The Epiphany Of Our Lord
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle B
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Isaiah 60:1-6 (C, RC); Isaiah 60:1-6, 9 (E)
Here it is again, a glowing promise which would never be fulfilled, at least not in earthly terms. And yet, we must be amazed at the unfailing optimism of the prophets. The people of Jerusalem had been through living Hell. Yet they were being told to ñArise and shine,'' as God is about to lift them up, to bring life-giving light into their darkness of the soul. True, Israel has never achieved the regional primacy for which she long has hoped. But in the hearts of the people, one by one, there must surely have been the rebirth of hope. Many a man and woman must have stood a little taller, faced life with added courage and hope, because of such a promise as this. ThereÍs the sermon, it seems to me. God never promises anyone a position of power in earthly terms, not political, or martial, or economic power. Those things shall be as they may. Jesus would translate such hopes as these, help us understand that the light will shine inwardly, and thereafter through us into the world. The ñpower'' we can receive is the power of love, the life-changing capabilities of forgiveness, and kindness.
I was amused to read the other day that when Purdue was playing Illinois in a Big Ten basketball tournament, the Purdue players were exhausted from a close-fought game with Indiana the previous night. Coach Gene Keady saw his team slowly falling behind as their tired legs just werenÍt quite strong enough. But when Purdue was behind by eight points in the first half, Keady called time-out. He gathered his team around him and, as he reported later, said to them: ñYou think youÍre tired. But youÍre really not tired. Now get out there and play your game.'' Purdue won by more than twenty points. Someone whom those players admired and respected had told them what they needed to hear. ThatÍs a bit of what happened with the people of Jerusalem when Isaiah told them, ñArise and shine.''
Lesson 2: Ephesians 3:1-12 (C, E); Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 (RC)
We do well to remember, as we read PaulÍs letters, that he was a man of action, not a man of letters. Also, he was in prison in Rome awaiting trial when he wrote the letter to the Ephesians. He wrote not so much an organized treatise on Christian theology, but a heartfelt report of his own inner spiritual life. He was glad to be imprisoned, given the fact that he dedicated his imprisonment to Christ. Through his inner experiences, he felt he had had revealed to him the secret of GodÍs plan which was inaugurated in the life of Jesus. This included the fact that GodÍs great gift of love and mercy was not only for the Jews. It was for everyone. And the Church is to mediate these great spiritual truths. One doesnÍt know exactly what Paul may have meant when he wrote of ñthe rulers and powers in the heavenly places.'' Certainly there is poetry and gracious symbolism in such language. To Paul, the secret is no longer a secret, God loves everyone, wishes each person to come to him by accepting Christ, and charges the Church with the mission of spreading this word.
In preaching, there are several possible subjects. If I were preaching on this passage, I would emphasize the role of the Church, then discuss the fact that everyone must be welcomed into the Church, and its message must faithfully declare the Grace of God.
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 (C, RC, E)
Matthew relates the familiar story of JesusÍ birth and the visit by the wise men. HerodÍs sly effort to locate the baby Jesus by asking the wise men to report his whereabouts fails when the men are ñwarned ... in a dream not to go back to Herod.'' This raises an interesting question: What about dreams? Elsewhere we read of GodÍs communication through dreams. Matthew reports six approaches either by angels or by God through dreams. For me this raises the question of how God does communicate with us. Since by this time we will have thoroughly explored the birth stories, I would turn to this issue in preaching.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñFaith Can Change Your Life Today''
Text: Isaiah 60:1-6
Theme: Isaiah, speaking for God, has called his people to stand up, be ready for a new day. They were downcast, understandably discouraged by the recent events in their common life. Isaiah challenges them: ñArise and Shine.'' Half the problems we face are easy to overcome if we just believe in ourselves. I am convinced that when Paul said, ñI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,'' and when Jesus said, ñYou can move mountains,'' those promises were composed of two parts: help from God, but also the awakening of powers we were given at birth, but which we seldom use because we lack sufficient confidence in ourselves. I like Leslie WeatherheadÍs translation of PaulÍs words: ñBecause Christ is working within me, I can cope with anything.''
