do.  He would be baptized and then would go to the desert where he would be tempted by the devil for 40 days – and where he would be cared for by angels. 

He would return to engage a remarkable and wonderful and hopeful and powerful life and ministry – one that was equally strange and wild, and one into which he called his disciples and into which he calls us.  You see (in contrast to what I said 4 weeks ago!) it is about What Would Jesus Do.  For Jesus would walk the strange and wild roads, and would go to the places where pain and grief dominate, where prisoners are lonely in their cells, where health fails, and where wealth cannot be found. Jesus would be, and is in Arizona today, helping to bind up lives cast asunder by a terrible event of violence.  Jesus would be, and is in Sudan today while the people vote about whether to split their country, with the risks of violence and civil war.  Jesus is there, and we should be too, making a witness of prayer and hope and peace, even in the midst of violence and fear.   Jesus walked the highways and byways of his time, offering hope and love, but also challenge, and offering a life of adventure – contending with the powers of his time, and the powers of our own.  

What Would Jesus Do.  Well, this boy born in a barn welcomed thieves and crooks, and strange mystical foreigners from wild places.  This boy became a man and set out for the Jordan River where he found that God’s reign extended beyond the boundaries of his time.  And so, we too are offered the opportunity to enter the adventure.  This is not a story that exists only in someone’s imagination.  This is not an imaginative tale of JRR Tolkien or …. Rowling.  This is not a movie cooked up by George Lucas or Ian Fleming.  This is a story that existed long ago, but exists today, and it is a story that we too enter into at our own baptism – followers of Jesus and fellow companions on the way.  It is a strange and wild story, and we are given the invitation to enter it together.  Shall we?

T.S. Eliot reads Journey of the Magi

T.S. Eliot reads Journey of the Magi

The Journey of the Magi, T.S. Eliot

'A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.'
And the camels galled, sore-footed, 
     refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the 
     terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.

Then the camel men cursing and 
     grumbling
And running away, and wanting their
     liquor and women, 
And the night-fires going out, and the 
     lack of shelters, 
And the cities hostile and the towns 
     unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high
     prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all 
     night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, 
     saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a 
     temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of 
     vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill
     beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped in 
     away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with 
     vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for 
     pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no imformation, and so
     we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment
     too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say)
     satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I 
     remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This:  were we led all that way for
Birth or Death?  There was a Birth, 
     certainly, 
We had evidence and no doubt.  I had 
     seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; 
     this Birth was 
Hard and bitter agony for us, like 
     Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these
     Kingdoms, 
But no longer at ease here, in the old 
     dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their 
     gods.
I should be glad of another death.

17 January 2010 Sermon

The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Sermon

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

17 January 2010

In this season of Epiphany, we might turn our attention to all the ways that we can understand gift in our lives.  Of course, the story of the wise men bearing gifts sets off the season of Epiphany, and we might reflect for a time upon their action of giving to the baby Jesus.  Broadening and deepening our focus upon “Gift” as a theme for Epiphany.

There are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit.  These words roll off the tongue so easily, for they resonate through the teachings of Jesus, and the theology of St. Paul.  Variety of gifts, but activated by the same Spirit.  These are beautiful words, and yet, the deep sense that in the Kingdom of God there are varieties of gifts, and varieties of peoples, can be a difficult gospel to hear.  Our tendency may be to go the other way, “if only people saw things my way.”  “If only you knew what I knew.”  “If only people were as _____ (fill in the adjective) – bright, organized, dedicated, diligent, intuitive, … as me.”  

Paul is reminding us that all the gifts are activated by the one and the same Spirit, and that these gifts are allotted, they are allotted (given) by the spirit to each one individually as the Spirit chooses.  Not us, not you, not me, but the Spirit.  We are not the same, we are not going to understand everything the same way, we are not going to do things the same way, but this is not only just tolerable. This is not only just ok.  This is not only just acceptable.  No.  This is quite beautiful, and it is an inbreaking of the Kingdom .  .  .

Read the rest HERE

Image of DaVinci's Adoration of the Magi was found HERE