Isaiah 60.1-6, Matthew 2.1-12
1A because of that, I Paul, the prisoner's Christ Jesus for you Gentiles, ... 2Si at least you've heard of the grace of God granted to me so I can hear from you. 3This by revelation that I had knowledge of the mystery, as I just write a few words. 4In reading them, you can understand the intelligence that I have the mystery of Christ. 5ce mystery had not been brought son to the attention of men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets: 6The heathen have the same inheritance, form one body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus by the Gospel
Dear brothers and sisters, dear friends
,
We celebrate this Sunday the Feast of the Epiphany (which will actually take place next Thursday). Epiphany remains quite discrete in the liturgical calendar of the French Protestants. Yet, as we begin a new year, with these hopes and challenges placed before us, the Epiphany has something to tell us both personally and collectively as a church. The term "epiphany" means manifestation in Greek. The festival originated in the Eastern churches, and he should know that it took the West a much more limited than in the East, because for us it is more focused on the visit of the Magi.
But in fact, originally, the epiphany was the one great feast of the manifestation of Christ in the world. This included his birth in Bethlehem, his baptism (because Marc is starting the story of Jesus's baptism by John, with demonstration by the Father's voice and the dove of the Spirit), the visit of the Magi (manifestation to the Gentiles), the miracle at Cana (event by the first miracle).
In fact, one could say that the Epiphany is a feast of beginnings: the beginning of the earthly life of Christ's birth, beginning (s) of his ministry with his baptism and his first miracle. So for us to begin a new calendar year, let us ask the question: what does God want beginnings lead us in 2011? Living the manifestation of God in our lives because it did not stop of course with the biblical events that we have mentioned.
I invite you this morning consider the message and meaning of the Epiphany, especially from a few verses of chapter 3 of Ephesians, which I've read: "The mystery of Christ, says Paul, God has to reveal now by the Spirit. "
Since Epiphany means manifestation of God, the example of the Apostle Paul will show us precisely how this party can and must be updated. How
Paul, at least, understood and updated the epiphany of God, the manifestation of God's mystery.
And how we, today, we could understand and update our turn.
For Paul, the shock, revelation takes place on the road to Damascus, where the light of God broke out around him and about him.
conversion of the apostle Paul is an extraordinary illustration of how God calls a man, an individual, the shakes, he speaks, light it and sends it.
It is ridiculous to such examples, to question the significance today of the conversion of the individual, and preaching the good news of the new birth, the proclamation of the grace offered by God to person I am. At the individual what each of us. Each man has an infinite value in God's eyes. God appears to each person. Although
Naturally, this view has been attacked from all sides for a long time. Many people have questioned the importance of this personal relationship between God and man. It said the fact ridiculous to preach slaut personal, individual, being a Christian say "Christ died for me" as Luther put it so strongly. Of course, there may be an unhealthy side in a too individualistic spirituality. But that does not justify the opposite extreme, which blurs the need for personal faith! We have seen, even within the churches, the sad result of ideologies which claimed that the individual does not count, it was the struggle classes that ran the History, that the problems would be resolved through a global revolution and collective. The result of the collectivist dream with which "Christians" have been compromised, it was the gulag camps and Khmer Rouge! And even today, in our liberal society that promotes individualism as its worst, it is clear that in fact the individual is the pawn of economic issues. Between selfishness current exalting the individual above everything and collectivism that represses, Christianity preaches the dignity of each individual's responsibility to answer God's call, his right to enroll in natural communities such as family, and his freedom of thought. There is a balance to find out where to find: leave room for a personal pilgrimage in faith, while placing that faith in the community of the local church.
Because individual salvation that we talked about is also a call for sharing and communion. This too is seen in Paul's life which, trimmed his conversion, has literally sacrificed his life to preach the Gospel. This does not mean that we all have the same mission as Paul, but we all get a call to serve. Early this year, we ask: how My service in local church can glorify God, edify my brothers and sisters and be a testimony for those who do not know Jesus Christ?
In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul refers probably to his conversion on the road to Damascus, where he said: "By revelation, I became aware of the mystery."
But this mystery, "said Paul," now God has revealed through his Spirit, "is that" the Gentiles have the same inheritance, form one body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel "That's wonderful
update Epiphany of God, that we find in Paul.
