Bishop Eric Menees
The liturgical season we are in is known as Epiphany
(meaning to make manifest), but really it should be called the season of
Epiphanies, because each week, through the scriptures, we see how Jesus was
made manifest. Last week we celebrated the Baptism of Jesus, and through the
scriptures we saw the dove alight upon Jesus and the voice of God come from the
heavens, "This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) Imagine if you were present at
that baptism, hearing those words from heaven...it gives me goose bumps just to
think about it.
This week, Jesus is similarly called out, as it were, when
John the Baptist, in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, cries out to the
crowd and the world... "Behold, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) People
would have either thought him to be a serious nut case, or by the look on his
face and the reverential tone in his voice, known that they'd come into the
presence of the Holy One of Israel!
Who was it that first pointed you to Jesus as the Lamb of
God? For me, it was my grandfather. I
remember the prayers that he prayed before the family sat down to Thanksgiving,
Christmas, or Easter Dinner. He spoke with such an odd combination of reverence
and familiarity, that even as a young boy I remember thinking, "I don't
know who he's talking to, but he is obviously important in grandpa's
life."
My grandfather didn't evangelize exactly, but he did, in a
quiet and confident way, point me toward God and ask the questions that would
be answered in a few years when my friend Bob La Mar invited me to church.
Who invited you to church? Who pointed you to Jesus as the
Lamb of God? This week's Collect implores God to open our hearts and minds to
His Son, the eternal light, through His Word (Holy Scripture) and the
Sacraments. My prayer for you, and my prayer for me, is that we will be looking
for God the Holy Spirit to open us up to new and fresh perspectives on our
Lord, which then, indeed, will lead us to share with others the light of Christ
and to invite others to worship the Risen Lord!
Let us pray... "Almighty
God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that
thy people, illumined by thy Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance
of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of
the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit
liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever." Amen.
Note: The "Notes to the
church" articles are written by Bishop Menees for the Diocese of San
Joaquin. I have posted them on Soundings with his permission for a wider
audience. This is also the case for his "Why I am an Anglican" series.
Dale+
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