St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Wesley Chapel, FL
Preacher: The Rev. Adrienne R. Hymes
The Third Sunday after the Epiphany Year C: January 23, 2022
Gospel: Luke 4:14-21/1Corinthians 12:12-31a
Perhaps you have experienced moments in your life when, deep down, you know that something, within you or around you, is shifting. There is a real sense of clarity that something is being brought forth, but you just can’t put your finger on it or even name what it is. There is a sense of anticipation for the unknown to be revealed. It is interesting that often, in reflection, one may find that this anticipated “unknown” had already been revealed—right before their eyes and in their own hearing.
We enter into our Gospel passage, in the fourth chapter of Luke, with some “knowns,” provided by the author. We know that Jesus’ public ministry was already in motion and had been well-received throughout Galilee. He was faithful to Jewish practices as he customarily went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. When Jesus arrived in Nazareth, he was a guest in his own hometown. It was customary to invite the guest into the synagogue to read from the scroll of the Prophet. When Jesus was given the scroll, he was not directed to begin reading at any particular place. The scripture says that he unrolled the scroll, and he found the place where the prophetic words about him were written (v. 17).
Jesus began, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor,” and he concluded with, “to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” The people reacted to him with their eyes fixed on him. Now, the hearers would have been very familiar with the prophetic words of Isaiah, but there was something different about this teacher and his reading of this scripture that caused all eyes to be fixed on him.
As a custom in the synagogue, one was expected to stand to read scripture and sit down to teach1. Notice that after reading the prophetic words of Isaiah, Jesus sat down. And Jesus’ teaching was delivered in one sentence, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (v.21). In the person of Jesus, God incarnate, was visibly in their midst, breaking into human history through the spoken scripture, and in that moment—in their hearing—they were participating in the fulfillment of that scripture, whether or not they were aware of such participation.
Remember, we are in the season of Epiphany. The lectionary lessons are focused on the divinity of Jesus, and Luke’s purpose in this passage is to focus the camera lens on the moment when those who were anticipating the promised Messiah, experienced this unceasing divine shifting of God within them and around them, which communicated, “Your wait is over.” In his statement Jesus invited God’s people into an unfolding reality, which they had been anticipating for generations, but couldn’t quite name what that was.
What a great day to have our very first annual parish meeting. Such a gathering of the body of Christ aligns well with the Gospel message and with our patron saint’s epistle in first Corinthians chapter 12. Paul said, “…The body does not consist of one member but of many…As it is, there are many members, yet one body…Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (v. 27). Each one of you has a gift—or several—to share to ensure that this embodied manifestation of Jesus Christ, known as St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, may boldly proclaim to the poor in spirit who have been broken and oppressed by this world, that the anointed One who brings good news to the poor, proclaims release to the captives, restores the sight of the blind and liberates the oppressed—is still active today.
Jesus Christ was the visible manifestation of the invisible God. And, St. Paul’s is the visible manifestation of Christ in this world. The Christ who speaks into the soul of this gathered body, “I am here. See me in the face of your brothers and sisters. Hear me as you worship and serve in ministry. As God’s kingdom breaks into the world right here, through St. Paul’s, we are always experiencing His divine shifts.
By our presence, and in our hearing in this sacred space, God’s inbreaking into human history continues in and through us—Jesus’ disciples—for whom it is our custom to worship on the day of the Lord and to model our lives on the life of Jesus. And, as we seek the presence of Jesus today, and, with hopeful anticipation, seek Jesus who is still coming, let us remember that this one body, with its many members, is already participating in God’s unfolding vision for this faith community, for which there are so many unknowns. If we pay attention, we just might find that, in reflection, glimpses of these anticipated “unknowns” have already been revealed right before our eyes and in our hearing.
In 2017, there was no dedicated worship space for the vision of a new church to take root—God provided conference rooms in car dealerships. In 2018, Wesley Chapel Episcopal Church rented and shared worship space with another church—God provided a steady gathering space where momentum increased. In 2019, we began renting, and renovating this former gym, into our dedicated worship space. In 2020, we expanded into the full building, providing us with a fellowship hall. In 2021, membership continued to grow in the midst of a pandemic. And, now, in 2022, our hopeful expectation for God’s shifting, in and through us, still exists.
How will God form St. Paul’s into an active agent of change in this community? How will God provide the resources St. Paul’s needs to secure land and build our own church? These are not questions to cause anxiety; but to encourage us all to pay attention to the Holy Spirit, in the moment, and to listen to God’s voice, in the moment. Whether or not you are aware of your participation in fulfilling a vision that was placed on the heart of this diocese many years ago, to plant a new faith community in Wesley Chapel, by your presence, and in your hearing of these scriptures today, you are an active participant.
It does not matter if you started on this journey of faith in 2017 or if you showed up, by God’s holy leading, last Sunday, you are actively participating in bringing forth the mission of God in Wesley Chapel, at this appointed time. That mission of God is the mission of the Church—to restore all people to God and with each other in Christ.
Brothers and sisters, I am a witness to the truth that when we walk by faith and not by sight, God shows up. And, in order for us to participate in the fullness of God’s divine actions, we need to show up, too. Show up in your prayers. Show up in worship as you are able. Show up in the world as the body of Christ that you have been purposed, and are being nurtured, to be. Show up because St. Paul’s needs you and because Jesus needs you.
The good news is that Jesus is already in the world, and through our faith, we know that where Jesus is, there we will be also. Thanks be to God. Amen.
1Harper Collins Study Bible, NRSV. p. 1769.
