EPIPHANY 2A 2009
Text: Philip said to him: “Come and see…” John 1:46b
We live in a wonderful and amazing yet confusing world. On Tuesday morning I began my day in Omoa Honduras and in the evening I was riding up highway 50 towards Shingle Springs. What a miracle to get in a big box and go 300 or 400 miles per hour above the clouds and travel to places that once took months or years to get to. Without having to say it, I am sure that you will know that this message will be influenced by my one week in Honduras. So… here we go!!
While I was there, there was one phrase in a song that is the theme of this sermon. That phrase is: “ver con los ojos de Jesus.”.. or.. to see with the eyes of Jesus. As I was there I thought a lot about what we are doing here at Faith Church. One of the most serious challenges that churches face is to keep a challenging Christian vision always before them. Churches from established denominations which have been around for along time often settle into a rhythm of church life that drifts far, far away from the church being the body of Jesus, carrying out his mission in the world. These churches sort of go on auto pilot and do what they always have done without taking time to step back and reflect on the reasons why they are doing what they are doing.
So, while away, I tried to step away and ask myself again: “Why are we doing what we are doing? Why are we here? Why do we have this building? What am I trying to do?
And of course all of these questions were considered in a part of the world that is totally different than ours. I can’t say that I came up with anything totally new, or that you haven’t heard before, but it was good for me to get in touch again the reasons for why this local church exists.
As I was considering these questions, and knew that I was going to be preaching this morning, I read the lessons for today in Spanish, to practice. As I did, I was drawn to Philips answer to Nathaniel when Nathaniel asks: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? “ Philip simply says: Come and see!” In the Spanish version I read it reads something like: “Come, and check him out!”
This, it seems to me, is one of the foundational reasons this church exists. We exist for people to have the opportunity to “see” Jesus. Nathaniel needed to get in the presence of Jesus before he could make any decision about who this Jesus was. Thus through worship, study, prayer, song, fellowship, serving, giving… just the normal life of the local church, a central reason we do all of these things is so that, maybe for the first time, or the 1000th time, we would see Jesus. Of course the word see connotes much more than just seeing with the eye, but it means to experience, to feel, to sense.. or to understand.
The apostle Paul prayed for the early disciples that the “eyes of their hearts would be enlightened.” Eph. 1:18. This is the pray of all pastors. For without seeing, nothing will change in our lives. So day in and day out the local church, if it is doing its job, is providing opportunities for people to “see”, or come to experience and know Jesus.
A song that I grew up singing, not paying any attention to the words, but just singing away as kids do, now means a lot to me. It is the song Day by Day.
Day by day, Dear Lord of thee three things I pray: To see them more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.
In a real sense, this sums it all up for me.
Something happens to us, if we are able, by God’s grace, catch a glimpse of Jesus. The word often used is conversion. Something begins to change in our hearts, and thus our lives. We realize that there is a different way to live. We begin to realize that there is so much more to life than what we once believed. This was happening to me again in Honduras. As we were singing a song, the words: “see with the eyes of Jesus’ began to haunt me and roll around in my heart and in my brain. What does Jesus see when he looks out on the world? What does it mean for me to see with the eyes of Jesus.”
One day in Padre Francisco’s house a young woman named Daisy came and Padre told me that she needed eye surgery. The private hospital was very expensive but the hospital for the poor would do the surgery for $300. Daisy invited me to her house, so the next morning I followed her down the road, along the river, and up a dirt trail to a ridge with three small wooden shacks – a bano, a sleeping area, and the kitchen – and I met her parents. Her father is a Campesino – a hand laborer in the corn and beans – and they make about $2 a day. The floor of the rooms are dirt, and the only water is a faucet outside. They were gracious and humble people. And then the next day, when we had soup make with two gallenas, or hens that Daisy’s family gave to us, a huge gift from them… It is all very humbling and at the same time challenging to my life. What does Jesus see? What do I see?