1. We all have capabilities we can utilize if we believe in ourselves.
2. God has promised assistance, but only after we have done our part.
3. If we are doing what we are here to do in this life, we will discover that God has already prepared us for our lifeÍs course. If unforeseen obstacles present themselves, and if they are too much for us, then God will respond, usually through our own prayer life and the infusion of wisdom and strength when needed.
Title: ñWhat In The World Is The Church?''
Text: Ephesians 3:8-11
Theme: The point of my title, of course, is that the Church is called to be ñin the world.'' I recall the time a friend of mine visited the Church of the Savior in Washington, D. C. when a very innovative pastor named Gordon Cosby was founding pastor. This was back in the Í60s when the world in America was topsy-turvy, with most traditional values up for grabs. But that church was having a vital impact on the lives of many people. My friend asked Cosby what he thought preachers should be doing at that time. Cosby replied about like this: ñPreach about the Church constantly.'' ThatÍs still good advice.
1. What is ñthe Church?'' Is it people? What kind? What expectations should they have of each other and themselves?
2. What about the changes taking place today? I visited an innovative church this past Sunday. Their topic was love and how it can change people, change the world. They used video clips from Beauty and the Beast. If you havenÍt seen that video, I advise taking time to do so. They used contemporary music, sung by young people in jeans and sweaters, accompanied by drums, guitars, keyboard. The sermon lasted twelve minutes. A special video had been prepared, lasting about four minutes, showing love in action in various neighborhoods. Nay-sayers may decry this sort of thing, but it was a wonderful service, and many people there would never be found in a typical church. Understand, IÍm not suggesting this will replace more traditional forms of worship. But it is a sign of change. The church in our neighborhood has a contemporary service and a traditional service. Each has about the same number of worshipers, and what surprises me is that the average age is about the same in each.
3. The churchÍs mission is to tell the ñsecret'' message of GodÍs grace and love.
4. Everyone must be welcome. I once read of a girl who had run away from home, gotten in trouble on the street, become a prostitute, then repented. Her counselor directed her to a local church. People were warm until they learned she had been a prostitute. Then she was, according to her, shunned. That was exactly the wrong response. She needed them and they needed her.
Title: ñIs It Really GodÍs Will?''
Text: Matthew 2:12
Theme: Matthew frequently describes communication from God (sometimes through an angel) as taking place in a dream. This raises the larger question: How does God communicate with us? WeÍve all heard of the deranged individual who kills two or three people because of the voices in his head. How can we know when a sense of communion with God is authentic?
1. In what ways does the Bible suggest God communicates? IÍve had a few dreams in which I felt enlightened about some problem with which I was dealing. Was that from God? I canÍt say I think ñyes,'' but neither can I discount claims of others. If Matthew is correct, dreams are one way we might hear from God. Other ways are prayer, meditation, and I think also through events in the physical world.
2. Can we know GodÍs will in a given situation? One seventeenth century writer observed, ñI had rather see coming toward me a whole regiment with drawn swords, than one lone Calvinist convinced he is doing the will of God.'' Alas, many a wrong has been committed by people convinced they knew GodÍs will. Yet, to argue that we cannot know GodÍs will seems to invalidate prayer and other forms of what we believe to be communication. How can we validate our convictions?
3. We may trust our conviction if it passes the following test: Is it loving? Is it kind? Is it honest? Is it for the good of others? Is it unselfish on my part? Is it consistent with the teachings of my faith? We must always be humble in our conviction, but it seems to me that any sense of GodÍs direction which passes this test is valid.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
My father told me of the time his parentsÍ home caught on fire. Grandma had a much-loved piano and her greatest fear was that it might be damaged. My dad, a good athlete, called a friend from across the street and the two of them carried the piano out of the house. After the fire department had extinguished the fire, dad and his friend tried to carry the piano back into the house and he said they could hardly budge it. They had to get two other friends to help, and then they only barely managed to move the piano. My dad always told this story to remind me „ and himself „ that we all have capabilities which we rarely use, because we donÍt have the motivation to do so. Of course he didnÍt claim that Jesus played any part in this, but I always grew up with the idea that every one of us can do things and face difficulties far greater than we usually believe to be true. I have decided that when Paul said that Jesus enables us to accomplish great things in life, he meant, in part, that Jesus helps release our own inherent powers as well as supplying us with those added capabilities which we sometimes require.
