Sermon for the 2nd Sunday of Epiphany – 15th January 2023: Isaiah 49, 1-7; 1 Cor 1, 1-9; John 1, 29-42.

Fr Leonard Dolan St Paul’s Athens

Last Sunday we reflected a little on the three deeply symbolic gifts that were presented by the Wise Men to honour the Christ. Gold for kingship; frankincense for priesthood; myrrh for death.

We developed a little the theological gifts that we present before our Christ in our Anglican tradition – our Anglican gift within Christ’s universal Church; our contribution to the honouring of scripture; of treasuring the tradition; of serious intellectual debate; of respecting the real experience of human beings.

It seems appropriate therefore this morning to consider what might constitute our personal gifts in generous gratitude for all that God has given to each of us.

To keep us focused on a simple text I return to the well known Christmas hymn I quoted last week. If you wish to take away anything from this sermon it should be this.

What can I give him

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb.

If I were a wise man

I would do my part

But what I can I give him

Give my heart.

 

We often say of someone who is talented and well know, or who has made a great contribution to the arts or science or architecture – especially perhaps in their obituary – his or hers was a God-given gift. For us this is significantly more than just popular acclaim.

 

The God-givenness at this deeper level is revealed to us in the words of the prophet Isaiah that we read/heard this morning.

 

‘The Lord called me before I was born; while I was in my mother’s womb he named me’ (Is 49, 1)

 

This statement about the human being (what we might call an ontological statement) resonates with the words of one of the Psalms, ‘O Lord, you have searched me out and known me….For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.’ (Ps 139, 1, 13, 14).

Now on the one hand these scriptural sentiments, if politicized by church people, can lead to conflicts within Christianity, conflicts within the ethics of abortion, for example. On the other hand these are the most gorgeous and gracious and grace-filled words that express the great mystery that we are made in the image of God and reflect his light and truth. The mystery of the Annunciation – when the Archangel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will have a child of the Holy Spirit, and nine months later the birth of her child in a manger – are saying something very profound about us as human beings in our very nature. We are as the Psalm says, wonderfully made!

 

I wonder how often any of us walking along the street, or cleaning the house, or working in the office, or teaching English, or stacking shelves actually stops to think ‘I am wonderfully made’.

 

In our church life, in our human interactions with each other, in our response to the poor, the homeless, how often do we consider of the other person ‘you are wonderfully made’.

 

We should; for we are. This is how God has planned humanity and how he has formed us – in his likeness and in his image – and because we generally seek evidence for things, he has given to us the gift of his Word made flesh.

 

A God-given gift might be something that we recognize in ourselves or not; it may be others who see it in us. A God-given gift might be something that we have to develop, hone and form as we move through life. However the one basic fact is that we are each a God-given gift, and we are given talents, capacities, opportunities along the path of this life.

 

St. Paul recognizes this when he writes to the primitive church in Corinth encouraging them to use their spiritual gifts for the life of Christ’s church there, ’I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind…so that you are not lacking any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 1, 1-7)

So we are called to exercise the gifts that are within us, gifts that are recognized by ourselves or sometimes by others, for the wellbeing of the Church and the building up God’s precious society – the church and the world. ‘What I can I give him, give my heart’.

 

In six months’ time I will be retiring as your priest here. Until a new priest is found and arrives in Athens the burden and responsibility of the life of the congregation falls to the Church-wardens. Theirs will be a great deal of work in simply maintaining a semblance of regularity and normality – let alone the awesome responsibility of finding a new priest, a new priest who is ‘wonderfully made’ just like the rest of us.

 

Together you will have the duty and the joy of supporting and assisting the Wardens in this. From the treasure trove of gifts that have been bestowed on you in Christ Jesus you will have to search deeply to discover what yours might be. If you are exercising your gift for the church already, then ‘double down’ on that. If you are secretly harbouring a gift then let it come into open waters in full sail. If you are yet uncertain what the contours, the shape, of your gift is yet to take, then pray about it, and having prayed, respond. More than ever your gifts must be shared. After all the scriptures tell us ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20, 35)

 

When someone asked what the gospel theme would be for this Sunday I referred to John the Baptist. ‘What again?’ she said with some surprise. Her question might indeed resonate with others who listen to or read my sermons, because John the Baptist dominates at least 50% of the season of Advent. I know for a fact there may be one or two others who hear or read my sermons who will be thinking the same thing.

 

Consider though what the gospel is telling us. Ok we are back with John the Baptist, but note his words – not who John is – ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world… I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One. John 1, 29, 34).

 

John himself recognized his gift and his calling – and he was probably a more significant local figure than we can imagine – this is why he gets so much scriptural attention – but despite all his gifting, it is John who points the way. He points to Jesus, to the Christ, the incarnate Lord who is a sign for all humanity that we are indeed formed in the likeness and image of God, and that we are wonderfully made.

 

What can I give him

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb.

If I were a wise man

I would do my part

But what I can I give him

Give my heart.