One other brief experience. In my favorite little village, Chachauala, there is a very cute little girl that I had seen before, and when I saw her I went up to her and said “Buenos dias, como estas…” and she just looked at me… And I wondered why she did not respond. Later, talking to her grandmother, I found out that she had a very difficult time hearing, and thus her speech was being affected. I asked if she had seen a medico, and they said no, they don’t have any money. It is one thing to know in our minds that this is the lot of so many people around the world, but it is another to see and to experience these kinds of truth, with our own brother and sister Episcopalians!! What does Jesus see?
And then of course the question comes: “What does Jesus see when he looks at my life? And our lives in the reality that we live in?
So while a central reason for the existence of Faith Church is to provide a place for us to see Jesus, next comes our striving together to see with the eyes of Jesus. Once we see Jesus, then our eyes begin to change, and this is not always easy or comfortable, and it is a life long process.
In Romans 12 chapter we read this familiar verse:
Romans 12:2 ( NRSV ) 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
In essence, this verse is saying that as we see with the eyes of Jesus, our values and ways of looking at the world are transformed. We don’t just settle into the ways of thinking like everyone else around us. Sometimes we need prophets like Martin Luther King to challenge us again and again to see the truth.
This week I read Psalm 12 and the last verse said this:
The wicked prowl on every side* and that which is worthless is prized by everyone.
I was struck by the phrase: “.. that which is worthless is prized by everyone.” For it seems to me that so often we value and work for that which is worthless. I think about all the electronic things that I have bought over the years to keep up with the latest technology, and either hated it, couldn’t make it work, or found that it was out of date and worthless in a few months. Lots of money thrown after things that are worthless.. that are not really valuable, simply to have the latest gadget.
What does Jesus value? Faith Episcopal Church exists to help all of us see more clearly with the eyes of Jesus. And what is wonderful about this is that as our lives are changed, that also are enriched. As we see more clearly with Jesus’ eyes, and begin to follow and serve and give, our lives are enriched. As Jesus says, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
So my very short journey to Honduras renewed by sense of vision and purpose for us here. Thus it was exciting to come home and this Wednesday night to see all of the small groups gathered. I think there were 7 groups meeting all around this building. The night before there were some more groups. Thursday night was the first night of Club faith. It was exciting to see the adults serving and leading and all the children gathered. There is probably nothing more important than giving our children an opportunity to see and learn about God. As we saw in our OT lesson, Samuel heard from God as child. I hope and pray that Club faith and all of our children’s ministries continue to grow and improve, for we know the power of giving our children a strong Christian foundation for their adult lives. This was a gift that many of us received.
We are now in the season of Epiphany. Epiphany means to reveal, or unveil. A central them of Epiphany is the revealing of Jesus to the world, beginning at his baptism. Often in Epiphany services candles are lit to symbolized the light of Jesus going out into the world. This morning we prayed that our lives might shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory. This sounds pretty daunting. How do we do this?
Of course we do this is in a thousand different ways, through loving and giving and serving and forgiving and more. This morning I would like to give you one other practical way that you can shine. Last year this church supported 6 youths so that they could go to school It costs a child in Honduras around $300 a year to go to public school. If they don’t have the money, they can’t go. All of these children are in the Episcopal church and there progress is overseen by Padre Francisco. If they begin failing, and they don’t get it together, he stops supporting them. This year he is asking us if we can help 7 children. In the rotunda there is some information on each child. Since school starts in February, we need to know now if we can do all 7 of them. All of these children are very poor, and their future is very limited without an education. Some of them will want to go on to the University, but will not be able to because of money. But we can help them at this stage go as far as they can go.
If this is something that you can do, please put your name on one of the sheets for a child and then either today or next week, write a check to the church and mark it scholarship. If you cannot do all three hundred dollars, but would like to make a contribution, just put it in the offering today and we will pass it along. There are many more children that Padre Francisco could help.
We have a great church, and when I can get away from the day to day pressures and duties, I can see it. God has been very faithful to us, and we are blessed in ways that are way beyond our understanding or deserving. I am thankful for your generosity, and I pray that all of us will Come, and see Jesus, and then, day by day, learn to see with the eyes of Jesus. Amen!