Jeremiah – Holy Cross Episcopal Church

Pentecost 12 August 15, 2010

Jeremiah 23:23-29Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

Luke 12:49-56Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

Our friend Bishop Walmsley is off at Grace Church, East Concord this morning, filling in for Fr. Wells whoâ€™s on vacation. I overheard the Bishop last Sunday at coffee hour grumbling (nicely, of course) about having to preach on the gospel weâ€™ve been given this morning. â€œItâ€™s that passage about Jesus dividing families,â€ he said. â€œWho wants to talk about that?â€ And I feel the same way. A beautiful summer day; who wants to hear about divisions in families or bringing fire to the earth? But here we are: the Lord is speaking to us and we must listen. This is holy ground.

Jeremiah 1:4-10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

1 Corinthians 13:1-13Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

Luke 4:21-30

Â One of the wonderful things that can happen sometimes at church is that something that had grown old is made new. A reading, for instance, a prayer, a hymn, an idea â€“ that had seemingly lost its life through overuse is suddenly resurrected, given new currency. Those of us who were here last Sunday, when Canon Charles LaFond was our preacher and followed up in the afternoon with the retreat on discernment, experienced I think one of those â€œmade newâ€ moments.

It centered around what Charles said about saying â€œyesâ€ to God. You remember that he started out by talking about how epiphany â€“ this season of the Church year â€“ is like a light going on. The star in the sky that the Magi followed to the Saviorâ€™s birth â€“ a light going on. Jesus coming up out of the waters of baptism and hearing the voice of God pronounce him the Beloved â€“ a light going on. Jesus turning the water into wine at the Wedding at Cana â€“ another light. When God reveals himself, we experience it as a light going on. What had been unclear, confused, without purpose or direction â€“ suddenly the light goes on, something clicks, and we see the way forward. These are epiphanies; this is how God calls to us.