Jesus Finds His Way--Trinity Fredonia, January 22, 2017

+It’s an honor to be here this morning as you, the people of Trinity Church, Fredonia embark on a new journey, a “post Fr. Bob” journey. Things may feel uncertain—change is certainly anxiety producing-- but know that you are in great hands with your wardens and we have a full complement of diocesan staff to support you and, most importantly, pray for you.
It seems appropriate that you enter this time of discernment during the season of Epiphany, for Epiphany is a season of discovery, of greater understanding, of, at times, great enlightenment. Epiphany is a time of getting to know just how Jesus was manifested to the world in his time, and how he is manifested---through us and our actions--- to the world in this time.
During this transition you’ll embark on a number of exercises designed to help you identify who it is you, as a parish, have been; who you, as a parish, currently are; and who you, as a parish wish to be. It’s a time of intentional identity development…but today, on this first day of this new journey it may feel a bit less like identity development and more like an identity crisis!
Many things about Jesus fascinate me, but probably the most consistent thing I wonder about is how Jesus came to realize just who he was. Did Mary figure it out first and tell him, did they both learn it in bits and pieces? Did Jesus have an identity crisis?
After all, a big part of anyone’s development ---whether the Savior of the world or just an average Joe-- is spent figuring out who we are, who we want to be, and what we want to do.
In many ways this is our Epiphany task. These weeks between Christmas and Ash Wednesday allow us –you, me, Jesus---to notice, to realize, to understand and then to act.
This morning’s Gospel takes us to the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. John has been arrested and suddenly the spotlight is on Jesus.
While Jesus knew, on some level, that he would eventually take over for John, it seems to me that Jesus wasn't expecting such an abrupt changing of the guard. In response, Jesus pulls up stakes and moves away from home, settling in Capernaum on the shores of the sea of Galilee. He moves from the dusty workshop of a stone-mason to the water workshop of fishermen. He left his home to begin a new chapter. He withdrew from the familiar and went to someplace unfamiliar and in many ways, foreign. He was in transition.
It was his turn. He needed to step up and take the mantel handed to him…but he had to do it differently, creating something as bold and challenging as John's message, but somehow make it more “user friendly.” John blustered his way through the Jordan valley with sermons of fire and brimstone, baptisms of life-risking submersion. People didn't so much engage with John as they watched and listened slack jawed and a bit shocked. That worked, for John and for the time and the place of his ministry. But Jesus was a different sort of prophet with a slightly more refined message. Jesus couldn’t follow John, he had to forge his own trail. And he did this by
noticing, realizing, and understanding his context and acting accordingly.
Jesus noticed that when John was no longer in the picture, the movement fell apart.
Jesus noticed that it fell apart because it relied wholly on the person of John to work.
He realized that to make his own ministry work he needed to lead in a different way. He understood that he needed to knock down some walls: the walls of expectation regarding how a prophet behaved, the walls of what people thought a messiah would be and do. He had to break down the walls of expectation and tradition and create something all- together new.
And it worked. For 2000 years people have been invited to join this movement, they've been attracted to it, they've been saved through it. Trinity Church Fredonia is a part of this movement…and it has been for the past 197 years. Throughout the decades lots has changed—in this parish church, in The Church, in this region, this nation and the world. But through it all, you have been here—sharing the light of Christ with others, showing the Love of Christ to others. And you will continue.
On this, the first day of Trinity Fredonia’s new chapter, the territory you are entering is uncharted. For some of you this causes anxiety and worry, for others of you it is a welcome time of discernment and discovery. For all of you it is new.
For all of you it is different.
But be not afraid, for the Light of The World has come to walk among us, to help us notice, realize and understand what it is this world needs from us.
On this, the first day of your “new normal,” continue to do what you have done with Fr Bob and then some, go out from here, and             ~~Notice the hurts of this world
~~Realize that you have the power to do something about those hurts, and
~~Understand that it is our duty, as followers of Jesus Christ, to do this work.
 It's what Jesus encouraged his ragtag band of apostles and disciples to do in Capernaum and it's what he encourages us to do now—to notice who we are, to realize the power we have through Christ, to understand that this power we’ve been given is a great honor and a huge responsibility and then through discernment, conversation and prayer, do the work you’ve been given to do!

Amen.