3rd Sunday after the Epiphany Year B

3rd Sunday after the Epiphany—Year B January 21, 2018 This past Wednesday, we commemorated the Confession of St. Peter at our Wednesday healing service. A major feast of the church year, the Confession of St. Peter helps us remember Peter, his confession of Jesus as the Messiah that still rings throughout the ages, and the role that Peter had as the “rock of the church” in the founding of the Christian church. I read to the assembled congregation a meditation on the themes of the day by the Rev Canon Sam Portaro, and one idea from that has stuck with me. Portaro writes about how his relationship with his parents is different than his younger sister’s relationship with their parents. Each lived with the parents during different time frames—Sam was 12 years older, so he was with his parents in “the early years” and his sister lived with them after Sam went off to college and started his adult life. Each of them has different experiences with these same parents that, in a way, change and shape each of their relationships with the parents. Portaro reflects that the same is true about each of our relationships with God. God is the same, but our relationships with God are colored and shaped by our own unique experiences of and with God. Today, in our series on the 7 sacraments, we are going to talk (very briefly) about 4 sacraments that are, like ordination-which we talked about last week- not necessarily sacraments that every person experiences first hand, nor are they necessary for all people in the way that Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist are. Confirmation, Unction, Matrimony, Reconciliation of a Penitent. (And just so you know where I’m going with this, next week, I’m going to take a break from the sacraments and in conjunction with our Annual Parish meeting, talk about my hopes and dreams for this parish for the coming year. Two weeks from today, at both services I’ll be conducting an explained Eucharist which is a celebration of the Holy Eucharist, like we normally do, but it will be without a sermon and with explanation of what we are doing and also the opportunity to ask questions at certain points during the service. And then we will have completed our series on the 7 sacraments.) Today, like the last two Sundays, I’m going to invite you to take our your Prayer Books, and I’ll invite you to chime in where appropriate. Who remembers what a sacrament is? (BCP 857--The sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace.) Who can tell me what the BCP says that confirmation is? (p 860-- Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop.) And what is required of those to be confirmed? (It is required of those to be confirmed that they have been baptized, are sufficiently instructed in the Christian Faith, are penitent for their sins, and are ready to affirm their confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.) We learned two weeks ago that baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s body the church, and that bond established by God is indissoluble, so why do we need confirmation? Turn to page 412 and someone read the first two paragraphs. (In the course of their Christian development, those baptized at an early age are expected, when they are ready and have been duly prepared, to make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and to receive the laying on of hands by the bishop. Those baptized as adults, unless baptized with laying on of hands by a bishop, are also expected to make a public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism in the presence of a bishop and to receive the laying on of hands.) Confirmation is the opportunity for each of us who desires to make a mature faith commitment through a public affirmation of our faith, and it is the opportunity for each of us to individually answer the call of Jesus in our lives and to deepen in our relationship with him with the full support of the church and the gathered congregation. Next up: Holy Matrimony. What is it? (BCP p 861: Holy Matrimony is Christian marriage, in which the woman and man enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows.) The service is found in the BCP on p 423. Marriage is a solemn covenant into which two people enter before God and their gathered community. Unlike other sacraments in Holy Matrimony, the couple are actually the ministers of the sacrament, and the bishop or priest who is officiating is present to pronounce the blessing over the couple. The Episcopal Church requires that only one member of the couple be baptized, and if either of the couple have been divorced, then there are specific directions in the Canons of the Episcopal Church that must be followed before the couple can be married in the church. Next up is Reconciliation of a Penitent. (BCP p 861--Reconciliation of a Penitent, or Penance, is the rite in which those who repent of their sins may confess them to God in the presence of a priest, and receive the assurance of pardon and the grace of absolution.) This is the Episcopal version of Confession. Everything that is said during reconciliation of a penitent is confidential and won’t be talked about by the priest with anyone, even including the person unless he or she brings it up. I consider that even the fact that a person is doing reconciliation of a penitent is also confidential. We do this in the church, and I have found that some folks like to do this as a part of their Lenten observance. Others use this as a part of their 12 step/recovery work. (If you’d like to schedule a time to do this with me, just call me up. To learn more about it, read through the two different versions in the prayer book beginning on p 447) And last for today: unction. Who can tell me what unction is? (p 861: Unction is the rite of anointing the sick with oil, or the laying on of hands, by which God's grace is given for the healing of spirit, mind, and body.) The service begins on page 453. Anointing of the sick is done by priests. We use blessed oil and it can be done privately, in a home or hospital room, or publicly—which we do every Wednesday at 10 am in our chapel. It can be celebrated with the Holy Eucharist (which we do on Wednesdays), but it does not have to be. Of special note are the prayers at the back of this section beginning on page 458 that are prayers for the sick, so if you ever want to pray for someone who is sick, these are very useful. And turn the page to 461—there are prayers written to be used by someone who is sick. (I understand one of your previous rectors used to pray the one for In the Morning at every sermon.) Sacraments are the gifts of God’s grace, which is God's favor toward us, unearned and undeserved; by grace God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and strengthens our wills. And interestingly enough, in the sacraments, God’s grace is freely offered to us by God through some of the most ordinary materials of our lives—bread, wine, water, oil, hands, and community. Your invitation this week is to think about or remember a specific time when you felt the gift of God’s grace in your relationship with God through one of the sacraments. You might also consider in your prayers this week asking the Holy Spirit to help you be more receptive to the gift of God’s grace.