Divided by Having a Common Savior?

3 Epiphany A      January  26, 2020

Is. 9:1-4         Psalm 27:1, 5-13
1 Cor. 1:10-18    Matt. 4:12-23

Lectionary Link

George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde and others have said that the British and Americans are people who are divided by having a common language.  As Churchill asked Ike before D-Day, "General, why do you Yanks say SKEDULE;  we Brits, say correctly, SHED-UEL?"  And Ike replied, "Well, that's what we learned in SHHOOELL."

How many Communions, churches, and denominations call themselves Christian in our world?  Starbucks are more unified in their coffee products and shops than Christians are in their beliefs and practices.  We can ironically say that Christians are diverse people who are divided by having a common Savior.  What is more divided than the practice of Christians practicing "closed communion" with each other?

Yesterday, on January 25th, we finished the week of Christian Unity which is between the celebration of the Confession of St. Peter and the celebration of the Conversion of St. Paul.  This week of Christian Unity is the aspiration for Christians to pause and take note of what we agree on so that we don't let our differences result in the hateful excommunication of each others.

Holding unity and difference together in perfect reciprocity is the great task of life.  We are one humanity but living in significant differences.  We are one America but we are always threatened by the extreme polarization of our differences.  One might even think that Americans are living in the state of perpetual excommunication of each other, with different parties declaring the other as American heretics.  Americans are people divided by having a common Constitution, Pledge of Allegiance and Flag.  In fact the unity/diversity dynamic is even more local; husband and wife are often persons divided by having a common marriage.  Mother, father, son and daughter are often persons divided by having a common family.  On and on, the dynamic between unity and diversity are the big waves of life on which we try to surf without crashing to harm.

If unity and difference is a fact of the process of life, we need to learn how to exploit the strengths of unity and difference while minimizing the threats of both.  Unifying absolute power, corrupts absolutely, think Hitler and Stalin.  Splintering and isolating diversity creates chaos and open and even hurtful conflict.

The Church of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit was a Gospel which in essence was saying we do unity and diversity in the most adequate and beneficial way.  We don't do it through the unity of a Caesar with an army able to force such unity; we don't try to limit unity as simply an isolated ethnic group consisting of ritually observant Jews.  This kind of unity is not accessibly offered to the entire world.  St. Peter and St. Paul believed that the unity and diversity dynamics of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit should be brought to the entire world in accessible and unrestricted ways.

But stating the aspiration of finding the best balance between unity and diversity is easier said than done.  And St. Paul found this out real quickly.  There was conflict arising within the Corinthian church to which he wrote.  Why?  Members of the Corinthian church were saying to each other, "My guru is better than yours.  I take my marching orders from Paul, or from Cephas, or from Apollos," or others were saying, "I take my orders directly from Christ."  Indeed Paul discovered that the Corinthian church was a church divided by having a common Christ.  One can see that much of the persuasive effort of St. Paul in his letter of Corinthians is devoted to persuade them to honor the diversity of ministry while serving the One Holy Spirit.  And the tour de force of Paul's letter to the Corinthians is the Love Chapter where he wrote that you can have everything, all the gifts, all knowledge, all sacrifice, but it means nothing without having Love.  Loving each other is what allows unity in diversity; not a trivial "liking" each other in having the same affinities on ritual rules or teacher preference.  These minor affinities cannot unify if they are magnified to be the primary basis of unity.

So what is the key to evangelism or the good news of God in Jesus Christ?  The Gospel lesson for today presents to us some of the original insights about evangelism.  Jesus of Nazareth called some simply fisher folk.  James and John and Peter and Andrew.  What do you think is the dynamic ingredient in the call of Christ?  It is love.  You won't willingly and cheerfully follow someone whom you don't love.  Jesus loved the people he called and they loved him.  This dynamic relationship is what is essential to the call of Christ.  How did Christ love these fishermen?  He went to where they were located in location and vocation.  He was not recruiting people with impressive resumes.   Most American Presidents have to have gone to Harvard or Yale.  Most English Bishops have to be Oxbridge people; graduates of either Oxford or Cambridge.  Jesus loved and called people because he went to where they were.  He did not say, "I'll check your resumes and make sure you have studied the Torah in the Hillel School, the Shammai School or Gamaliel School of rabbinical studies.  If you have the correct degree in the study of the Torah, I'll consider hiring you for the evangelical task."

