PreacherRhetorica
  • Home and to sermons
    • Year B frontispiece >
      • Proper 5B
      • Seventh of Easter
      • Sixth of Easter
      • Fifth of Easter
      • Fourth of Easter homily
      • Third of Easter
      • Second of Easter
      • Easter Day
      • Maundy Thursday
      • Palm Sunday
      • Lent 5
      • Next Before Lent
      • Presentation (Epiphany 4)
      • Third of Epiphany
      • Second of Epiphany
      • Epiphany (2)
      • Epiphany
      • Holy Innocents
      • Christmas
      • The Reign of Christ (Proper 29B)
      • Christ the King (Proper 29B)
      • Proper 28B (2nd Bf Advent)
      • 3rd Bf Advent (CofE)
      • Proper 27B
      • All Saints Sunday
      • Proper 26B
      • Proper 25B
      • Simon and Jude
      • Proper 24B
      • Proper 23B
      • Proper 22B
      • Proper 22B homily
      • Proper 21B
      • Proper 20B
      • Proper 19B
      • Proper 18B sermon
      • Proper 18B performance poem
      • Proper 17B
      • Proper 16B
      • Proper 15B
      • Proper 14B
      • Proper 13B
      • Proper 12B
      • Mary Magdalene homily
      • Proper 11B
      • Proper 10B
      • Proper 9B homily
      • Proper 8B
      • Birth of John the Baptist
      • Proper 7B homily
      • Proper 6B
      • Trinity Sunday
      • Pentecost
      • Lent 4 Mothering Sunday
      • Lent 3
      • Lent 2
      • Lent 1
      • 2nd Before Lent
      • 3rd Before Lent
      • 2nd of Christmas B homily
      • Christmas Day
      • Advent 4B
      • Advent 3B
      • Advent 2B
      • Advent 1B homily
      • Year A frontispiece >
        • Proper 28A (2 Bf Advent)
        • Proper 27A (3 Bf Advent)
        • Proper 26A (4 Bf Advent)
        • Proper 25A Last after Trinity
        • Proper 24A
        • Proper 23A
        • Proper 22A
        • Proper 21A
        • St Matthew
        • Proper 20A
        • Proper 19A
        • Proper 18A
        • Proper 17A
        • Proper 16A
        • Proper 15A
        • Proper 14A
        • Proper 13A
        • Proper 12A
        • Proper 11A
        • Proper 10A
        • Proper 9A
        • Proper 8A
        • Proper 7A
        • Trinity Sunday (Homily)
        • Pentecost
        • Seventh of Easter (Sunday after Ascension)
        • Sixth of Easter
        • Fifth of Easter
        • Fourth of Easter
        • Third of Easter
        • Second of Easter
        • Easter (Poem)
        • Maundy Thursday
        • Palm Sunday
        • Lent 5
        • Lent 4
        • Lent 3
        • Lent 2
        • Lent 1
        • Next Bf Lent (Epiphany last)
        • 2 Bf Lent (Proper 3)
        • Epiphany 7 (RCL)
        • Epiphany 6 (3 Bf Lent)
        • Epiphany 5 (4 Bf Lent)
        • Presentation of Christ
        • Epiphany 3
        • Epiphany 2
        • Baptism of Christ (Epiphany 1)
        • The Epiphany
        • Second Sunday of Christmas
        • First Sunday of Christmas
        • Christmas Day
        • Advent 4A
        • Advent 3A
        • Advent 2A
        • Advent 1A
        • Christ the King Yr A (2)
        • Christ the King Yr A
        • Remembrance Sunday
        • All Saints' Sunday
        • Harvest Homily
        • Harvest
        • Admission of Pastoral Workers
        • Saint Thomas homily
        • Corpus Christi
        • Trinity Sunday
        • Pentecost
        • Pentecost: another example
        • Year C frontispiece >
          • Christ the King (Next bf Advent)
          • Proper 28C (2nd bf Advent)
          • Proper 27C (3rd bf Advent)
          • Proper 26C (4th bf Advent)
          • Proper 25C (Last after Trinity)
          • Proper 24C
          • Proper 23C
          • Proper 22C
          • St Michael & All Angels (homily)
          • Proper 21C
          • Proper 20C
          • Proper 19C (story sermon)
          • Proper 18C
          • Proper 17C
          • Proper 16C
          • Proper 15C
          • Proper 14C
          • Proper 13C
          • Proper 12C
          • Proper 11C
          • Proper 10C
          • Proper 9C
          • Proper 8C
          • Proper 7C
          • Proper 6C performance poem
          • Proper 5C
          • Proper 4C
          • Trinity
          • Pentecost homily
          • Seventh of Easter
          • Ascension Day
          • Sixth of Easter
          • Fifth of Easter
          • Fourth of Easter
          • Third of Easter
          • Second of Easter
          • Easter homily
          • Easter (story sermon)
          • Maundy Thursday
          • Palm Sunday
          • Lent 5C
          • Mothering Sunday
          • Lent 4C homily
          • Lent 3C (story sermon)
          • Lent 2C
          • Lent 1C
          • Ash Wednesday homily
          • Next Bf Lent/Last of Epiphany
          • Epiphany 4 (RCL)
          • Second Before Lent
          • Presentation of Christ
          • Fourth of Epiphany
          • Third of Epiphany
          • Baptism of Christ
          • The Epiphany
          • First of Christmas homily
          • Christmas Day homily
          • Christmas Day
          • Advent 4C
          • Advent 3C
          • Advent 2C
          • Advent 1C
        • Non-lectionary sermons >
          • Plough Sunday
          • Advent and Christmas ideas
          • Christmas Day homily
          • A Christmas Tale
          • Remembrance 2013
          • Remembrance Sunday
          • Harvest homily 2
          • Harvest
          • Harvest homily
          • Harvest Water
          • New Pastoral Ministry
        • Ascension
  • Homiletics
    • A Definition of Preaching
    • Speaking locally
    • Notes from a masterclass
    • Design analysis 1
    • Design analysis 2
    • Encouraging feedback
    • Preaching in an amnesic society
    • The Aldi bag syndrome
    • Blog
  • Disciplecraft
  • Recommended
    • Preaching Fools
  • Second of Epiphany

