Today we celebrate the feast of the presentation in the Temple. In addition, we use this day to honor those young persons who serve as Acolytes, an ancient and honored calling in the Church. This day is also called Candlemas, as it is the day that traditionally, the candles used in our worship are blessed [11:00 --this was done at the 8:00 service the morning.]. In order to celebrate this holy day, each of us was invited to participate this morning by holding our own candle, our own Christ-light, as we began this service. We draw on so many ancient traditions in this service--the use of candles or special fires is common to many religions. In the Christian faith, candles have been presented at baptism to show the transference of the Church’s blessing to the individual being baptized. We use the Paschal candle, lit only at Eastertide, Baptisms and funerals, to further symbolize the presence of Christ in our midst. The acolytes are light-bearers whose job it is to light and extinguish our candles, carry the cross and/or candles in procession and otherwise assist the priests and deacons in the preparation and clean-up of the Eucharist. In ancient times, acolytes were also the altar guild, setting up and cleaning up the church for services. Today, we draw together these ancient stories, traditions and rituals in order to strengthen and brighten our faith for the times of today.

I believe I can say with some confidence that it is a challenge to be a Christian in today’s world. Whether it is more of a challenge than in times previous, I cannot say. Certainly Christians who experienced persecution under the Roman rulers knew challenges we cannot even imagine. Christians living in parts of Africa still face persecutions almost as harrowing today. But I am more interested in exploring the challenges that you and I face every day as we strive to live out the Gospel.

When we held our candles in church this morning, we were making a statement about Christ being the light of the world. As we gathered together, we made a very powerful image, a picture of the power and warmth of God’s love. It seems right and fitting to do this in our lovely church, in a place that so many of us associate with feelings of God’s presence. Corporate worship is indeed a powerful statement and image, such that we will choose--not being compelled by anything but our own will--to rise almost as early as we do every weekday morning, dress a little more carefully, leave our homes, travel some distance, and gather on a Sunday morning, when most of our neighbors are just opening the Sunday paper, enjoying a second, leisurely cup of coffee, or planning a day of rest from their jobs. My hunch and hope is that we do this because we need to--that we need this experience, this time, this ritual and worship to reinforce the truth of the Gospel that sometimes gets lost the other six days.

As much challenge as just being faithful in worship presents to many, the greater challenge is after the worship is over, when we return home, when we carry the Christ-light with us into the world. Our challenge is to be the presenters of Christ in our lives, into a world that has always rejected what he has to offer, in a world where values other than those we know to be Christian are glorified and promoted.

Let me give you just one example. How many of you have tuned in to any of the two "survivor" series presented on television this year? Even if you haven’t, I’m sure you have heard something about them. In each of these shows, a small group of persons are taken to a remote area of the world for a little over a month. Divided into groups or "tribes" they are given a series of physical challenges to meet. Throughout the show, individuals are interviewed as to their feelings about each other, and periodically, they "vote" to remove other members from the tribe. The last survivor wins a huge sum of money. I will freely admit that I watched the first show following the Super Bowl. There is a perverse fascination that captures our imagination as we are drawn into the personalities of the contestants. But something kept bothering me. At one point, the contestants were cold, and a contest was given them in which the winning tribe was given two blankets. As the winners gleefully unwrapped the blankets, the camera focused on the discouraged faces of the "losers." At that point John the Baptist’s words from the shores of the River Jordan rang in my ears. "...He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." Later in another episode the young man "voted" off the contest had spoken of keeping a promise to another contestant. "I don’t break my promises...," he said. But in the end, the other person double crossed him, not keeping a promise made to him. This vote takes place in a ritualistic/semi-spiritual setting as each contestant is given a torch which, as the host says, is fire, representing life. As he leaves, the light of his torch is ceremoniously extinguished--an unspoken symbol for death. Somehow, I don’t think Jesus could ever win "Survivor." He would be too busy giving away his food, his blankets, and helping the weaker members of the tribe. The very premise of this program is totally alien to Christianity.

Yet, this is only one example among so many. How can we present Jesus in our daily lives in a world so infected by sin? How do we present Jesus in a world that is often hostile to those who would openly declare that they are "Christians?" How do we present Jesus in all the gray areas of choice with which we are confronted, where the "right" behavior is not always clear?

In a strange way, we have been given a strong signal in our lesson from Hebrews today--a strong signal about the real and only "survivor," Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only one who has survived death and sin. He is the only survivor who is able to continue to share his love, his power, the knowledge of his message with those who are members of his "tribe." The scripture says, "he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham." This is an incredibly refreshing concept! Jesus did not come to save those who do not need to be saved--angels are God’s special creatures, created to serve him. They do not know temptation or loss, they do not know sin and certainly not death. The scripture continues: "Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect....Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested."

