Sermon Transcript: January 8, 2012 The First Sunday after the Epiphany and The Baptism of Our Lord
The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11
From Mark’s gospel, “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Do you hear voices? Not the voices of others, but rather, those voices in our heads that seem to clamor for our attention. I do. Sometimes my voices speak so loudly that I question my own sanity. (I know others question my sanity, too!) Often, those voices are simply the incessant chattering of our consciences, or perhaps they are none other than the voice of God while, at other times, the voices are clearly not of God. For some, speaking about voices in our heads conjures up that cartoonimage of an angel whispering into one ear, “Don’t do it,” while a devil is whispering into the other, “Go ahead. No one will know.” Yet, regardless of their source, I find that each one begs me to listen to their voice above any other. Learning to hear God’s voice in the midst of the daily noise around and within us, and tune out that which is not of God is what discernment is about. And discernment is something with which each of us struggle. For many, it is a daily struggle. We are constantly bombarded by noises and voices. How can we recognize God’s voice above the fray?
On this First Sunday after the Epiphany which celebrates the arrival of the Magi at Bethlehem and the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Light of the world, our scripture lessons turn our attention to God’s voice and how God empowered Jesus for ministry at his baptism. As much as I had hoped to preach about the role of baptism in our lives, my thoughts and prayers kept directing me back to these images of God speaking and those voices in our heads. How does God speak to us today and, perhaps even more important, why or for what purpose? And if God is speaking, how can we know God’s voice above all others?
The Psalmist describes God’s voice thundering as it splits flames of fire, shakes the land and causes trees to quake. At Christ’s baptism, a voice comes forth as the heavens are ripped open and in Genesis, God’s voice brings about the creation of the world. Those are pretty incredible images and certainly, if any of us experienced things like that, then we could easily recognize God’s voice. But, from my experience, the voices we hear are quieter: they nudge and gnaw at our conscience slowly urging us to listen and discern their message. But are they of God?
The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11
From Mark’s gospel, “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Do you hear voices? Not the voices of others, but rather, those voices in our heads that seem to clamor for our attention. I do. Sometimes my voices speak so loudly that I question my own sanity. (I know others question my sanity, too!) Often, those voices are simply the incessant chattering of our consciences, or perhaps they are none other than the voice of God while, at other times, the voices are clearly not of God. For some, speaking about voices in our heads conjures up that cartoonimage of an angel whispering into one ear, “Don’t do it,” while a devil is whispering into the other, “Go ahead. No one will know.” Yet, regardless of their source, I find that each one begs me to listen to their voice above any other. Learning to hear God’s voice in the midst of the daily noise around and within us, and tune out that which is not of God is what discernment is about. And discernment is something with which each of us struggle. For many, it is a daily struggle. We are constantly bombarded by noises and voices. How can we recognize God’s voice above the fray?
On this First Sunday after the Epiphany which celebrates the arrival of the Magi at Bethlehem and the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Light of the world, our scripture lessons turn our attention to God’s voice and how God empowered Jesus for ministry at his baptism. As much as I had hoped to preach about the role of baptism in our lives, my thoughts and prayers kept directing me back to these images of God speaking and those voices in our heads. How does God speak to us today and, perhaps even more important, why or for what purpose? And if God is speaking, how can we know God’s voice above all others?
The Psalmist describes God’s voice thundering as it splits flames of fire, shakes the land and causes trees to quake. At Christ’s baptism, a voice comes forth as the heavens are ripped open and in Genesis, God’s voice brings about the creation of the world. Those are pretty incredible images and certainly, if any of us experienced things like that, then we could easily recognize God’s voice. But, from my experience, the voices we hear are quieter: they nudge and gnaw at our conscience slowly urging us to listen and discern their message. But are they of God?
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