Calvary Episcopal Church
Memphis, Tennessee
January 12, 2003
The First Sunday After the Epiphany

Hearing God's Call?
(What are We Waiting For?)
The Rev. Lewis McKee

Gospel: Mark 1: 4-11

As most of you know this is the first Sunday after the Epiphany. I like to describe it as a celebration of "hearing God's call." There are different ways to hear God's call. One might say they vary in as many different ways as there are people on this earth. Of course, that statement assumes all have heard or will hear God's call.

Quite a few years ago a man, unknown to most people, came out of nowhere and made a major pronouncement that immediately spread throughout the world. I recall that most people, including me, thought he had lost his mind for saying such things that he claimed had come to him straight from God. That man proclaimed 'he had a dream.' His words rang true with millions of African Americans and people of all races, creeds and persuasions.

His words are still quoted as the foundations of major socio-economic, cultural and religious movements that continue to this day. I am talking about the man whose birthday we observe next week, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. whose proclamation, "I have a dream," still rings true in my heart, soul and mind. I pray that it always will. It was one of the "AH-HA" moments in my life--a real Epiphany. Dr. King was sort of a modern-day John the Baptist for many…and still is.

In about 30 or 40 minutes, I will be with one hundred or so men and women who will be our guests for the regular Sunday Morning Homeless Breakfast. Among them may well be one or more 2003 A.D. "John the Baptist types." Some will certainly be dressed and look like a modern-day Baptizer. But they will be eating bacon and eggs, grits and a biscuit, instead of 'locusts and wild honey.' Most people do not want to have anything to do with them and think some are crazy as loons. Sound like John the Baptizer? Yes! And among those homeless there may be one who acts and speaks like a Martin Luther King type-one that comes out of nowhere having had a dream and wants to share it with you and with me.

However, the most important part of the whole story is that I am persuaded all of us have already felt, or will feel the Holy Spirit 'descending like a dove' upon us. At some point in our lives we will hear the Word of God saying, "You are my daughter, my son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased." Hearing such a voice surely was John's Epiphany. Hearing such a voice can be our Epiphany.

If we buy into that statement, and intend to act upon it and share it with others, perhaps a little more commentary on what John the Baptizer faced would be helpful. My friend Barbara Brown Taylor covers this point exceedingly well in a chapter of one of her books. What follows is a paraphrase of her ideas:

As different as the four Gospels are, they all include John the Baptist. He was asked, "Who are you?" His answer, "I am not the Messiah." "Are you Elijah?" "I am not." "Are you one of the prophets?" "No." "Who are you?" "I am the voice…"

It must have been hard on John. It may also be hard on us, but not as hard. John was set apart by God to do one single thing with his life--to proclaim the coming one--and yet he did not know who he was waiting for, nor when he was coming.

We must not forget, waiting is an essential part of the Christian life. Listen to what we say every time we break bread together: "Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again." This is the mystery of our faith--that we are always waiting for Christ to come to us, even though we may believe that he has already come; that he is coming to us even now in word and sacrament and will come again.

How about you? How about me? What are we waiting for, and how is it shaping our lives? Are we waiting for certainty, for healing, for love? How is each of our lives different because of God? How about the dawning of a new age, in which the wolf and the lamb shall feed together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox?

Is this the same vision John the Baptist had of a great light that was coming into the world to shine out of the darkness? Was it the Epiphany message that John heard coming from heaven: "You are my son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Was this the same voice of God that Martin Luther King heard in his dream? I passionately believe there are no exceptions, we all want to hear the voice of God calling! It is my prayer that this truth of hearing God's call is alive and active in our lives forever and ever. Let it be our Epiphany!
Amen

Copyright 2003 Calvary Episcopal Church

Gospel: Mark 1: 4-11
4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to
stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’ 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am
well pleased.’

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