Three Questions for Epiphany (homily)
The Epiphany
Isaiah 60.1-6; Matthew 2.1-12

Picture
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. (Isaiah 60.1) 


Lots of churches run holiday clubs for children during
the long summer holiday. This particular congregation had a different idea – why not have a children’s club during the last week of the Christmas school holidays? During those difficult days when folks have either got rather fed up with all the jollity or are struggling to get back into the work routine. Instead give the youngsters something different to look forward to, and the
adult helpers’ new tasks of preparation quite unlike the food and gifts of the recent home feast.

Of course, as the time approached people began to have cold feet: would adults have the time and energy to devote to it after all the bustle? Would children turn out after the delights of the new things they had so  recently been given? Well, the helpers did have time and the children were eager  to do something different. A great time was had by all. And what did they call
the club sessions? ‘Manifestations’ – literally epiphanies and that describes  accurately just what happened. Kids and adults found themselves surprised and delighted by what they shared together.

Epiphany, in the Eastern Church at least, I think predates the celebration of Christmas. In our tradition it has been reduced to a marking of the coming of the magi to the manger, but in its origins it has a wider, all embracing quality it it. It mixes together both the birth of Jesus  and the baptism of Jesus. It speaks of God being shown to the world, being
manifested amongst his people. God is born to us; Jesus the Saviour demonstrates
his oneness with us in sharing our baptism. God is revealed, made visible, made  clear. This is a manifestation, a showing forth. It’s fitting therefore for us  to think on Christ manifested to us.

 Three Epiphany questions to ponder:
1.  How did you first come to see Jesus?
2.  How do you see Jesus now?
3.  How do you show Jesus?

If I answer those questions for myself the intervention of other people would figure again and again.

I first came to see Jesus through the concern and care of others: the devotion of a good teacher who spent time with me; the encouragement of a Grandma who shared things with me; a colleague who saw worth in what I was doing when I couldn’t see it myself; a clergyman who trusted and respected my efforts, although I was a stranger to him; and friends who were ready to talk of deep things.

Where do I see Jesus now? Yes, the worship of his church  and in the words of Scripture – but I have to admit that too often I miss him in  both places. Then I’m so glad of the dedication of individuals who demonstrate  in what they say and do the Jesus way of living in this world. Those who are not  cowed by this world’s sorrows, hurts and disappointments, but live hopefully and  expectantly, doing and being what they can do and be in his likeness. Strangely  their emulation of him is often hidden from themselves – they would not claim to
be Christ-like. It is we who look on who see it.

And then there’s my part, your part, in showing Jesus to others. This is the scary one; the $64million question. It’s all too easy to be daunted by this. Out conviction must be that as Jesus has been manifested to us, he will be manifested to others. If our own stories of seeing him involves people one way or another showing us, then we must acknowledge that we ourselves can manifest him. Broken vessels we might be, but Christ still uses us; depends
on us. I remember Richard and Eleanor who lived in a street where many high  ranking academics lived. They were the sole Christian worshippers at their end  of the street. That fact was never an issue or an antagonism to their neighbours, but whenever it came up it was made plain that Richard and Eleanor were considered rather superstitious and naive for their faith. 

Then a child was born to their immediate neighbours – two prominent academics for whom career choices meant their firstborn came rather late in life. The whole street rejoiced in this child. One early evening the  proud parents knocked at Richard and Eleanor’s door with their baby. Ushered in, their question was a direct and simple one:‘We don’t know what it is you’ve got, and we don’t think we could ever have it for ourselves, but we want our daughter to have it. Please tell us how she can be baptised.’ They had shown Jesus in their living.

I’m not a Richard or Eleanor – to my knowledge. Too often I feel guilty about that. It’s a sadness that those we love don’t see in our living the quality and the difference that that couple saw in Richard and Eleanor. Yet we do ourselves a disservice. As I said, those in whom I see Jesus often don’t see Jesus in themselves. Might that not also be the case for you, for me? Who knows what influence for Christ we shed?

Show Christ as you may – neither dismayed by your apparent failures nor over-bearing in your earnestness. Rather live as one in whom Christ may live and leave the outcomes to him. Live in the ordinary way with Christ as your inspiration and let the showing, the manifestation, be his concern. 

Your part, my part  – to speak, to care, to pray, as one who has seen Christ  and recognised him.

That is our offering and our testimony.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.