LAKE JAMES

NORTH CAROLINA

Epiphany II + January 15, 2006 + St. Paul’s, Morganton

+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

For at least thirteen centuries, and probably a lot longer than that, a particular feature of Christian liturgies has been a short prayer recited just before the readings from the Bible. Those prayers, which usually present the theme of the liturgy of the day, are known as Collects and rank as one of the brightest jewels of the Church’s devotional treasury. As 21st century Christians, we are apt to take them for granted, but a close examination, or even more, attempts to write new ones, show that, among their other virtues, they are a very high form of literary art, having both depth of meaning and excellence of style.

One difficulty with Collects is that, in their magnificent brevity, they are virtually over before they begin! It’s difficult to think carefully about what they have said because the liturgy goes on so quickly to the readings from Holy Scripture and the sermon.

Today’s Collect is one of the relatively few modern compositions in the Book of Common Prayer. Based on one written for the Church of South India, it is well worth thoughtful, as well as prayerful, attention. Listen to it again:

“Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: grant that your people, illumined by your 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…”

Let’s consider what we prayed in that Collect. First, continuing the Epiphany theme of light, we identified Jesus as being the Son of God and the “light of the world.” Then, we asked that God’s people (among whom, I hope, we count ourselves) that God’s people might “shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory.” And, so that there can be no doubt, the Collect immediately explains why – it is so that Christ may be known, worshiped, and obeyed everywhere, which, to my mind, at least, implies that we prayed that He would be known, worshiped and obeyed in every place, but also by every one. As you think about it, wouldn’t you agree that that’s a good description of the earthly mission of the Church? The Church is to be glorious, to shine with a radiance (Christ’s radiance) – not just for the Church’s prestige, but so that Christ the Lord may be known, loved, and obeyed by all people everywhere. Think of it! By our shining, you and I are to enable Jesus to be loved, worshiped and obeyed by others! That’s quite a responsibility, isn’t it!

What do you think it means to ask God to enable us to “shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory?” When I hear those words, I think of the Transfiguration, that eerie incident in which Jesus went up a mountain with Peter, James, and John, and when he returned, his face shone! What about us? How do you suppose we might expect God to answer our prayer to shine with Christ’s radiance? Would we go out of this parish church looking as if there had been some kind of nuclear accident and we were all radioactive? I don’t mean to be flippant, but rather, to focus our attention on the specific words in today’s Collect which we all prayed together.

Actually, asking God to enable us to shine isn’t really all that odd. Most of us have seen people who do shine with a special radiance, people who seem to glow. Think of happy brides and bridegrooms on their wedding day, or fans whose team has just won the Superbowl or the World Series.

Have you ever felt that you shown with a special radiance? That something extremely important had happened which left you ecstatic with happiness? Well, think. Did you try to maintain a straight expressionless face or did you let the joy shine through? For most of us, sharing our happiness is important. We want others to know of our elation and, in one way or another, to share in it. So, when we prayed that God would enable us to shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, we were also asking that our faith might be so strong, so central to our lives, so exciting that we would become Christophers – that is, Christ-bearers, to others. How might that happen?

It’s right there in the Collect, just before our request to shine. It says that our shining will happen * by our “being illumined by God’s Word and Sacraments.” Nothing mysterious, esoteric, or occult. No special diet, exercises, or secret routines are needed, just our regular reading and hearing God’s Word in the Bible, and our faithful participation in the Sacramental life of the Church. Those are the ways God has given us, and they are quite adequate to transform us from blank folk into the shining people of God, people serious about our Christian Faith and Vocation, even people willing to take seriously the call to be “evangelists” – to share the Good News of Christ with others. Both the Feast of the Epiphany and the Sundays which follow emphasize the truth that the Christian Religion is not simply a matter of individual belief, not something to help people feel good, not even just a way to grow in holiness. Rather, the Christian Religion is a gift from God which is intended for all humankind, with those who are Christians having the responsibility to help those who are not, to come to know the Lord and enter the fellowship of the Body of Christ.

Unfortunately, some people seem to think the best way to fulfill that calling is by buttonholing others and convincing them (usually by argument) of the truth of the Christian Faith. Most of us are familiar with the door-to-door evangelists who practically grab others by the lapels to demand “DO YOU KNOW JESUS? ARE YOU SAVED?” Folks who barge their way into the lives of others as if they were supersalesmen and women on behalf of Jesus and we are “potential customers” assigned to them as part of their territory by God the Sales Manager. I am sure such people mean well, but many recoil from that approach rather than being won to Christ by it.

Let me suggest that, as the Collect puts it, “making Christ known” is more apt to happen by virtue of the lives we live than by the words we say. We reflect Christ’s radiance not only by shining faces but by the inner radiance of our lives, by that Christian Faith which gives us purpose, meaning, and strength as we live our lives. If you and I are seen by others as truly being people of faith, people with a holy joy, we will be real evangelists, effective sharers of the Faith. I am not suggesting that that means we will never have our own doubts, never be depressed, never get angry with someone else and even lose our tempers, but that, in the midst of those and the many other pot holes of daily life, our commitment to Jesus and our faithfulness as churchpeople will so nourish us through God’s Word and Sacraments, and by the caring support we receive from and give to our brothers and sisters in Christ, that we can indeed be beacons of light – Christ’s light – to others. I have known people who were, and are, such beacons, and so, I am sure, have you. Today’s Collect says that that’s not just their vocation, but the call from God to each one of us. That’s why that Collect is in the Prayer Book and that’s why we prayed it this morning! Thanks be to God for both!

+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

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