Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 3: 7-10
Ephesians 3: 7-10
Happy Epiphany! The Christmas season officially ends today as the church remembers the story of the visitation by the Magi from the East to the house in Bethlehem where Jesus was born according to the Gospel of Matthew. The story only exists in Matthew...no wise men in Luke and, of course, no birth stories in Mark or John. And so the twelve days of Christmas come to pass and gifts to honor a King of kings are brought by astrologers who have interpreted a galactic event, a supernova perhaps, as the sign of the birth of the prophesied Messiah for the people of Israel. We know from our study of history that extraordinary cosmic events often accompanied special births in an ancient world where the wisest scholars understood the world they stood on in very finite terms including the idea that the stars are ordered for our delight and as signs from God. Not to mention that the earth was a flat three-story home for humanity, the center of the universe, and that God moved the sun and moon, stars and clouds as blessing or punishment. Nevertheless, we have this crafty story that proclaims that the humble infant born during the reign of King Herod was truly Lord of lords.
Epiphany is more than a time to remember We Three Kings (who were not really kings); today begins a season of celebrating the revealing of God to humanity through a vulnerable, Jewish babe who grew to be known as Savior of the world. During this season of ever-increasing light, we remember that God really did break through the deep abyss where the light of love and life had been hidden from us all by the ways of death and unhealthy relationships. We celebrate that God revealed to us that as those made in God's own image we really are a part of who God is in the world; as Bishop Spong would say, God really is within each and everyone of us. Wow! How would that thought alter your New Years Resolutions?
I have been unimaginably blessed during my 19 years in ministry to have encountered God in so many relationships along the way. Epiphanies have been a regular event in my life! This week, I joined hundreds of folks in our community who said goodbye to a faithful servant of the gospel who revealed a little bit of God in so many of the ways he was invovled in making the world a better place. Harold Dean Simcox was eulogized by leaders of his church, the community and his family as a man who faced nearly every obstacle placed before him with a servants heart and an attitude of humble perseverance. There is no doubt that Dean was gifted with the ability to communicate the irrevokable worthiness of all of God's creation whether he was acutely aware of his gift or not. Dean was an epiphany. He revealed the gracefulness of God's love for all people and wasn't afraid to put his faith into action for the common good. My personal experiences with Dean include a couple of fun rounds of golf with a stop at The Wagon, appreciating his carpentry skills as he helped me remodel a kitchen, build cabinets for the church resource room, build a playhouse for the preschool, design and construct a ramp for a member recovering from an accident, building walls for a new church in Western IL after floods destroyed the previous building, and of course working on the Habitat homes on West Grand Ave which included going to lunch at the 48 Inn for great fish. We built some great memories and I learned much from him! I'm not sure that there were any celestial events on the day Dean was born, and I'm not claiming that he was perfect, but what I know is that he is one of God's saints who have revealed to me God's spirit of community, justice, compassion, integrity, and enthusiasm for abundant life. I am thankful for his presence in my life and for the countless ways that he brought God's light into the community that he loved so much.
So, on this day when we celebrate the revealing of the mystery hidden for ages in the human being, we call Jesus, I say goodbye to an epiphany. God's rest for you...good and faithful servant and friend!
Peace & Joy!
Robert
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