No, what did Jesus say to them?  He said, "Follow me, and don't burn your bridges in your previous life experience.  You learned much as a fisherman.  You learned the patience of waiting for the catch.  You learned to accept the "how many," of the catch.  You learned community during the wait as you shared stories during rain or sunshine, or wind or calm.  So all of these virtues you learned in fishing, I want you to transform in learning how to relate to the people in your future.  You fishermen really love fish; well you evangelists are really going to love people whom you will meet.  And this love is going to help you call and catch people because your love is going to be shown in how you reach out to people where they are."

They will know that we are Christians by our love.  Love is the secret to evangelism.  Love is the secret to finding the ideal balance between unity and diversity.  And love is not easy because it involves the regard of justice, of giving each person his or her due.  Love is not the easy, mushy liking of others; love involves the deep regard for people for whom we might not have any natural like or affinity.

Today you and I are still called to fish for or catch people, but not a predators who want to feel good about ourselves if we can get people to agree with our Christian point of view.  "Wow, if I can get more people to agree with me and fill the pews that means my view is better."  No, church growth for its own sake, is not the loving and regarding call of Jesus Christ to which we are invited.

Today, you and I, are invited to catch people through the practice of accepting love of Jesus Christ.  And the people whom we accept may not be popular to other people.  Many churches have divided over who can be acceptable followers of Jesus Christ.  Many have left the Episcopal Church, Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church and Methodist Church regarding who can be acceptable followers of Jesus Christ and full participating members within the church.

Today you and I are not here to agree about who our gurus of faith are.  We are not here to agree on all manner of taste, politics or sports teams.  We are here to be together to seriously engage the practice of love which guides the wisdom of finding how to honor unity and diversity in our midst.  And in finding a love which reconciles unity and diversity, we go forth to fish for people.  We invite them to be involved in our humble, always incomplete efforts at the practice of love; a love that honors the unique difference of each person, even while agreeing that the practice of love enables me to have the power to check my ego at the door to be involved in all of the good things we can do together as united Christians.  

So to live together well and to evangelize effectively, you and I have been and are called to follow Jesus Christ in the practice of Love. Full stop.  Amen.

Sunday School, January 26, 2020 3 Epiphany A

Sunday School, January 26, 2020    3 Epiphany A

Theme:  Speaking the language of fishermen

When Jesus taught people he used language that they could understand.  With farmers he spoke about sowing seeds and about grapevines.  With shepherds he spoke about raising sheep. With fishermen, he spoke about fishing.  Jesus told them that he was a fisherman and he did not fish for fish, he fished for people.  Fishing might be fun to do for recreation but if it is your every day job, it might not always be so fun, especially if the fish are not biting.  Jesus told Peter, Andrew, James and John that he could teach them how to fish for people.  What did he mean by this?  It meant that he would teach them how to make friends in a special way by teaching them how to bring good news to the lives of other people.  Jesus told people God love them and forgave them.  He told them they did not have to fear death because God would preserve their lives after death.  He taught people.  Teaching people makes their lives better.  When we learn new things, we can do new things and it is like light comes on.  Jesus was a teacher and he brought light to James, John, Peter and Andrew.  They saw that Jesus was such a good teacher for them, they wanted to learn how to teach and help others.  So that is how Jesus taught them to fish for other people.

How can you fish for other people?  How can you make friends?  How can you help other people learn about God?

Learning how to be friends with others is learning how we can share good news about God’s love and care.

Sermon

What is the biggest light in our life?  We see it every day unless it is covered by clouds.  What do we call that big light in the sky?  It is the sun.  The sun is really a star that is just close to us than the other stars.  What do we need the sun for?  Many things: heat, light, growing our plants.  If we did not have the sunlight, we could not live. So it is very important.

  Today we have read from the Psalm that God, the Lord is our Light.  And we read in our Gospel story how people called Jesus as great light. 

  How can God and How can people be like a light?

  A light allows us to see things that we cannot see if we don’t have a light.  A light allows us to see things differently.

  When it is dark in your bedroom sometimes a shadow can look like a big tree or something else?  But when you turn on the light you find out it was just a shadow of the curtain.

   God helps us to see things differently.  God’s light is shared with people.  God’s light was in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is light because he showed us how to live better lives.  His life was like a light because he taught people and he healed people and he helped people.

