A Sermon preached by Canon Anne E. Kitch
Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, PA
Second Sunday after Epiphany C
January 20, 2013
Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11
Expansiveness of Heart
Did you know the light increases at both ends of the day, but not at first? We are in that time of year (at least in this part of the world) when the days are getting longer. For the first time in my life, I was made aware of a difference as the time of daylight expands. It doesn’t do so evenly—at least not at first. Through late December and into early January, the sun rises at about the same time, but sets a little later each day. At first, only seconds are added to the amount of daylight we experience. Then gradually, the sun also begins to rise a bit earlier, so that now our day is expanding at both ends adding about 1 ½ minutes to the day. Even as we experience the winter more deeply, we are in a season of increasing light.
We are also experiencing a delightful juxtaposition, because in our church year we are likewise in a time of increasing light. This season after the Feast of the Epiphany is a time of increasing brightness and revelation, a time during which we read scripture stories that uncover for us more and more about just who Jesus is. We begin with the Feast of Epiphany itself, when the magi followed a star to discover the Christ child—the light of the world. We hear about the Baptism of Jesus and the voice from heaven saying, “This is my son, my beloved.” We hear about the first miracle of Jesus at the Wedding at Cana.
Like any of the seasons of our church year, Epiphany can echo a certain season in our spiritual lives as well. Our spiritual lives are not static anymore than the rest of our lives. We have our spiritual ups and downs, our spiritual scrapped knees and moments of comfort, intervals of despair and periods of hope, seasons of the mundane and times of great celebration. Thus there are times in our spiritual lives when we experience epiphanies, moment of sudden revelation or insight.
Our spiritual lives do not always match up with the church season. What I mean by this is you can feel like you are spiritually in the desert of Lent, while the church is celebrating Advent. But just for a moment, in this time and in this place, I want you to imagine with me that it all lines up. Our spiritual lives are in sync with the church season which itself reflects the increasing light of this time of year. And in this moment, become aware of the light of Christ expanding within you.
In a life of Christian formation, in a life of prayer, we can learn to pay attention and become more aware of the ways God’s gifts increase in us. Sometimes insight comes in small ways—sometimes in moment of great epiphanies.
I had one such epiphany recently when I encountered the story of the Wedding at Cana. It came up last week in the daily readings. I have to confess that this story is one of those familiar stories for me, so much so that I hardly know what to make of it when I hear it. You know how it goes: Jesus and his friend attend a wedding, the wine gives out, Jesus’ mother pulls him aside and there is this interesting mother-son moment. Then comes the miracle where Jesus turns water (gallons of water, by the way) into wine. And it turns out to be the best wine ever. And in case we miss any of the significance of this event, the writer of John’s gospel tells us it is the first sign Jesus did.
But when I encountered the story this time, I head something new. It was about the wine. Jesus’ wine was the best. And it came when it seemed there would be no more.
Jesus’ gifts are the best. And they can come at times when we think all good is gone.
This is the season of increasing light, when the days are getting longe,r and for the first time in my life I am more aware of how the daylight expands. The best gifts come with Jesus. A life in Christ is expansive.
“I've always loved the observation by the steward” writes Episcopal priest and author Suzanne Guthrie, “that this ‘best wine has been reserved for last.’ In a life of prayer, flavor, body, depth and refinement, strengthens more fully in the gradually deepening experience of Christ.” *
Like the light at this time of year, like the light of manifestation during Epiphany, a life with Jesus keeps expanding. Our gifts increase. Along with an increased awareness of how God is working in our lives and in the world, comes the opportunity to expand our hearts.
St. Paul reminds us that we all have gifts given to us by God. Spiritual gifts. We each have different gifts; there is a whole variety. Now note the reason we have these gifts-- “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Our gifts are to be used for the common good. To do something for the world. To be a part of increasing the light and love of Christ to those around us. Because not everyone is experiencing abundance. Our gifts, our abundance, our expansive knowledge of love is to be used for the common good.
When we think of inspired people who use their gifts, we often think of saints or heroes. On this day it is easy to point to Martin Luther King, Jr. as someone who used his gifts for the common good. But Dr. King would not have accomplished much of anything without all those others whose names we do not know who continue to work for justice and peace. There are those whose names we do not know who bring healing to someone who hurts, or spend the night away from home in order to offer shelter for those who are cold. And then there are those whose names we do know who minister to us when we are not experiencing abundance. In giving us wonderful gifts, Jesus invites us to exercise an expansiveness of heart.
Jesus was there at the wedding of Cana when the wine gave out. These words, “when the wine gave out,” writes Benedictine monk Bruno Barnhart “express something of the profound and manifold sorrow of the human condition. The wine is always giving out. And as the day wears on, we are more and more aware that we cannot replenish it from our own resources.” ** And we don’t have to.
When the wine gives out, Jesus is there. Jesus’s wine is the best. It comes when it seems like there will be no more. Jesus’ gifts are the best. They come at times when we think all good is gone. In a life of Christian formation, in a life of prayer, we can increase our attention to the expansiveness of God’s gifts within us.
The light of Christ continues to expand in our lives and in the world. Expect your gifts to increase. Share your abundance. Practice an expansiveness of heart.
* Suzanne Guthrie, from her blog Soulwork Toward Sunday: Epiphany 2 (Year C) www.edgeofenclosure.org
**Bruno Barnhart, The Good Wine: Reading John from the Center as quoted by Suzanne Guthrie in Soulwork Toward Sunday (see above).
