St. Aidan's Anglican Church, Kansas City - weekly talks

Lent, forty days of following Christ into the desert, is a means of drawing closer to God in preparation for Easter, the Resurrection of the Son of God.

The call to the desert prompts us to carve out periods of time within the daily routines to attend to the condition of one’s deep heart. Lent is the Holy Spirit’s call to the universal Church to experience a desert-like time without thus having to abandon daily activities. For example, during commute times, turn off the radio, music, news, audio books, etc., and prayerfully retreat into the silence.

This is part one of a four part series on Christ's journey into the Desert and how we follow him there together.

The story of the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain provides a vision of transformation, as we enter Lent this week. Peter, James and John caught a glimpse of the Kingdom of God, with the Transfigured Christ conversing with Moses and Elijah about his Exodus soon to be fulfilled. His Exodus has brought all of humanity from death into life. The promise of his presence remains until the end of the age. Then his sons and daughters will shine like the radiance of the sun in the Kingdom of the Father! Let us pray and listen to the Son.

A day in the life of Messiah: In the synagogue, Jesus stands up to read his mission statement, the congregation tries to hurl him off a cliff (Luke 4:14-30)! This is one response to the voice of Jesus. What's ours?

We explore how God's voice still speaks from heaven (Heb. 12) in the liturgy of Word and Sacrament. The condition of the heart determines our response or lack thereof. For those who are attentive, hungry and open, the Word within the word is received.

God loves us too much to be satisfied with leftovers. He longs for all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Our vocation, then, is to surrender all, to tear down the walls that divide our heart up into little closets and thus, provide a Great Room, an expansive heart, for his dwelling. Michael+

Today we reflect on Christ, the fulfillment of Israel’s Anointed One, proclaiming his mission statement from Isaiah 61 (Luke 4:18f). The Lectionary’s parallel OT passage, Nehemiah 8, provides an insight into discovering one’s identity and purpose in Christ. It is found in the story of the People of God according to the Scriptures.

Both Ezra and Jesus stand up to read the Scriptures to the People of God who, in both epochs, had lost their way, forgetting their unique identity and vocation to be a light to the world. Jesus embodies this vocation and continues it, as he sends his many-membered Body, his Church, to be “moved with compassion”, to Christify the world.

The whole of creation is invited to a great wedding banquet. As we visit the Wedding at Cana, along with Jesus, Mary and a handful of disciples we discover that a much greater story is unfolding.

"To live this celebration the waters of our humanity have to be transformed into the new wine of divine love."

"Jesus came to renew all things, to change our broken humanity into a new unity as he changed the water into wine. He brings his disciples to a wedding feast to reveal to them and each of us the deepest thirst in us: our desire and need to love and be loved." John Vanier

At his baptism, Jesus provides a pattern for all who seek to follow him. Water baptism is the most primal of the sacraments. Drawing from the first creation account, it communicates a new creation in play. Genesis 1:1 describes an initial earth, formless and empty, with darkness over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light” and so forth.

Our life begins in water and slides out into this noisy world very wet. Newborns are approximately 75% water. In the OT, water is the image of both chaos and life; Jesus uses water to describe being born from above, speaking to Nicodemus. Referring to baptism, Jesus tells Nicodemus that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Jesus is drawing from the first creation story.

He’s saying that plunging into the waters effects union with him in his death and coming up out of the waters effects union with him in his resurrection. Those who obey the command to be baptized, through faith and grace, come into union with Christ in his death and resurrection. This is how we come to be “in Christ.”

Thus, baptism is entering a new life, being grafted into Christ, being joined in his new creation. Water and Spirit is the doorway into the Kingdom of God, says Jesus. Baptism is the means of dying to one’s old humanity and rising in newness of life, joined to Christ in His new humanity, whereby we are united to the Holy Trinity.

Far from being a mere symbolic ritual, baptism is a sacrament, a mysterious means of receiving God’s grace; for, on the day of Pentecost, Peter answers the question of the on-looking masses, “What must we do to be saved?” He answers, “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38-39

In the visit of the Magi, outsiders worship while insiders conspire to eliminate the One True King. Fr. Michael offers a contemplation on what this visitation means for us today.

We reflect on the Virgin's Mary's response to the Angel as a paradigm for all who come to life in Christ. The conception of Christ, the Incarnation, becomes our missional pattern. St. Paul tells the Galatians that he is in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in them.

The life of Christ dwells within the imperishable seed (Gk. Sperma) of the Gospel. The whole mission of Christ was to make disciples; likewise, Mary and Joseph would be responsible for raising and forming the humanity of Jesus. He would live an obscure life until age 30, beginning with his baptism in the river Jordan.

Today's Gospel text draws us into the great Theo-Drama, from creation to new creation in Christ.

Fr. Les Barker shares from Philippians 4, the foundations of joy in Jesus Christ.

Liz Flowers, on the Feast Day of St. Nicholas, shares highlights of his life and the impact he's had on the world. Nicholas was present at the Council of Nicaea, 325 AD.

Apart from the Virgin Mary, he is the patron saint of more churches than any other saint. His life of generosity continues to inspire us to love and good deeds.

St. Aidan's is responding to the Gospel of Jubilee, the year of the Lord's favor, the season of grace between the first and final Advent of Jesus Christ. Lord, may be reflect the amazing generosity of the Father in sending his only begotten Son to reconciles us back to you. Thank you! Amen.