Sermon, Epiphany (C)

ARISE! SHINE! For your light has come! And the GLORY of the Lord has shone around you!

Well now THAT is an energetic and inspiring way to start the scriptures today!

ARISE! SHINE! And give GOD the GLORY!

Okay: for those of you, who may not be morning people, or who may still be waiting for the caffeine to kick in. Let’s delve into the beauty of today’s Epiphany messages for us, as we have the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy paired with the Gospel narrative of the Magi’s journey.

And we learn of the receiving of God’s glory; and the sharing of God’s glory. The receiving of light, and the shining of light. The receiving of gifts, and the sharing of gifts.

The call; and the response.

For all of us: Arise! Shine! Your light has come!

This is not just a personal glow stick, or an individual reading lamp. This is the light of the Lord – the light promised to the people who have sat in darkness. The light beaming on those who in darkness sat.

Your light has COME!

And the light of the Lord is brighter than the noontime sun; it is more magnificent than a dazzling spotlight, it is more appealing than any fireworks display.

The light of the Lord was promised: The light of the Lord has come!

And it’s for all people.

The downtrodden and the fortunate;

the lonely and those surrounded by friends;

the challenged and smooth-sailing;

the people who are losing hope and those who are bearing it.

The light of the Lord has come.

For us all: together. For God’s light doesn’t shine on one person and ignore the next.

It shines for us all: upon us all; with us all.

And it’s for all of us, because it is of God.

And the Glory of the Lord is risen upon us all!

The glory of God is here!

And: as with so many things that we receive as gifts: we then get to decide what we are going to do about that.

Because the glory of God is a big deal: the light of the Lord is a big deal:

And so the people of Israel; the people of Jesus’ time, the people who today continue to worship our Almighty God: we are invited to respond to the gift of the Light of the Lord.

And how do we do that?

Well: ARISE! SHINE!

Take the light, take the glory, and magnify it in the world!

God is doing something about the darkness that is in the world: God is inviting and empowering US to shine a light.

ARISE! SHINE! Brighten the darkness in our midst.

And… again we ask – how?

And again – the scriptures tell us how.

We, as the people of God, have been given what we need to respond to this light in such a way that it is seen throughout. Throughout our families, our church, our community, our world.

We have been given gifts: individually and collectively – that can change the world.

These gifts are physical treasures, they are spiritual gifts, there are relationships built on time and skills – we have what it takes to make the world a holier place.

Just as what was shared through the prophesy, and what was gifted by the magi:

Gold – and Frankincense – and Myrrh.

I know – we’re all starting to ponder what and where and why we would give these gifts? Couldn’t we just re-gift a fruitcake? Buy some nice chocolates in the sales?

Alas. Let’s consider these gifts.

GOLD: a precious metal, a gorgeously shiny object that refracts the light, that’s reasonably portable. To this day, we understand that gold is valuable – and valued. Our society even set a standard by it – our currency exchanges are based on it – and around the world, the attraction of gold remains now much as it did in biblical times.

The gift of Gold is a symbol of financial stability – security, even. It was what may have funded the flight into Egypt for Jesus’ family, and provided their physical well-being in those tumultuous times.

The gift of financial means that we have today allows us to engage in ministry; to assist those experiencing need; to reach out to the community; to be a house and home of prayer for all who seek it.

Gold can be a gift for shining the light of God; but only if it is used.

Then there was FRANKINCENSE: a rare white resin that took time and skill to procure; it was used as an aid to worship. This tree gum is extremely fragrant in small quantities, and burned as an offering or oblation to God in the temple. To smell this type of incense was to make people think of things holy and divine, and orient their hearts and minds to prayer.

Frankincense was a spiritual gift: a call to prayer and to spiritual solace. A sensual reminder of the home place, of communal connection with God and with one another.

For Mary and Joseph, this rooted their souls in the people and traditions that they had left, and would need to flee from. For us, we carry with us reminders of our own spiritual journey: of people and places that have formed us, of experiences that have influenced us, of the Holy Spirit speaking to us in ways we cannot fully explain (or maybe even understand) – but that we know were holy.

We have been gifted with spiritual reminders. And we have shared our ministries: of prayer, of companionship, of kindness, of love. We have countless examples of what we have done, and countless opportunities of what we can yet do!

Sharing our spiritual gifts is another means for shining the light of God; but again- they need to be used.

Finally: MYRRH. A unique spice that was rare and difficult to find, and came from far-off regions of Arabia. It was mysterious and pungent and bitter – and was used as part of the anointing practices at time of burial. And while it seems odd to have such a gift at Jesus’ baby shower, it was foreshadowing what was to come, and confirming for Mary what she had been told all along.

And while myrrh carries with it the symbolism of affliction and suffering, we also see that the use of myrrh was also a time of intentionality, and of caring. To offer a final preparation and respect for a person’s earthly remains: this was a gift of time and tradition, demonstrating great compassion and care. It took time and experience to learn how to use the spice, and then to use it properly, with the ones deeply loved, despite their own personal grief and suffering.

The gifts of time and skill are gifts that we can continue to use: they are born from the relationships that we have, the relationships we nurture, and the relationships that may yet form. We honour each other with our attentive presence, and with the sharing of what we can do.

We are blessed with the gifts of time, and the gift of earthly skills; and with them we can shine the light of God; should we make the commitment to use them.

Gold: the gift of financial treasure.

Frankincense: the gift of spiritual treasure.

Myrrh: the gift of relationship treasure.

It’s no wonder that sometimes we get caught up in trying to preserve these gifts, to hoard them almost; to keep them only to ourselves.

Yet the invitation of God is to use these gifts: to share, to give, to USE them! through which the glory of the Lord can be seen and understood further and broader than ever before.

So let’s consider HOW we can use our gifts – for we all have all manner of gifts. Let’s ponder anew how the glory of the Lord covers us, and how we can respond to that with love and generosity.

Let’s consider how we can, as individuals, and households, and as the whole community – how can we shine the loving light of Christ into the world?

Because we can.

We can shine the light; because we have received it.

We can act in love; because we are loved.

We can extend great joy; because we are joy-filled.

And we can arise and shine; because the glory of the Lord is upon us all.

So let us use the gifts that we have received to (as Isaiah says) proclaim our praise of the Lord.

Amen.