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As
I write this, we have just celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, that joyous
occasion of revelation of Jesus' divinity. So here we are in this Epiphanytide,
or Ordinary Time, until Ash Wednesday. This year we will have a later Easter,
meaning a later Lent - and thus we have opportunity to pray and celebrate in
this season for a longer-than-average time.
With
this extended period, we have the opportunity to journey through an exciting arc
in the Gospel narratives. It's a whole
season which could be labeled "But we've never done it that way
before..." For each of the passages we will hear proclaimed on Sundays, we
are being given an example of how Jesus challenges the status quo, breaks the
mold, re-educates the people what it means to be followers of God. And in every
instance, the power of God breaks through in an astonishing way.
In
the special feast days, we see John baptizing Jesus despite acknowledging that
this is an unnatural order; at the presentation at the Temple Jesus' divinity
is proclaimed by unknown elders; in the Transfiguration divulging his true
nature to his friends yet requiring their silence.
In
the "ordinary time" readings we are equally baffled by the
extraordinary expressions of atypical moments: wedding guest Mary coercing Jesus
to be revealed in the water/wine miracle; Jesus openly declaring that he
fulfills the prophet Isaiah; an unlikely disappearance as target of an angry
mob; an unlikely catch from the other side of the boat; the beatitudes
challenge all levels of earthly 'authority'.
In
each of these narratives, the message comes through the abnormality of events.
Jesus is showing his friends that the possibility for the revelation of God
goes beyond human knowledge and expectation and experience. It is not arrogance
that has this carpenter telling master fishermen where to cast nets, but an
invitation to try something a little bit different - and thus to reap the
reward. It is not to reject the law that Jesus offers the Beatitudes, but as a
means to confer grace and blessing to a people who are seeking compassion.
Jesus
is not aiming to stir up trouble for the sake of rebellion, but to embody
kindness and to inspire faith-based action. And now, some 2 millennia later,
Jesus is inviting us to the same ministry: to move beyond our patterns and
practices and try to discern ways to live the Good News in our communities.
What
an exciting invitation! What a privilege to have this time for these lessons!
What a beautiful reminder that sometimes the most exciting and fruitful
ministry can happen when we move (and are moved) outside the box, being sufficiently
nudged and guided by God's Holy Spirit in ways that may scare us, with results
that we are not anticipating, but always in ways where God is profoundly at
work in and through us. How exciting to see the glory of the Lord revealed!
Just
as the magi used their courage and faithfulness in the great revelation of
Epiphany, I pray we all may be emboldened by the Spirit to embrace new
opportunities in ministry, that God's glory will shine even brighter this
extended Epiphanytide. As the New Zealand Prayer Book invokes: "Let us
look expectantly to new days, new joys, new possibilities."
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