____________
ThereÍs an old legend that God called the Devil in one day and told him that he, the Devil, had too much power. God informed him that he must give up all his powers except that he might keep one. After thinking this over, the Devil decided that the one power he would retain was the ability to make people discouraged. When that happens, he reasoned, people lose the will to achieve and to believe in themselves.
____________
I do have a favorite story. It was originally told by Norman Vincent Peale in a book written years ago. ItÍs the story of the Dallas baseball team in the old Texas League. They had won the league title the previous year, had seven returning veterans who had batted over .300 that year, and were picked by the sportswriters as a sure repeat winner in the current year. But the team proceeded to lose seventeen of their first twenty games. Totally discouraged, they arrived in San Antonio for a two-game series against that team. The first evening, they went out and lost by a lopsided score. Their only hit was a single by the pitcher.
The next day, the team manager, one Josh OÍReilly, called his team together in the locker room and told his players that he had a plan to change their fortunes. It seems a traveling evangelist was preaching in a tent in the city nearby. His name was Schlater. OÍReilly then had his men place their favorite bats in a wheelbarrow, and away he went. A few hours later, he returned and informed his players that Reverend Schlater had blessed their bats. They now had great powers and would be invincible from that time on. History records that in the following evening, the Dallas team won, scoring 20 runs on 37 hits. In spite of their 4 and 18 record at the time, they proceeded to win the league title. Dr. Peale reported that for the next few years, a Schlater bat could be sold for a handsome sum in the Texas league.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 (C), Psalm 72 (E) „ Prayer for righteousness.
Psalm 71 (RC) „ ñIn thee, O Lord, do I take refuge.''
Prayer Of The Day
To thee, O God of kindly love, we bring our acts of wrongful conduct and selfish thought. We confess that we have fallen short of the requirements of thy will. Forgive us, we pray, and grant us fortitude in the living of lives of increasing purity. In ChristÍs name we pray. Amen.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 60:1-6 (C, RC); Isaiah 60:1-6, 9 (E)
Here it is again, a glowing promise which would never be fulfilled, at least not in earthly terms. And yet, we must be amazed at the unfailing optimism of the prophets. The people of Jerusalem had been through living Hell. Yet they were being told to ñArise and shine,'' as God is about to lift them up, to bring life-giving light into their darkness of the soul. True, Israel has never achieved the regional primacy for which she long has hoped. But in the hearts of the people, one by one, there must surely have been the rebirth of hope. Many a man and woman must have stood a little taller, faced life with added courage and hope, because of such a promise as this. ThereÍs the sermon, it seems to me. God never promises anyone a position of power in earthly terms, not political, or martial, or economic power. Those things shall be as they may. Jesus would translate such hopes as these, help us understand that the light will shine inwardly, and thereafter through us into the world. The ñpower'' we can receive is the power of love, the life-changing capabilities of forgiveness, and kindness.
I was amused to read the other day that when Purdue was playing Illinois in a Big Ten basketball tournament, the Purdue players were exhausted from a close-fought game with Indiana the previous night. Coach Gene Keady saw his team slowly falling behind as their tired legs just werenÍt quite strong enough. But when Purdue was behind by eight points in the first half, Keady called time-out. He gathered his team around him and, as he reported later, said to them: ñYou think youÍre tired. But youÍre really not tired. Now get out there and play your game.'' Purdue won by more than twenty points. Someone whom those players admired and respected had told them what they needed to hear. ThatÍs a bit of what happened with the people of Jerusalem when Isaiah told them, ñArise and shine.''
