[Propertalk] 1 Epiphany a 2017 - Part 2

[Robert P Morrison]

Part 2 for Sunday

 Remember the hymn we sang at the opening of the liturgy each of the
four weeks of Advent? “O come, O come, Emmanuel”. And he shall be
called Immanuel, which means “God is with us”.

	 It takes on new meaning now. God is with us – physically,
emotionally, spiritually present with us to help us to face up to
whatever has been burdening us for the past week or longer. God is
with us as we struggle with long-tern goals and their implications.
God is with us, no matter what’s happening, wherever we are.

	 Of course, this may not seem always to be tangible or to make a
whole lot of sense. It doesn’t mean that the list of problems of the
things with which we know we have to deal will become shorter or any
less arduous. But it DOES mean not only that we’re aware that God in
Jesus has stood up to His neck in the things that stress us; it means
also that God won’t back away, but will take our arm to hold us when
we seem as if we may stumble on something slippery, or not know how to
make a decision.

	 Our Emmanuel is here to show that no matter what the difficulties,
nothing can take from us our relationship, our love affair with God.

	 God IS with us – for ever standing in rivers, no matter how cold,
how strong the current, how murky the waters.

	  “The purpose of any initiation rite in any religion,” writes
Suzanne Guthrie, “the purpose … is to once and for all overcome
the fear of death.” In pre-Christian religious beliefs there was
talk of dying and rising again from the dead. The actual rites, the
processes of initiation, “simulated death, so that the initiate
would fear no more.

	 “Christian Baptism also simulates death, going down into the water
to drown, to die, to enter the underworld, or the Unconscious.
Bursting up out of the water represents birth, from the semi-darkness
and muted sounds of the water-filled womb, to the harsh (at first
brightness of new life, the struggle to breathe air, to live in a
completely new medium.”  3

	 But we can say “Emmanuel” with a slightly different emphasis
that’s equally valid. “God – comma – with us.”

	 The presence of Jesus, standing beside John, participating in the
active response to show His love of God, talks about the fact that it
is OUR call whether or not to cooperate with God, that TOGETHER we and
God participate in revealing the reign of God, which means that Love,
Peace, Justice, Dignity will and must be triumphant ultimately.

	 “Thy will be done,” we pray. Yes, God’s will WILL be
accomplished. Pain, heartache, feelings of separation or isolation,
everything that can and does do its level best to draw us from the
Love of God; all SHALL be well.

	 But God never works alone. Even in Jesus’ life, God depended on
Jesus to go to stand in the river, to invite others to join Him.

	 Just so with us: God NEEDS us. We’re important, vitally important,
every last one of us.

	 If you want to look on this in terms of us standing in the water
with Jesus, and John, and everyone else, then we’re Godparents to
Jesus. And Jesuis is Godpatrent to us. Each will encourage the other.
Each will be there to provide a healing touch to the other.

	 God knows, Jesus had enough times when He felt alone. But He needs
us to be with Him now as much as we need Him to be with us.

	 This is a joint effort, this life, this faith, this ministry.

	 “Today,” write Suzanne, “Today Jesus invites.

	 The Church invites.

	 Let us go down to the waters.” 4

	 And the Godparents are …? 

	NOTES:

	[1] The Diocese of Wenchoster, 3rd January, 2017
https://www.facebook.com/Wenchoster/photos/a.1481258712156750.1073741828.1471764373106184/1845407615741856/?type=3
[1]

	2 Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23b: The New Jerusalem Bible translation.

	3 _ At the Edge of the Enclosure: __Soulwork Toward Sunday:
Self-Guided Retreat _ Epiphany 1 (Year A)
 The Baptism of Jesus  January 8, 2017 Suzanne Guthrie
http://www.edgeofenclosure.org/epiphany1a.html [2]

	4 Suzanne Guthrie, Op. cit.

Links:
------
[1]
https://www.facebook.com/Wenchoster/photos/a.1481258712156750.1073741828.1471764373106184/1845407615741856/?type=3
[2] http://www.edgeofenclosure.org/epiphany1a.html

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