   So you have people who are like lights in your life?  When you lose your toys, your mom says, did you look under your bed?  And her words are like a light shining to help you find your toys.  Your parents are like lights for you because they care for you and teach you new things.  Your teachers are like lights for you because they teach you new things.

  Do you know what Jesus said to his friends?  He said, “You are the lights of this world.”  What did he mean by that?

  He meant that we all have to live in a way to show others how to live better lives.  How do we live our lives to be like lights?  By loving and caring for one another and by making friends.  Jesus told his friends who were fishermen that they should fish for people.  What does that mean?  Does it mean we should try to catch people with a net or try to get them to swallow a fish hook?  No.  Jesus liked to speak in riddles; to fish for people was his way of saying, they needed to become very good at making friends.  How do we make friends?  By loving and caring for them, by helping them,

  Today we have learned how our lives can be like a light.  By teaching others.  And we’ve learn how to fish for people.  By learning how to make friends.

  Okay let turn on our lights now.  Let me see you shine.  And lets go fishing.  Let go and make some friends.

Intergenerational Service with Holy Eucharist

January 26, 2020: The Third Sunday after The Epiphany

Gathering Songs:

I Will Make You Good Fisher Folk; Seek Ye First, Glorify Your Name; Dona Nobis Pacem

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

People: And Blessed be God’s Kingdom, Now and forever. Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Song: I Will Make You Good Fisher Folk (Christian Children Songbook # 58)

I will make you good fisher folk, good fisher folk, good fisher folk.  I will make you good fisher folk, if you follow me.  If you follow me, if you follow me.  I will make you good fisher folk, if you follow me.

Hear God calling, come unto me, come unto me, come unto me.  Hear God calling come unto me, I will give you rest.  I will give you rest.  I will give you rest.  Hear God calling come unto me, I will give you rest.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A Reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord.

Peope: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 27

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? * the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?

One thing have I asked of the LORD; one thing I seek; * that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life;

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."  From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Lesson – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Youth Liturgist:          The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:                        And also with you.

Offertory: Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Seek Ye First  (Blue Hymnal, # 711)

1                 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you; Allelu, alleluia.  Refrain: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, allelu, alleluia.

2          Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek, and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you; Allelu, alleluia!  Refrain

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of God.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

All may gather around the altar

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Song: Glorify Your Name (Renew! #37)

Father we love you, we worship and adore you, glorify your name in all the earth.  Glorify your name, Glorify your name, glorify your name in all the earth.

Jesus we love you, we worship and adore you, glorify your name in all the earth.  Glorify your name, Glorify your name, glorify your name in all the earth.

Spirit we love you, we worship and adore you, glorify your name in all the earth.  Glorify your name, Glorify your name, glorify your name in all the earth. Glorify your name, glorify your name in all the earth.

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: Dona Nobis Pacem (Blue Hymnal # 712)

Dona nobis pacem, pacem.  Dona nobis pacem.  Dona nobis pacem.  Dona nobis pacem.  Dona nobis pacem.  Dona nobis pacem.

Dismissal:   

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.  

People: Thanks be to God!   

The Call of Christ and Evangelism Involves Translation

2 Epiphany A January 19, 2020
Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 40:1-12
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42

Lectionary Link

Since we read the Gospel of John in its final textual and translated form, we often read it with primary naivete; that is, we read it as if it was an eye-witness account of a single reporter who was following Jesus around charting a contemporaneous account of his life.

We love to keep things in the delicious story mode; that is for child-like immediate enjoyment.  Why do you think Disney, and Novels and the Cinema is so popular.  We like to live in the "as if" mode.  We like to assume everything is "as if" it appears in its artistic form.

But lingering in primary naivete as the only way of reading the Bible is what created the interpretative school of what is called fundamentalism.  And when naïve reading clashes with science, common sense and the uniformity of natural causes in a closed system, people respond differently.  Fundamentalists think that they have to read most of the Bible as literal.  And scientists think that if being literal is what defines faith and religion; they say no thanks.  And as Episcopalians, we believe that we can be poets and scientist at the same time.  We can appreciate poetic, artistic, faith discourse and we can have our feet firmly on the ground with the brute facts of scientific discourse.