Lesson 2: Ephesians 3:1-12 (C, E); Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 (RC)
We do well to remember, as we read PaulÍs letters, that he was a man of action, not a man of letters. Also, he was in prison in Rome awaiting trial when he wrote the letter to the Ephesians. He wrote not so much an organized treatise on Christian theology, but a heartfelt report of his own inner spiritual life. He was glad to be imprisoned, given the fact that he dedicated his imprisonment to Christ. Through his inner experiences, he felt he had had revealed to him the secret of GodÍs plan which was inaugurated in the life of Jesus. This included the fact that GodÍs great gift of love and mercy was not only for the Jews. It was for everyone. And the Church is to mediate these great spiritual truths. One doesnÍt know exactly what Paul may have meant when he wrote of ñthe rulers and powers in the heavenly places.'' Certainly there is poetry and gracious symbolism in such language. To Paul, the secret is no longer a secret, God loves everyone, wishes each person to come to him by accepting Christ, and charges the Church with the mission of spreading this word.
In preaching, there are several possible subjects. If I were preaching on this passage, I would emphasize the role of the Church, then discuss the fact that everyone must be welcomed into the Church, and its message must faithfully declare the Grace of God.
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 (C, RC, E)
Matthew relates the familiar story of JesusÍ birth and the visit by the wise men. HerodÍs sly effort to locate the baby Jesus by asking the wise men to report his whereabouts fails when the men are ñwarned ... in a dream not to go back to Herod.'' This raises an interesting question: What about dreams? Elsewhere we read of GodÍs communication through dreams. Matthew reports six approaches either by angels or by God through dreams. For me this raises the question of how God does communicate with us. Since by this time we will have thoroughly explored the birth stories, I would turn to this issue in preaching.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñFaith Can Change Your Life Today''
Text: Isaiah 60:1-6
Theme: Isaiah, speaking for God, has called his people to stand up, be ready for a new day. They were downcast, understandably discouraged by the recent events in their common life. Isaiah challenges them: ñArise and Shine.'' Half the problems we face are easy to overcome if we just believe in ourselves. I am convinced that when Paul said, ñI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,'' and when Jesus said, ñYou can move mountains,'' those promises were composed of two parts: help from God, but also the awakening of powers we were given at birth, but which we seldom use because we lack sufficient confidence in ourselves. I like Leslie WeatherheadÍs translation of PaulÍs words: ñBecause Christ is working within me, I can cope with anything.''
1. We all have capabilities we can utilize if we believe in ourselves.
2. God has promised assistance, but only after we have done our part.
3. If we are doing what we are here to do in this life, we will discover that God has already prepared us for our lifeÍs course. If unforeseen obstacles present themselves, and if they are too much for us, then God will respond, usually through our own prayer life and the infusion of wisdom and strength when needed.
Title: ñWhat In The World Is The Church?''
Text: Ephesians 3:8-11
Theme: The point of my title, of course, is that the Church is called to be ñin the world.'' I recall the time a friend of mine visited the Church of the Savior in Washington, D. C. when a very innovative pastor named Gordon Cosby was founding pastor. This was back in the Í60s when the world in America was topsy-turvy, with most traditional values up for grabs. But that church was having a vital impact on the lives of many people. My friend asked Cosby what he thought preachers should be doing at that time. Cosby replied about like this: ñPreach about the Church constantly.'' ThatÍs still good advice.
1. What is ñthe Church?'' Is it people? What kind? What expectations should they have of each other and themselves?
2. What about the changes taking place today? I visited an innovative church this past Sunday. Their topic was love and how it can change people, change the world. They used video clips from Beauty and the Beast. If you havenÍt seen that video, I advise taking time to do so. They used contemporary music, sung by young people in jeans and sweaters, accompanied by drums, guitars, keyboard. The sermon lasted twelve minutes. A special video had been prepared, lasting about four minutes, showing love in action in various neighborhoods. Nay-sayers may decry this sort of thing, but it was a wonderful service, and many people there would never be found in a typical church. Understand, IÍm not suggesting this will replace more traditional forms of worship. But it is a sign of change. The church in our neighborhood has a contemporary service and a traditional service. Each has about the same number of worshipers, and what surprises me is that the average age is about the same in each.
3. The churchÍs mission is to tell the ñsecret'' message of GodÍs grace and love.
4. Everyone must be welcome. I once read of a girl who had run away from home, gotten in trouble on the street, become a prostitute, then repented. Her counselor directed her to a local church. People were warm until they learned she had been a prostitute. Then she was, according to her, shunned. That was exactly the wrong response. She needed them and they needed her.
