The Second Sunday after Epiphany
Year A

By the Rev. Ann M. Smith

Based on the Gospel reading: John 1:29-42

In reaction to the materialism of the past couple of decades, many people are calling for a return to faith in God. People are searching because they are reeling from the brokenness of the world in which we live. The drug culture that was spawned in the seventies, the high incidence of violence in society, the breakdown of the family and something that is tied to it, the failure of so many marriages and the ease with which one can obtain a divorce are all possible factors. The most profound impact of course came from the events of September 11^th. The sudden awareness of the uncertainty of life had an impact on peoples' interest in matters of the heart. There was, at least for a time, an upsurge in attendance at church. People sought to make amends for the wrongs they had done. They began to ask deep faith questions about life and about life to come. They began to look for fulfillment in their lives.

That means that this is a fruitful time for the Christian church, a time of opportunity, a time in which we should have increasing relevance. We should be reaching out to the seekers in our society. We should be finding ways to meet the spiritual needs of the community. In this season of Epiphany during which we celebrate the many ways that God is revealed to us, we have an opportunity to reflect, not only on our baptismal call, but also on our responsibility to do exactly that, to reach out to those who are seeking.

Last week the readings focused on our baptismal vocation. This week they go beyond that. They imply that having a sense of our baptismal vocation is not always enough. We must constantly reassess whether God is calling us to greater or costlier vocation. In the passage from Isaiah we hear the servant as he calls out to Israelites scattered around the Mediterranean. He is an effective instrument in speaking God's word. Through the prophet God challenges Israel, and likewise each of us, to an even greater role. We find hidden gifts and resources. Particularly we find the resources to reach out to others with the good news of the gospel.

The gospel does not simply tell us that we are called to discipleship. It demonstrates it for us. It gives us a wonderful model to follow. The first thing that Andrew does when he is introduced to Jesus is to take his brother to see him. We think that it is such a big deal to share our faith. It is so 'unanglican'. It was natural for the disciples. How do we make it natural to share our faith in our workplace and in our community? How do we begin to share our religious experiences?

It surely begins by considering our own call. Why do you go to church? Seriously, why? Why are you called? What difference does being a Christian make in your life? If you don't know the answer to that question, you are not ready to share the gospel.

What really counts is that Jesus Christ calls us to this tradition. We are still reading the same Scriptures that were read two thousand years ago. We are breaking the same bread and sharing the same cup that have been broken and shared for two thousand years. Our baptism calls us to share in a tradition that goes back two thousand years. Either we are in a terrible rut, or God is calling us to do something about it. What does God want from each of us?

We're called to discipleship. Sometimes that calls us to the impossible. Some of you in this very church have experienced loss. You have lost parents, spouses, children, or relationships. You've lost jobs, or health or financial security. That leaves you with a choice. You can give up or you can take heart from those who have turned tragedy into discipleship.

There are many such stories. Perhaps the most poignant is the young Japanese girl who lost her whole family in the bombing at Hiroshima. She herself suffered terrible radiation burns. But even as she lay dying in the hospital her spirit carried her through. She was determined that the terrible suffering her people had undergone should never happen to anyone else. She used the art of origami. She cut out a white crane and sent it to her friends asking that they become disciples of peace. For over six hundred days up until her death, she continued her quest for peace. And others who came to know her had no choice. They too took up the quest and began to send out white cranes. And they go on being made and being sent out. Their message is clear. God can help us make the world a better place.

Most of us just say that it is an impossible task. We become so immobilized by anger or fear that we cannot do anything to bring about change. But surely if we are creative, we can do something to improve conditions. We can say "no" to drugs. We can say "no" to sexual promiscuity. We can feed hungry people. We can lobby the government for adequate housing. Think of the wonderful outreach our parish accomplished during the last year. We gave money to FaithWorks that funds community ministries like the Dam and Anglican Houses. We provided services at Chelsea Park. Our ACW served a wonderful turkey dinner to seniors at Heritage Square. We provided families with Christmas hampers. We made over forty gift boxes for Samaritan's Purse. We provided food vouchers for needy people in our community. The list can go on and on.

But there is more to discipleship, isn't there? We need to show people what God is like. Like the little boy in Sunday school who was drew the picture of God.

"What are you drawing?" the teacher asked.

"It's a picture of God," he replied.

"But no one knows what God looks like," the teacher continued.

"They will when I'm done!"

How do we get across to people what God means in our lives? John knew Jesus because the Spirit remained on him. Our human story says that things don't remain. Lovers are jilted. Children are abandoned. Friendships decline. We hear it in everything from soap operas to country music. But though human love may fade away, God's spirit and love never leaves Jesus. And that same spirit is given to us. It remains with us, strengthening, guiding and leading us on to experience more and more of God. We in turn share it with others.