That's wonderful understanding, new, revolutionary, updated, mystery of the Gospel.
This is probably the revolution that changed world history, more than could have done political revolutions, transformations of structures.
"The pagans have a common heritage," said Paul. These pagans, "nations" in Greek. Nations are "fellow heirs".
The vision is broad, immense, the size of the whole world. Jesus came not only to be the Messiah of the people. Jesus came not only to save Israel.
He came not only to save Paul.
Paul, deeply affected, transformed, revolutionized, will explode all over the news.
He lay on the roads of the world, in the mountains and the passes of Anatolia and Asia, and to Rome, capital of the empire, capital of the world of his time.
For Paul, the Epiphany of God in Jesus is no small matter. This is not the case of a small group, a people, or even a small church composed of people of various nationalities.
For him, the Gospel is for everyone. Jesus is for everyone.
This has been revealed. It was not easy at all.
Moreover, Paul will be heavily criticized by the Judeo-Christians, Jews. There will even be denounced, vilified and persecuted.
He had violated the taboo. He had broken down barriers. He opened wide the doors of the church, the doors of salvation. Will we seize this dimension radical revolutionary of the Gospel?
"Pagans," he said, nations are fellow heirs with Christ, members of the same body, associated with the same promise. " Wonderful
apostle Paul understood that Jesus Christ came for all men!
But for us who receive the Gospel this morning, that now means the Epiphany, the manifestation of the mystery of Christ?
How we will update the Gospel in our turn?
Some say we live after the age of ideologies that have dominated the 20th century (fascism, communism). But we still live under the thumb of an ideology! That of consumerism, the market, that of moral relativism erected into a dogma. Political correctness has its Inquisition! And as Christianity can not enter into this mold, as it offers another model, another world view, it is naturally vilified and ridiculed. And yet, yet, there are many, among us, those who voien that man does not live by bread alone, those who crave something more: coment will we be witnesses to them?
I know that our churches must regain absolutely missionaries and evangelizing. I do not know how they will revert. I really doubt there is a single model. Some are harnessing the power of modern communications like the Internet. Why not? But let us be careful not to rely on human power, a technique that could cut us off from the one true power: that of the Holy Spirit! In fact, I think the issue is primarily not to confuse the means (whatever they are) and end (the proclamation of the Gospel).
Indeed, the great revolution will probably be less in the means used for evangelism, as in this vision, the revelation that Paul had received, the mystery of Christ who was revealed to him by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are called to be God's people?
Is this vision is that of our community? Is it worth it to guide us? It is easy, when we live in, to sink into defeatism Christian. It is easy (and dangerous!) confusing loyalty and inertia! So, are we really listening to the Holy Spirit, who revealed to Paul the great mystery of the love of God and who still serves in the church to show him the way? Because doing careful, brothers and sisters, God is still at work!
At beginning of the book of Acts, Luke says "Theophilus, I mentioned in my first book, all that Jesus began to do and teach." Jesus began acting and teaching during his earthly ministry and the involvement of Luke is that he continued in the first church described in Acts and from a community like ours. We recently read the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus is described as Emmanuel, God with us. Well, starting this year with the certainty that Jesus is with us all, that Jesus is with our community.
In the text of Isaiah read this morning, we heard the prophet say to Jerusalem, Arise, shine, for thy light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
Like Christmas, the Epiphany is also a festival of light. The light of God's presence in our lives. The light of his grace, which is available to all. The light of his love, which guides us in the darkness of the world.
In his first letter, Peter tells Christians "you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people, to announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
Do we realize this? Do we realize that we can live in the marvelous light of God? And this is possible because God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. We no longer have to wander in uncertainty, we no longer find meaning in our lives: the great light of God is risen upon us.
That does not make us enlightened, but enlightened people. People who will discern the signs of the Kingdom in their daily lives. People who, having received salvation through the Gospel in the Gospel find their daily food and the force that drives them forward.
Send greeting that will be exchanged this morning in many Eastern churches: I address you, too, with joy
- "Christ is born and manifested itself ...
- For You, us, great news! ".
And the light of the Lord Jesus guide you and keep you in the new year.