Now this is a scripture that does not need to be "interpreted." This is something we can readily understand at face value. Jesus knows every detail, every particle, every piece of common human existence. We follow a survivor who understand us, who is on our side, who has gone ahead of us into every challenge presented by life. We follow a survivor who is closer to us than our best friend, our most intimate companion. We follow a survivor who will always keep his promises, never double-cross us and who willingly gives us much more than the coat off his back--he gives us life itself, a taste of what it means to live as God’s children. He has already won the greatest and hardest contest of life, meeting and beating all foes, not by cunning, deceit and human strength, but with compassion, forgiveness and God’s holy love. This is the source of the light we carry into the world from this place. We are able to be Christians in the world "out there" because Jesus is in the world "out there," and through the Holy Sprit, Jesus is with each one of us at every moment of our lives! We are able to affirm the truth of God’s word because Jesus’ example is presented through scripture and Jesus’ presence inspires us to greater choices, bigger responses than we dreamed possible. We, too, become "survivors" because the victory of God’s love has already been accomplished on the cross, and that victory is our legacy through the waters of holy baptism.

The light of Candlemas does not end here when we blow out our candles or leave this place. The light of Candlemas only begins here--through the waters of baptism, and through the renewal of our faith as we pray and worship. Then we each become an acolyte--a carrier of the light of Christ. And when your flame begins to burn low, or even is extinguished by the sin of the world, Jesus is always present and ready to light it again, from his eternal love. We are never left in the dark. We are never left in death. We are never left alone without a "tribe" to which we belong. We belong to the tribe of the only true "survivor," Jesus Christ our Lord.

By: The Rev. Anne O. Weatherholt, Rector
 

"Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people..." Unlike the Gospel of Matthew which records Jesus preaching his greatest sermon "on the Mount" like new Moses giving a new law, Luke tells us Jesus came down to share his insights concerning the way God really sees the world. And what strange insights these are! In every time and place they have caused raised eye brows, head scratching, wonderment. Blessed are the poor, the hungry, those who weep, those who are hated and excluded. Woe to the rich, the full, the laughing, those who are popular and well known.

Sometimes when doing Bible study it is helpful to ask the following questions:

What does this passage tell me about Jesus?

What does this passage tell me about humanity?

What does this passage tell me about the Church?

I would like to use these three questions as we consider together today’s Gospel from Luke.

Let’s begin with Jesus. In the Gospel of Luke, the verses directly preceding today’s Gospel set the scene. Let me read them to you: "In these days he went out into the hills to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles...." Luke then names the twelve chosen by Jesus to be his closest followers. What does this tell us about Jesus? The first and most important detail is that Jesus spent the entire night in prayer the night before he designated the twelve disciples and began the most important part of his preaching ministry. It is likely that Luke has drawn together portions of many sermons and teachings, portions that were memorized and passed from believer to believer. The world of Jesus’ day was a world where memorization was paramount because so few people could read or write. The Jews were used to memorizing scriptures and sayings from the Bible. Jesus used a familiar form of teaching in short, pithy statements, one often being related to the other. We learn from this passage that Jesus "came down with them and stood on a level place." Where have we heard these words before? "For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven." These very words are part of the statement of belief we say almost every Sunday. In verse 19 of this passage it says, "...power came forth from him and healed them all." The Greek word used for "heal" in this passage means to be made whole. Jesus brought a unity of body, spirit, and mind to those who came to him, healing not just physical illness but also healing those troubled with unclean spirits. Jesus has a commanding presence that brings a whole new way of life.

What does this passage tell us about humanity? In verse 17, Luke tells us that a great crowd came from literally miles around to hear him. Jerusalem was several day’s journey from this site, as were the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. "All the crowd sought to touch him..." writes Luke. Can you imagine the scene? Hundreds, possibly thousands of people, all seeking to see, hear and touch Jesus. They came with great expectations, they seemed desperate for contact. Humanity still has a desperate need to "touch" the famous and powerful. People travel for miles for a pop concert, to see a famous performer, to hear a speech by an important person. Today, this contact is not so much physical, as we view many events on television or, increasingly, make contact through the Internet. I believe you and I may very well have been in that crowd if we lived in the area back then. We, too, would have heard of Jesus’ healings, of his miracles, of his power. We, too, still seek Jesus today in our spiritual journey, longing to experience the power and healing he still offers.

