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January 29, 2006
The Rev. Canon James Richardson
Fourth Sunday After The Epiphany

To read the lessons for the day click here

In the name of...

This is the first Sunday I have stood in this pulpit this year, so although we are almost a month into the new year, I ask your indulgence - this is something of a New Years sermon.

Rather than talk about the year behind us, I would like to reflect on the year ahead of us. I don't have a crystal ball, and I am not a soothsayer or fortuneteller who can predict the future. I do know that there will be many twists and turns and probably a few surprises along the way this year.

With that disclaimer, there are three major events in the life of this congregation that I can reasonably predict will take place this year, and it is those three major events that I want to reflect on for a few moments. The three events are: The election of a new Bishop, the installation of a new Dean, and the ordination of a new priest.

The new bishop will sit in the chair behind me and will be the new leader for the 70-plus parishes and missions of our sprawling diocese. This church is called a "cathedral" because the bishop's chair, or "cathedra" is here - our name has nothing to do with our architecture. But, as the symbolic keeper bishop's chair, we are the symbolic flagship congregation for our diocese.

The new bishop will succeed Jerry Lamb, who is retiring after 15 or so years as our bishop. We will elect a new bishop at a special election in May, and the new bishop will be ordained at a special service in September where bishops from all over the country will attend and lay hands on our new bishop. By the way, that service will be held at Fremont Presbyterian Church because Trinity Cathedral is not large enough to host this event.

The new Dean will sit in that chair over there. Hopefully by now most of you have received a letter from our senior warden, Chris Lee, announcing that our new dean will be The Rev. Dr. Brian Baker, who is currently the rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sun Valley, Idaho. Dean Baker's first Sunday with us will be in April, and he will be officially installed by Bishop Lamb probably in June. Dean Baker will be the leader of our congregation, which is the largest Episcopal congregation in our diocese.

The next major event happens this very night.

The newest priest will sit, well, probably in a lot of places during her career. Currently she sits right back there - stand up Kathleen. Kathleen Kelly will be ordained at 6 p.m. tonight right here in this cathedral. A member of our congregation for many years, Kathleen joined our staff as deacon in June, and now she will take her place as priest - minister of Word and Sacrament. I would urge everyone to come back tonight for this extraordinarily special event.

Each of these events is focused on a single person - a bishop, a dean, a priest - and these are certainly hugely significant events in the individual lives of each of these people. But let me suggest to you that these events are really bigger than that - these events are really about the life of our community of faith, and each of us has a significant role in these events.

While each of these individuals is ordained as a leader according to the calling each has been given by God, each is also offering his and her gifts to God through this community. This community calls them forward into positions of leadership by recognizing in them their remarkable gifts from God. We have every reason to celebrate with them, not just because they have reached significant milestones in their lives, but because we have collectively reached these milestones.

We ordain people in community, not in private, because it is really the gifts of all of the community that is being celebrated. By so doing, as a community we are celebrating that the gifts God gives each of us are greater than the sum of the parts. That also means each of us as individuals, and as a community, continues to play a role in the walk of faith of each of these leaders. We play a role by nurturing them, praying for them, and showing them our love especially in those moments when they most need it.

Yet there is more to this than even that - which brings me to the gospel lesson we hear today. In the lesson Jesus and his disciples come to Capernaum where he enters the synagogue and teaches. He is confronted by a man who is possessed by an "unclean spirit," and the spirit cries out to Jesus "Have you come to destroy us?" Jesus casts out the spirit and saves the man, and his fame begins to spread.

Please notice a few things in this story: The unclean spirit is perfectly aware of who Jesus is. The unclean spirit says "I know you are the Holy One of God." Even the unclean spirits know who Jesus is, so merely knowing the identity of Jesus doesn't count for much. Rather, what counts here is the saving actions of Jesus - actions beyond the limits of human beings, beyond the limits of the man who is possessed. The possessed man is so possessed, so sick, he presumably doesn't know it, and he doesn't ask for help - but Jesus gives him help anyway and heals the man.

The story is about the power of God - the grace of God brought to us in the person of Jesus, grace-filled power that heals us and makes us whole even when we don't ask, maybe especially when we don't ask. It is not about the goodness of people, but about the goodness of God. And then look at what else happens - the people are propelled out of synagogue far and wide. They are given all the tools they need to be God's hands and feet in the world and they get out there.

This story from the earliest days of Jesus' ministry, like so many other gospel stories, is also about us. This healing power of Jesus propels us, I think, to a new self-awareness about God's power to change hearts and minds and then change the world around us. People don't stand around and say, wasn't that interesting-Jesus healed that guy? No, they leave the synagogue and go to the towns and they use the gifts Jesus gives them, and they do things beyond their own imaginings. They go forth and serve others, and no power on earth can stop them.

Martin Luther King once said "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace."

Let me repeat that: "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace."

It doesn't matter how rich or poor you are. It doesn't matter whether you have a PhD or you haven't even graduated from Kindergarten. It doesn't matter if you live in a big house or on the street. Everybody can be great because everybody can serve. God gives everybody a heart of grace to serve, a heart of grace to be great. Our walk of faith is really a journey of discovering what God has already placed in our hearts - amazing, awesome grace, and then doing what God calls us to do to serve the world, to serve each other in our own way, each according to our own gifts. By discovering and celebrating the gifts of a new bishop, a new dean and a new priest, we also discovering and celebrating the gifts each of us is given by God. They are our servants and we are theirs.

We don't have to wait for these significant events -- we can make this discovery every single day in our lives, in everything we do. We can discover God's amazing grace every single time we come together as a community, and every single time we step outside ourselves to serve others. God's grace is at work every time we push the boundaries of what we think is possible.

So celebrate - celebrate the gifts of this abundant amazing grace God has given to you, to me, to all of us. We come together in a few moments at the Lord's Table in celebration, and we will gather again tonight to celebrate at Kathleen's ordination as a priest, and in the months ahead as we celebrate each of these amazing, awesome milestones in the life of this Cathedral congregation. We truly have much to celebrate in this congregation, so celebrate well. Alleluia!

Amen