1A because of that, I Paul, the prisoner's Christ Jesus for you Gentiles, ... 2Si at least you've heard of the grace of God granted to me so I can hear from you. 3This by revelation that I had knowledge of the mystery, as I just write a few words. 4In reading them, you can understand the intelligence that I have the mystery of Christ. 5ce mystery had not been brought son to the attention of men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets: 6The heathen have the same inheritance, form one body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus by the Gospel
Dear brothers and sisters, dear friends
,
We celebrate this Sunday the Feast of the Epiphany (which will actually take place next Thursday). Epiphany remains quite discrete in the liturgical calendar of the French Protestants. Yet, as we begin a new year, with these hopes and challenges placed before us, the Epiphany has something to tell us both personally and collectively as a church. The term "epiphany" means manifestation in Greek. The festival originated in the Eastern churches, and he should know that it took the West a much more limited than in the East, because for us it is more focused on the visit of the Magi.
But in fact, originally, the epiphany was the one great feast of the manifestation of Christ in the world. This included his birth in Bethlehem, his baptism (because Marc is starting the story of Jesus's baptism by John, with demonstration by the Father's voice and the dove of the Spirit), the visit of the Magi (manifestation to the Gentiles), the miracle at Cana (event by the first miracle).
In fact, one could say that the Epiphany is a feast of beginnings: the beginning of the earthly life of Christ's birth, beginning (s) of his ministry with his baptism and his first miracle. So for us to begin a new calendar year, let us ask the question: what does God want beginnings lead us in 2011? Living the manifestation of God in our lives because it did not stop of course with the biblical events that we have mentioned.
I invite you this morning consider the message and meaning of the Epiphany, especially from a few verses of chapter 3 of Ephesians, which I've read: "The mystery of Christ, says Paul, God has to reveal now by the Spirit. "
Since Epiphany means manifestation of God, the example of the Apostle Paul will show us precisely how this party can and must be updated. How
Paul, at least, understood and updated the epiphany of God, the manifestation of God's mystery.
And how we, today, we could understand and update our turn.
For Paul, the shock, revelation takes place on the road to Damascus, where the light of God broke out around him and about him.
conversion of the apostle Paul is an extraordinary illustration of how God calls a man, an individual, the shakes, he speaks, light it and sends it.
It is ridiculous to such examples, to question the significance today of the conversion of the individual, and preaching the good news of the new birth, the proclamation of the grace offered by God to person I am. At the individual what each of us. Each man has an infinite value in God's eyes. God appears to each person. Although
Naturally, this view has been attacked from all sides for a long time. Many people have questioned the importance of this personal relationship between God and man. It said the fact ridiculous to preach slaut personal, individual, being a Christian say "Christ died for me" as Luther put it so strongly. Of course, there may be an unhealthy side in a too individualistic spirituality. But that does not justify the opposite extreme, which blurs the need for personal faith! We have seen, even within the churches, the sad result of ideologies which claimed that the individual does not count, it was the struggle classes that ran the History, that the problems would be resolved through a global revolution and collective. The result of the collectivist dream with which "Christians" have been compromised, it was the gulag camps and Khmer Rouge! And even today, in our liberal society that promotes individualism as its worst, it is clear that in fact the individual is the pawn of economic issues. Between selfishness current exalting the individual above everything and collectivism that represses, Christianity preaches the dignity of each individual's responsibility to answer God's call, his right to enroll in natural communities such as family, and his freedom of thought. There is a balance to find out where to find: leave room for a personal pilgrimage in faith, while placing that faith in the community of the local church.
Because individual salvation that we talked about is also a call for sharing and communion. This too is seen in Paul's life which, trimmed his conversion, has literally sacrificed his life to preach the Gospel. This does not mean that we all have the same mission as Paul, but we all get a call to serve. Early this year, we ask: how My service in local church can glorify God, edify my brothers and sisters and be a testimony for those who do not know Jesus Christ?
In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul refers probably to his conversion on the road to Damascus, where he said: "By revelation, I became aware of the mystery."
But this mystery, "said Paul," now God has revealed through his Spirit, "is that" the Gentiles have the same inheritance, form one body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel "That's wonderful
update Epiphany of God, that we find in Paul.