We can understand the Gospel of John as a collection of writings which had various editions before a final edition.  These writings reflect several decades of the mystical teachings of the church, their inquirers classes to teach new members being added to their community, the liturgical practices of the church including healing, Eucharist and baptism, and all of these practices were given a discourse to weave their original inspiration with the story of the life of Jesus.

One of the themes of the Epiphany Season is the calling of Christ.  Christ becomes manifest to people in a personal call.  Back in the days when telephones were fewer, it was always really special to get a call.  Back in the days of snail mail, it used to be really special to get a personal letter.  But today with the ubiquity of messages a call is not so special.  We end up blocking most calls and funneling messages to spam folders.

The notion of call is still important, because what is it that makes a call special?  It depends upon who is calling.  The call of Christ is important because he is unique and his call is personal and special because it is tailored to each individual's life experience.

Today, we can highlight the call of Simon Peter which came in a succession of referrals, starting with John the Baptist, then his disciples, which included Andrew, who then told his brother Peter.  This highlights that evangelism is most often based upon referrals.  "Hey, I've someone special; would you like to meet him too."  Evangelism is in many ways an attempt to do some match making between Jesus and other people.  "Hey, I'd like you to meet someone special; here's how I encountered the Risen Christ and it changed my life.  I'd like to present this accessible experience to you too."

One of the reasons we highlight call of Simon Peter today is because yesterday we began what is called the week of Christian Unity which stretches from January 18 until January 25th.  Yesterday, was the feast of the confession of Simon Peter, when he declared Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of God.  On January 25th, we commemorate the Conversion of St. Paul, who was the chief apostle to the Gentiles.  Peter was a Pillar in the Jewish followers of Christ and Paul was a Pillar of the mission and manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.

We might say that the purpose of the Gospel of John is to make the call of the Risen Christ accessible to the widest possible audience.

How does the church make the call of Jesus Christ accessible to the widest possible audience?  This brings us to what I find a very fascinating parenthesis in the Gospel of John.  The parenthetical phrase is, "which is translated."

Translation is the key to making the call of Jesus Christ accessible to the widest possible audience.  The many people who were instructed within the community which wrote the Gospel of John came from different backgrounds.  Some were observant Jews, so they knew the jargon.  They knew what rabbi meant, they knew what Messiah meant.  They knew what Cephas meant.  But there were non-observant Jews and there were many Gentiles who had to have the connection of the Hebrew Scriptures with Jesus of Nazareth, translated to them.  They had to have the Judaic traditions translated to them.  The Gospel of John is a collection of writings about the efforts of the early church to translate the meaning the significance of Jesus Christ to people from diverse backgrounds.  The early church were trying to appeal to the followers of John the Baptist.  So they presented John the Baptist with the understanding that John recommended Jesus as his logical successor.  The early church which generated the Gospel of John were appealing to members of the synagogue by showing how Jews like Peter and Paul could merge their Judaism with the Spiritual innovations that became known through the teaching of Jesus Christ.  But also, John's Gospel translates actual language and religious notions into language accessible to the Gentiles who had no background in Judaism or the Hebrew Scriptures.  How would a Gentile know what "Lamb of God" meant unless there was a translation of Hebrew Scripture and tradition?

Translation expresses the essence of the Epiphany season.  How does Jesus Christ become manifest to the World?  He becomes translated into accessible teaching to as many people as possible.  Translation implies a bi-lingual experience.  It implies that there is a bridge of communication between diverse people.

If you and I have responded to the call of Christ, it is our further calling to become translators of the life Christ to other people.  We are called to interpret the meaning of the Risen Christ to other people in ways that are accessible to their life situations.  We celebrate this week of Christian Unity because translation requires lots of people to translate the meaning of the life of Jesus to all of the people of the world.  We as Episcopalians in this place have our own way of translating the call of Christ to the people we are inviting to know the Risen Christ.

Today, let us embrace the role of translating and interpretation with renewed commitment.  It means that we accept the very personal and unique ways in which Christ has gotten through to us and from there we honor the personal and unique ways that Christ will get through to people in their personal circumstances and situations.  Translation and interpretation means that we have to get to know and honor the life situations of others so that we can find the best way to refer them to know the call of Christ.

So on this day of remembering the call of Peter in this week of Christian unity, let us answer the following question with: "I will with God's help."

Will you translate the life of Christ to other people that you meet so that they can know the love of God in a very personal way?

"I will, with God's help."  Amen