Listen to what this passage tells us about the Church--we who gather to hear the word of God made new for this new time. "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man!" Wait a minute...you might be thinking, aren’t these the words of Jesus? Yes, they are, just as full of power as when they were first spoken, just as full of irony, just as pointed, just as potentially upsetting and startling! They tell us that if you have come to God--if you have come to Church--looking for satisfaction, for happiness, for levity and "a place in the sun," you have come to the WRONG PLACE! You are most blessed when you come knowing that life has broken you, that, as it says in our collect from today, "we can do nothing good without" God. This passage tells us that at its best Church is a collection of folks who have tried it the world’s way and have found it lacking. Church is a gathering of the walking wounded. Church is a place for those the world considers to be losers, teaching a Gospel that may only get us into hot water. But, as we know, hot water can be a cleansing force.

During these Sundays in the season of Epiphany, our Parish Nurses, Joan Bachtell and Cathy Ware have been leading classes for our adult education group on various aspects of wellness. As I have worked with the Parish Nurse program in this county for the past four years, I am more and more convinced that this approach to health care is one that the Church has to offer to the rest of the community. Today’s Gospel could well be the theme of Parish Nursing! First, it is based in prayer; it draws its existence from our relationship with God. Remember, we just learned that Jesus prayed all night. Second, Parish Nursing calls out ordinary people for a special ministry, just as Jesus called ordinary people to be his chosen 12. I have heard time and time again from parish nurses that they find great fulfillment as they are able to connect their professional skills with their spiritual lives. Third, Parish Nursing calls us to see healing in a new way--not as the absence of illness, but as an integrated way of life. We are encouraged to find ways of prevention of illness. Just as Jesus’ healing brought wholeness of mind, body and spirit, so Parish Nursing sees the whole person, not just the illness or weakness. Fourth, Parish Nursing seeks to serve, calling all of us to acknowledge the hungry places in our souls, the poverty of our attitudes, the pain and sadness of past losses.

For a long time now, I have had a vision of St. Mark’s as a place of healing. I have had a vision of using all of our wonderful resources--our location in the middle of the south county, our resource of many people from all kinds of backgrounds, many in the educational or medical field. I have had a vision of programs that meet the special prevention and support needs of people of today--needs that are no longer met by extended families or close community ties. Many of us know these special needs first-hand in our work or our own lives--children with various learning problems, marriages that are under increasing stress, literacy needs, blended families, aging relatives--and even the simpler needs of what to do with our children on a day off from school, how to exercise, eat, sleep and order our lives. In just a few weeks, on Saturday, March 17, St. Patrick’s day, St. Mark’s will host a wellness fair, coordinated by our members under the direction of our Parish Nurses. We will be offering a multitude of resources to this Church and this community. For me, this is like an answer to prayer--a "coming to be" of the vision I believe God has given us. I hope it will not end there. Will you be in prayer with me? It starts there. Will you be open to God’s call? Jesus needs disciples today, too. Will you listen to Jesus’ words of wholeness and healing? He wants us to share that healing with all who are hungry, poor, sorrowful and excluded. God’s blessings rest upon those who know He is their strength.

By: The Rev. Anne O. Weatherholt, Rector

A little more than seven years ago when I was installed as Rector of St. Mark’s, the Rev. Peter Fulghum gave me a gift. Some of you may remember "Pete," as he likes to be called, who served as the consultant for the search process for St. Mark’s. Peter is now retired, but was an outstanding ‘interim priest," serving many churches throughout the mid-Atlantic area in the time of transition between Rectors. I asked Pete to preach at my installation service. He was quite aware of the situation faced by St. Mark’s at that time. He knew that this congregation wanted to grow. He knew that there had been many anxious moments in the months after the previous Rector, Father Paul, left for another position. Peter also knew me. He and I had been working together with the transitions facing All Saints’ Church in Frederick after their Rector of 18 years retired. As a part of the theme of his sermon for my installation, he used the image of the "transformer." His gift to me was a small "transformer," the type, I found out later, used in such small electronic devices as doorbells. The role of the transformer, he stated, was to channel large doses of electricity into smooth-flowing streams of current that could be used for everyday living. This, he stated, was the role of a Christian--to help channel the power of the Holy Spirit into useful, flowing power that would power the transmittal of Christ’s light into the world.

