Epiphany of the Lord - B

When God began to create the heavens and the earth, earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1)

O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens. (Psalm 8:1)

Genesis 1:1--2:4
Richard Rogers, in 1965, wrote the lyrics to the song “Something Good” for the musical The Sound of Music. The lyrics include the lines, “Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could.”  In the context of the song, it refers to doing something good in childhood that will bear fruit later. However, I thought of those lines again reading this familiar story.

For so many Christians, including likely most of the people in our pews this Sunday, there are a handful of doctrines which they’d rather not have to think much about. The doctrine of the Trinity, the idea of the eternality of God, and the affirmation that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine are all so conceptually difficult that, even if folks say they believe them, they couldn’t begin to explain them. And so, you and I are tasked this week with the assignment to preach about something that is confusing — perhaps even off-putting — to our people.

Object: We want something to represent a club to give to each child. I roll up and tape pieces of paper into tubes and have them in a pile on the floor as we begin.

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Call to Worship:
On his last appearance on this earth, Jesus reassured his disciples that he would always be with them, until the end of the age. The age has not yet ended, therefore as his disciples, we too receive his promise, "I am with you always."

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes I behave as though you are not with me.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I prefer to forget that you are with me.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I yearn for you, but do not feel you with me.

Some things are difficult to talk about. Love, for example. If someone asked you to define love and explain why you love someone, how would you go about it? What if I had to explain my love for my wife? The American Heritage Dictionary defines love as "A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness." I could not have put it better myself ... or worse, for that matter.

I find it interesting that today as we commemorate the Trinity doctrine, the church assigns the Bible reading that includes Jesus' Great Commission -- Jesus' mandate to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). You can't do evangelism without believing in the Trinity, proclaiming the Triune God in whose name we baptize. And to believe in the Trinity, it seems, is to be an evangelist. That's the way it's supposed to work, but it does not feel that simple when you hear these words as calling you to be an evangelist.

There is an old rabbinic legend about Lillith, the first wife of Adam. According to the story, she refused to be obedient to Adam and insisted on being an equal. When Adam refused, Lillith stormed out of the garden. God tried to persuade her to return, but she wouldn't come back. Several months went by and the rumors started. People said that Lillith had become a kind of monster and a sexual temptress, preying on babies and unsuspecting men. She roamed the forbidden but fascinating territory outside the garden, looking for innocent victims.

My good friend, Tommy Garrison, tells the story of a minister who boarded an airplane. He was seated beside a young lady who evidently was very troubled. As the flight progressed, it became even more noticeable that she was upset. In fact, she started crying. The minister said, "I'm sorry. I do not wish to intrude, but can I help you? It seems that you are disturbed." She said, "To be honest with you, I am. I'm flying to California to attend the funeral of my father." The minister said, "Well, from the degree to which you are upset it seems that you were very close." She said, "No.