That's wonderful understanding, new, revolutionary, updated, mystery of the Gospel.
This is probably the revolution that changed world history, more than could have done political revolutions, transformations of structures.
"The pagans have a common heritage," said Paul. These pagans, "nations" in Greek. Nations are "fellow heirs".
The vision is broad, immense, the size of the whole world. Jesus came not only to be the Messiah of the people. Jesus came not only to save Israel.
He came not only to save Paul.
Paul, deeply affected, transformed, revolutionized, will explode all over the news.
He lay on the roads of the world, in the mountains and the passes of Anatolia and Asia, and to Rome, capital of the empire, capital of the world of his time.
For Paul, the Epiphany of God in Jesus is no small matter. This is not the case of a small group, a people, or even a small church composed of people of various nationalities.
For him, the Gospel is for everyone. Jesus is for everyone.
This has been revealed. It was not easy at all.
Moreover, Paul will be heavily criticized by the Judeo-Christians, Jews. There will even be denounced, vilified and persecuted.
He had violated the taboo. He had broken down barriers. He opened wide the doors of the church, the doors of salvation. Will we seize this dimension radical revolutionary of the Gospel?
"Pagans," he said, nations are fellow heirs with Christ, members of the same body, associated with the same promise. " Wonderful
apostle Paul understood that Jesus Christ came for all men!
But for us who receive the Gospel this morning, that now means the Epiphany, the manifestation of the mystery of Christ?
How we will update the Gospel in our turn?
Some say we live after the age of ideologies that have dominated the 20th century (fascism, communism). But we still live under the thumb of an ideology! That of consumerism, the market, that of moral relativism erected into a dogma. Political correctness has its Inquisition! And as Christianity can not enter into this mold, as it offers another model, another world view, it is naturally vilified and ridiculed. And yet, yet, there are many, among us, those who voien that man does not live by bread alone, those who crave something more: coment will we be witnesses to them?
I know that our churches must regain absolutely missionaries and evangelizing. I do not know how they will revert. I really doubt there is a single model. Some are harnessing the power of modern communications like the Internet. Why not? But let us be careful not to rely on human power, a technique that could cut us off from the one true power: that of the Holy Spirit! In fact, I think the issue is primarily not to confuse the means (whatever they are) and end (the proclamation of the Gospel).
Indeed, the great revolution will probably be less in the means used for evangelism, as in this vision, the revelation that Paul had received, the mystery of Christ who was revealed to him by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are called to be God's people?
Is this vision is that of our community? Is it worth it to guide us? It is easy, when we live in, to sink into defeatism Christian. It is easy (and dangerous!) confusing loyalty and inertia! So, are we really listening to the Holy Spirit, who revealed to Paul the great mystery of the love of God and who still serves in the church to show him the way? Because doing careful, brothers and sisters, God is still at work!
At beginning of the book of Acts, Luke says "Theophilus, I mentioned in my first book, all that Jesus began to do and teach." Jesus began acting and teaching during his earthly ministry and the involvement of Luke is that he continued in the first church described in Acts and from a community like ours. We recently read the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus is described as Emmanuel, God with us. Well, starting this year with the certainty that Jesus is with us all, that Jesus is with our community.
In the text of Isaiah read this morning, we heard the prophet say to Jerusalem, Arise, shine, for thy light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
Like Christmas, the Epiphany is also a festival of light. The light of God's presence in our lives. The light of his grace, which is available to all. The light of his love, which guides us in the darkness of the world.
In his first letter, Peter tells Christians "you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people, to announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
Do we realize this? Do we realize that we can live in the marvelous light of God? And this is possible because God has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. We no longer have to wander in uncertainty, we no longer find meaning in our lives: the great light of God is risen upon us.
That does not make us enlightened, but enlightened people. People who will discern the signs of the Kingdom in their daily lives. People who, having received salvation through the Gospel in the Gospel find their daily food and the force that drives them forward.
Send greeting that will be exchanged this morning in many Eastern churches: I address you, too, with joy
- "Christ is born and manifested itself ...
- For You, us, great news! ".
And the light of the Lord Jesus guide you and keep you in the new year.
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