At the annual meeting this year held just a few weeks ago, I named the theme for our life together in the coming year as the "year of transformation." I had Peter’s sermon and the transformer, which is on my desk where I see it every day, in mind. Just a little over a week ago, the Vestry spent some extremely fruitful hours with Bishop Smith. I have heard from many of you that you enjoyed his visit last week. I certainly felt he had a lot to say to us and was an extremely good facilitator for our Vestry. He challenged us to articulate the understandings we have of who we are at St. Mark’s, who God is calling us to be and how we are to live together as the people of God with the greatest effectiveness. I believe I can speak for many Vestry members if I say that our eyes were opened and our minds were stretched to see that our congregation is in the midst of transformation!

Today’s lessons could not come at a better point for us in this time and in this place. They mark a major transition point in our Church calendar--the end of the season of Epiphany and the beginning of the season of Lent. The Gospel lesson from Luke tells us of a major turning point in the life of Jesus Christ. Whereas up to this point most saw his ministry as one of teaching, preaching and healing, there is now a new call as Moses and Elijah speak to him of his "departure." It is important to note that this word literally means his "Exodus!" We who are post-Easter Christians clearly see the connection between the story of Moses leading the chosen people out of slavery into freedom and the good news that Jesus has led us out of the slavery of sin and death into a new life of freedom to serve and follow him. One point I always try to make about the Transfiguration is that without this transition, Jesus’ message would have been just his preaching, teaching and healing. We might have remembered him as one of the great holy people of all time, on par with Buddha, as a great teacher on par with Confucius, or as a great preacher on par with John Calvin. But, along with them, his life would now be in the dust of the earth and in the past.

Jesus had gone up on the mountain to pray. Just as we learned a few weeks ago that he prayed all night before preaching to the crowds, so again, we see Jesus drawing aside to pray. The transformation recorded in the Gospels took place WHILE HE WAS PRAYING. His appearance was altered, and the prophets Moses and Elijah appeared to speak to him. They spoke of the "exodus" which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Do you remember the last of the seven words Jesus spoke from the cross? "It is accomplished." It is this exodus, this passage from death into the new life of Easter day that sets Jesus apart as the unique and only Son of God, not remembered in the past, but alive every day, here, for you and me. This is the significance of the Feast of the Transfiguration for us as Christian people.

Paul’s letter to the Church in Corinth follows up on this theme for us today. Paul reminds them and us that to be a congregation is to be the body of Christ. Each member is called and appointed BY GOD to perform a necessary task. The goal of all the tasks is not to ensure the existence of the body, but to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Apostles, prophets, teachers, healers, administrators are all lead by the same Holy Spirit, and all work together in harmony to present Jesus to the world, and to present a safe place to explore the meaning Jesus has for our lives today.

And what is the current of the Holy Spirit that flows through a congregation, empowering it to shine as the body of Christ? It is, according to Paul, the greatest of all gifts--the gift of love. It is perhaps unfortunate that we associate this famous passage from first Corinthians with weddings. There is no doubt in my mind that so many wonderful life lessons in what makes a strong relationship can be learned from this passage. It is so packed with image and advice, with entreaty and insight. We cannot forget, however, that Paul did not direct this toward married couples, but toward the Church! He is addressing much more than the love that becomes sentimentalized in Valentine’s Day cards. He is addressing this passage to a congregation in transition, a group of God’s people who are trying to address some of the same issues that face us! How do we become more and more the people of God within a community that has a wide diversity of age groups, where many of us live in different parts and communities of the county, where those who have known Christ in this place all their lives exist side by side with those who have just begun to call this their spiritual home.

Paul’s words are more like a dash of cold water than a soothing refrain. Listen for the edge: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels and have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal...for our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect...when I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child...for now we see in a mirror dimly...!" Just as Bishop Smith pointed out the radical edge of Jesus message last week, so we see here another radical edge, another pointed message that should jolt us out of our pews just as a static electricity shock snaps from our fingertips. If we forget love, nothing we do is of value. If we forget love, all the wonderful plans, programs and events in the world will soon run dry. If we forget love, we will find that we cannot respond to the power of God that is transforming our congregation from a small, rural Church where everyone knew everyone else, into a medium sized congregation of people who know who they are in God, support each other, and know how to serve God in their daily lives and in the community. If we forget love, we forget who we are in Christ. It is love that is bringing this transformation to pass, and it is love that will enable us to grow together and serve together. It is the "more excellent way," says St. Paul.

This Wednesday, we are invited to an observance of a Holy Lent. We are invited to examine our lives, to prepare for the Easter celebration. I ask you to join with me in prayer that Christ will more and more transform us into his people, that the light of his love may shine forth in our lives as individuals and as members of his body.

By: The Rev. Anne O. Weatherholt, Rector