Title: ñIs It Really GodÍs Will?''
Text: Matthew 2:12
Theme: Matthew frequently describes communication from God (sometimes through an angel) as taking place in a dream. This raises the larger question: How does God communicate with us? WeÍve all heard of the deranged individual who kills two or three people because of the voices in his head. How can we know when a sense of communion with God is authentic?
1. In what ways does the Bible suggest God communicates? IÍve had a few dreams in which I felt enlightened about some problem with which I was dealing. Was that from God? I canÍt say I think ñyes,'' but neither can I discount claims of others. If Matthew is correct, dreams are one way we might hear from God. Other ways are prayer, meditation, and I think also through events in the physical world.
2. Can we know GodÍs will in a given situation? One seventeenth century writer observed, ñI had rather see coming toward me a whole regiment with drawn swords, than one lone Calvinist convinced he is doing the will of God.'' Alas, many a wrong has been committed by people convinced they knew GodÍs will. Yet, to argue that we cannot know GodÍs will seems to invalidate prayer and other forms of what we believe to be communication. How can we validate our convictions?
3. We may trust our conviction if it passes the following test: Is it loving? Is it kind? Is it honest? Is it for the good of others? Is it unselfish on my part? Is it consistent with the teachings of my faith? We must always be humble in our conviction, but it seems to me that any sense of GodÍs direction which passes this test is valid.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
My father told me of the time his parentsÍ home caught on fire. Grandma had a much-loved piano and her greatest fear was that it might be damaged. My dad, a good athlete, called a friend from across the street and the two of them carried the piano out of the house. After the fire department had extinguished the fire, dad and his friend tried to carry the piano back into the house and he said they could hardly budge it. They had to get two other friends to help, and then they only barely managed to move the piano. My dad always told this story to remind me „ and himself „ that we all have capabilities which we rarely use, because we donÍt have the motivation to do so. Of course he didnÍt claim that Jesus played any part in this, but I always grew up with the idea that every one of us can do things and face difficulties far greater than we usually believe to be true. I have decided that when Paul said that Jesus enables us to accomplish great things in life, he meant, in part, that Jesus helps release our own inherent powers as well as supplying us with those added capabilities which we sometimes require.
____________
ThereÍs an old legend that God called the Devil in one day and told him that he, the Devil, had too much power. God informed him that he must give up all his powers except that he might keep one. After thinking this over, the Devil decided that the one power he would retain was the ability to make people discouraged. When that happens, he reasoned, people lose the will to achieve and to believe in themselves.
____________
I do have a favorite story. It was originally told by Norman Vincent Peale in a book written years ago. ItÍs the story of the Dallas baseball team in the old Texas League. They had won the league title the previous year, had seven returning veterans who had batted over .300 that year, and were picked by the sportswriters as a sure repeat winner in the current year. But the team proceeded to lose seventeen of their first twenty games. Totally discouraged, they arrived in San Antonio for a two-game series against that team. The first evening, they went out and lost by a lopsided score. Their only hit was a single by the pitcher.
The next day, the team manager, one Josh OÍReilly, called his team together in the locker room and told his players that he had a plan to change their fortunes. It seems a traveling evangelist was preaching in a tent in the city nearby. His name was Schlater. OÍReilly then had his men place their favorite bats in a wheelbarrow, and away he went. A few hours later, he returned and informed his players that Reverend Schlater had blessed their bats. They now had great powers and would be invincible from that time on. History records that in the following evening, the Dallas team won, scoring 20 runs on 37 hits. In spite of their 4 and 18 record at the time, they proceeded to win the league title. Dr. Peale reported that for the next few years, a Schlater bat could be sold for a handsome sum in the Texas league.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 (C), Psalm 72 (E) „ Prayer for righteousness.
Psalm 71 (RC) „ ñIn thee, O Lord, do I take refuge.''
Prayer Of The Day
To thee, O God of kindly love, we bring our acts of wrongful conduct and selfish thought. We confess that we have fallen short of the requirements of thy will. Forgive us, we pray, and grant us fortitude in the living of lives of increasing purity. In ChristÍs name we pray. Amen.
