Epiphany Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7,10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12 January 6, 2008 – Annual Parish Meeting Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. Epiphanies, as you know, are those ahas when the light bulb comes on, when something becomes visible, not hidden or concealed, but readily and instantly perceived. James Joyce wrote that an epiphany is when the soul, the whatness of something leaps from the vestment of its appearance. Today we celebrate the very soul of God, the whatness of God, leaping into our world, and our lives - made visible, perceivable in Jesus Christ. This is what God has done. God’s part. We, who have come to Christ, We, who are called the Church, have been given the way to receive and continue to make visible God’s infinite love. As long as we make that Love manifest, everything else is our choice. How to use creation. How to use the physical world we have crafted. And so through all this time, we, the Church, have built buildings, composed music, searched for the right words, in a myriad of ways to express and make God’s love known. If you look back, though we think we are the genuine article, the Anglican branch of this one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church began 1500 years after the resurrection of Christ. And, the American Episcopal Church 200 years after that. Sunday School as we know it began to take shape in the 1800’s. There are more branches and denominations that we could name. And every single congregation is unique unto itself. We at Grace-Calvary have our own flavor. And there is no other church in the whole world quite like us. Today we hold our Annual Parish Meeting. And we will burn (burned) the mortgage on St. Julian Hall. Three years ago today, on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, we gathered with great ceremony and fellowship as our sparkling new parish hall was dedicated. A few highlights from this year: In January two committees were formed. The Heritage committee was given the charge to gather, sort out, scan, and safely store the paper information we have accrued for some 170 years. They have made great headway with hours of work. The Horizon Committee was formed to look toward our future. They also worked many hours to produce initiatives that will guide us into our next five years. It is true that this strategic plan resembles the past three plans on several points. But that is good news. You seem to know who you are and what you need to be focusing on. The Horizon initiatives are presently being addressed by their prospective committees, who are deciding which initiatives should get priority and when each can be realistically begun. Chronology of year highlights: Our Resource Center got off to a great start and continues to offer new titles. Men of Grace enjoyed fellowship meals around chile cookoffs, hamburgers, barbeque and more. They contributed their muscle and skill on the new arts building at Camp Mikell. In March ECW hosted their third annual women’s retreat, And provided a day retreat later in the year. In May our youth celebrated their rite of passage / Rite 13 with a banquet and a ceremony. Carole McCollum came to be our new assistant for administration and finance. Our traditional Pentecost Picnic was enjoyed by many at Demorest Park. Vacation Bible School took place in June. In July our youth went on a summer trip to Nantahala Outdoor Center. There is so much more! With the Holy Eucharist as the hub of our weekly rhythm, people in need were cared for, visited, and ministered to. DOK trained new members and faithfully carried on with their commitment to prayer, study, and evangelism. Our committees carried on with the daily, weekly, monthly ministries they are engaged in. The Vestry met monthly to oversee the whole operation and to make decisions regarding our ministries and our finances. Our growth is steady and solid as we welcome new members. And we are enriched by them as they offer their own gifts and bring new perspectives. As we head into this new year, we continue with a rich history and a solid core of stability. Five Christmas eves ago, you and your new rector worshipped together for the first time. And so we are beginning our fifth year of ministry together. I believe our life together is truly mutual. I’m helping you to grow in various ways and you are helping me to grow in various ways. I benefited greatly from the formation and training I received in the large corporate churches where I’ve served. But to be here with you is to be at the heart of the Church. And to see how vitally the parts - our worship, our ministries, and our administrative/financial life - are connected and interdependent. We still have much to learn from each other! With all we have to work with, I would consider our greatest endeavor to be very intentional about HOW we go about being the church. Jesus didn’t mention what kind of computer or architecture or curriculum or coffee to choose. But if this building were blown down by a tornado or St. Julian Hall was swallowed up by an earthquake and we had to go rent the old Ingles for worship space, (yuck, that offends my sensibilities!) the manifestation of Jesus Christ, would not change. Because using all the assets we have above all, we are called to love. Buildings and books and food and files can’t love. They are things we have chosen to give us the place and means to love. Paul gives us a guide in Ephesians. First, we must remember that we are servants of the good news of the boundless riches of Christ. That Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. That we will be rooted and grounded in love to know the love of Christ. Secondly, we are called to lead a life worthy of this love. And so all that we do here in our worship, ministries, and financial life, we do as servants overcome with gratitude for the love that has been placed in us through Jesus Christ. We are called to be one – always to seek unity, to face in to one another, striving to understand each others’ lives and perspectives. One body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God. Thirdly, we have been given gifts. When each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love. How? We are encouraged to be imitators of God. In the familiar words from Ephesians; Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Seeking to understand each other, we also honor the individual and personal path each one of us is on. as servants of Christ, seeking first to be epiphanies of his love, Sometimes we benefit from each others’ actions. Sometimes we take a blow, or strain a nerve, and try to have the grace to love each other as he loves us. Fourthly, we are urged to be strong in the Lord, Not depending upon our own strength, but relying on his strength. And moving forward together with expectancy and confidence – that if we are in his will, he will be made more and more manifest by us. As Christ is the soul, the whatness of us, that leaps from the vestments of our appearance.