Readings for Sunday, January 2, 2011Readings for Sunday, January 2, 2011

Presented by staff and friends of

Sunshine CathedralSunshine CathedralMetropolitan Community Church

affiliated with the Center for Progressive Christianity Ft Lauderdale, Florida, USA

Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin

Sunshine Cathedral Chief Programming Minister

Rev. Dr. Durrell WatkinsSenior Pastor Sunshine Cathedral

Rev. Dr. Mona WestDirector, Office of Formation and Leadership DevelopmentMetropolitan Community Churches

Rev. BK HipsherVirtual Chaplain Sunshine Cathedral Director of Sunshine Cathedral in Second Life

Rev. Brian Hutchison Sunshine Cathedral Director of Volunteer Ministries & Assistant

to the Senior Pastor

Epiphany Sunday

Sirach 24.1-12 (NRSV) Wisdom praises herself, and tells of her glory in the midst of

her people.2 In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, and in the presence of his hosts she tells of her glory: 3 ‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist.4 I dwelt in the highest heavens, and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.5 Alone I compassed the vault of heaven and traversed the depths of the abyss.6 Over waves of the sea, over all the earth, and over every people and nation I have held sway.’

John 1.14 (NRSV) 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we

have seen his glory, the glory as of a [parent’s only child], full of grace and truth.

Female and male images of God’s presence with humanity.

The spirit of God called Wisdom infusing all of creation.

God’s presence with us as a human. Image of God’s love for humanity – illustrated as

the love of a parent for an only child.

Rev. BK HipsherThemes

Rev. Brian Hutchison Exegetical Analysis

•Sirach 24:1-6

•The Book of Sirach (aka “Ecclesiasticus,” “The Wisdom of Ben Sira,” or “The Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach.)

•Author noted as Ben Sira, a Jewish scribe in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE. Palestine was thoroughly Hellenized culturally during this time. The Greek emphasis on philosophy and wisdom set the scene for the writing of such wisdom literature.

•The author does not dismiss wisdom from other traditions, but rather demonstrates that Jerusalem too can be a source of inspired wisdom.

•Though designated by Protestants as part of a separate “Apocrypha” (meaning “hidden away”), the Roman Catholic canon includes Sirach and other deuterocanonical books among the Hebrew scriptures.

Rev. Brian Hutchison Exegetical Analysis

•Sirach 24:1-6•Chapter 24 parallels closely to Proverbs, chapter 8. Both praise Wisdom, her origin in God (the “Most High”), and declare her power and moral/ethical sway in the world.

•This chapter (including verses 1-6) begins in elaborate poetry, which in form alone affirms the importance and beauty of the wisdom the author affirms as coming from God, and especially to Israel.

•Verses 3-6 allude to the first creation account in Genesis 1. Like the Spirit that hovered over the waters of creation, she covers the earth like a mist.

•Our selection ends with verse 6, which affirms wisdom from “over all the earth.” Though later in the chapter, the resting place for the personified Wisdom is Israel, verse 6 does affirm the wisdom of every people and nation.

Rev. Brian Hutchison Exegetical Analysis

•John 1:14•The opening/prologue of the Gospel of John tells us much about the Johannine community’s christology. Incarnation is central to this first chapter’s mystical narrative of Jesus’ birth and life in the world.

•To them, Jesus is the cosmic Word in flesh. The Word (logos in Greek) is the rational principle of the universe. The Gospel of John reads that the Word was with God and was God. It also then states in our selection for today that the World dwelt among us (presumably in the person of Jesus.) This narrative gives the reader a lens by which to read the full narrative of Jesus life.

•Word/Logos can be understood as rationale, logic, or even wisdom (tying this reading to the first). The masculine “logos/word” parallels the feminine “sophia/wisdom.”

•The reader is led to be amazed that such a principle, which transcends time, could be made flesh for people to observe and experience in a temporal world.

Rev. Brian Hutchison Exegetical Analysis

•John 1:14•In the Hellenized world of the late 1st century CE, the use of the term Logos/Word was common across cultures.

•“Lived” or “dwelt” refers to the importance in the Hebrew scriptures of God dwelling with the people of Israel, whether in tents or in the temple.

•“Us” refers not to eye witnesses of Jesus’ physical presence in the world, but the way that the Johannine community experienced the presence of Jesus as if they were eye witnesses. They have seen the glory among them.

•The “grace and truth” that they experienced in Christ-following community reflected for them the “steadfast love and truth” that was witnessed to in the covenantal relationship between God and Israel.

•Seekers of truth find the Word in flesh, in bodies.

Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the true Mass of Christmas on January 6 (Epiphany). It wasn’t until the 4th century that December 25 was celebrated as Christmas in the Western Christian church.

Rev. Dr. Mona WestDeeper With the Text

The word “epiphany” means light or manifestation and in early Christian tradition it celebrated the coming of the light of Christ into the world.

Not only was Jan 6 the Feast of Epiphany in the Christian church, but this date marked celebrations of all kinds throughout many cultures. It marked winter solstice for many--the passing of the long nights of winter into the strengthening light of the sun. There were annual celebrations in early January to mark sunny winter days when farmers started to prepare their fields for spring planting. The celebrations would include loud singing and trumpet blasts to wake up the dormant trees for the new year.

Rev. Dr. Mona WestDeeper With the Text

In Egypt, January 6 marked the Festival of Osiris, a slain god who was reborn on this date. During this time of year, many celebrations took place regarding the birth of a Wonder Child who would bring light out of the darkness of mid-winter. Most of these celebrations took place, however, on December 25. On this day the birthdays of Krishna, Dionysus, Horus, Attis, Tammuz, and Apollos were celebrated.

Rev. Dr. Mona WestDeeper With the Text

A lot of times when we think of the word ‘epiphany’ we think of a light switch. That’s how we use the word—when we say someone has an epiphany, it’s like an ‘aha’ moment. But the use of the word in the context of the life of Christ and the life of the church is that epiphany means a ‘dawning’ not a quick flip of a switch. Epiphany has to do with the continuing light of Christ in our lives and in the world. Christ’s light dawning, growing stronger in us day by day, year by year, life passage by life passage. Epiphany is about Christ’s light growing in us, but it is also about our seeing that light in our world and in others.

Rev. Dr. Mona WestDeeper With the Text

This Epiphany Sunday, the second day of a new year, an important question we need to ask ourselves is “What will we see this year?” What kind of eyes will we use as we encounter Christ’s light? Some of us may need LASIK surgery or progressive lenses to correct the way we have been seeing.

Rev. Dr. Mona WestDeeper With the Text

Rev. Dr. Durrell WatkinsRev. Dr. Durrell Watkins Theology and the ArtsTheology and the Arts

Sermon Points:

Isaiah 60 and Matthew 2 are the readings from the RCL.The Isaiah pericope begins, “Rise up in splendor; your light has come.”Matthew’s passage refers to astrologers practicing divination and following a stellar light.

A comparison to the Quaker belief that there is an “Inward Light” or “that of God” in all people can be made. By believing in the light of our own sacred value and being intentional about journeying deeper and deeper into new territories and being open to the new discoveries to which this divine light within us leads, we are bound to have some life changing epiphanies in our lives.

We’ll still be who we are (the Persian Zorastrian and possibly gay astrologers don’t stop being Persian or Zorastrian in the story), but we can find new ways of exploring possibilities and expressing our truth (they returned to their country by another route). We can be authentically ourselves while never being stuck in the past or trapped by traditions that no longer serve our best interests.

Rev. Dr. Durrell WatkinsRev. Dr. Durrell Watkins Theology and the ArtsTheology and the Arts

The SCL readings are from Sirach and John.Comparisons can be made to Holy Wisdom and the Logos.The word/divine idea/wisdom/reason/purpose of God is universally accessible in the first reading, and dwells with(in) us in the second.

New Testament scholar Burton Mack says that the I AM statements in John’s Gospel (I am the true vine, I am the way, I am the resurrection, etc.) aren’t meant to make Jesus seem arrogant and self-important (in contrast to the humble synpotic Jesus who says, “Why do you call me good?”), but rather, is meant to make Jesus the protagonist of the story with which the hearer identifies. As John’s Jesus claims his unity with the divine Presence, the Johannine community is meant to do the same. We are each, Mack would suggest, to summon the courage to say “I am something good; I am a person of sacred value; I am someone with gifts to share with the world; I am a blessing to others; I am light and love and beauty and courage, etc.”

If that suggestion seems plausible to us, then perhaps the ancient hymn with which “John” opens his gospel is also meant to affirm our dignity, potential, and sacred value. The divine word/idea/wisdom/Light dwells with us and within us. We are the word made flesh as well!

Rev. Dr. Durrell WatkinsRev. Dr. Durrell Watkins Theology and the ArtsTheology and the Arts

Whether we focus on Isaiah/Matthew or Sirach/John, the idea that light/love/divine presence is accessible to us, just as we are, remains a direction we can take.

Light, journey, discovery, our sacred value…these threads can be followed whether we are celebrating Christmas 2, Epiphany, or the New Year.

With that in mind, here are some light images to use in the liturgy or as sermon illustrations:

Rev. Dr. Durrell WatkinsRev. Dr. Durrell Watkins Theology and the ArtsTheology and the Arts

Rev. Dr. Durrell WatkinsRev. Dr. Durrell Watkins Theology and the ArtsTheology and the Arts

Rev. Dr. Durrell WatkinsRev. Dr. Durrell Watkins Theology and the ArtsTheology and the Arts

Next week’s discussion Next week’s discussion Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at noonTuesday, January 4, 2011 at noon

Readings for Readings for Sunday, January 9, 2011Sunday, January 9, 2011

www.sunshinecathedral.org/lectionary.htmwww.sunshinecathedral.org/lectionary.htm

Presented by staff and friends of

Sunshine CathedralSunshine CathedralMetropolitan Community Church

affiliated with the Center for Progressive Christianity Ft Lauderdale, Florida, USA

Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin

Sunshine Cathedral Director of Media Chief Programming Minister

Rev. Dr. Durrell WatkinsSenior Pastor Sunshine Cathedral

Rev. Dr. Mona WestDirector, Office of Formation and Leadership DevelopmentMetropolitan Community Churches

Rev. BK HipsherVirtual Chaplain Sunshine Cathedral Director of Sunshine Cathedral in Second Life

Rev. Brian Hutchison Sunshine Cathedral Director of Volunteer Ministries & Assistant

to the Senior Pastor