Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 84; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40
The Rev. Drew Brislin
In the name of the one Holy and Undivided Trinity, Amen.
What a blessed day today is! I always look forward to Scout Sunday and the opportunity to celebrate these young people who have committed themselves to an organization that seeks to grow them into leaders for tomorrow. Our Girl Scouts, Pack, and Troop are growing, which is a testament to the leadership within these programs. They create an environment of invitation that makes them the kind of communities that young people want to be a part of as they grow. Not only do we celebrate our scouts today, but we also get to grow the church as we welcome young Emma Webb into the blessed company of saints through the sacrament of baptism. Top it off with the celebration of the Feast of the Presentation, as this Sunday just happens to fall on February 2nd, and how could this day be any better? It is certainly a joyous day with so much to celebrate.
I have been reflecting on my days in scouting recently, particularly the celebrations I experienced as a result of attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. These reflections have, in large part, been the result of an invitation to offer the invocation at the Eagle Scout Court of Honor hosted by the troop a few weeks ago, as well as an email reminding me of my board of review date—January 25, 1988. A lot of hard work went into that achievement, as many of you know and others of you are learning. Scouting is about learning leadership skills, and we learn those skills meeting various tasks—whether it’s service projects, competitions at camporees, or serving in any number of other projects—it takes a team to achieve your goals. As we4 heard in our Gospel reading this morning, Mary and Joseph understand this as well, knowing they are part of a larger community, and that their child is destined to serve this larger community too.
As we continue in this season of Epiphany, a season in the church that continues to reveal to us who Jesus is and what God is doing in and through Him, the calendar offers us a special gift today. We get to celebrate the Feast of the Presentation. In some traditions, this day is also referred to as Candlemas. While the Presentation remembers the parents of Jesus presenting Him in the temple in Jerusalem, Candlemas is a celebration that grew out of the Roman Catholic Church. It was a day when people would bring their candles to be blessed, to remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World.
As Christianity continued to spread throughout Europe, there was an effort to make it more accessible to those who worshipped pagan gods. One of those efforts occurred in Germany. The celebration of Candlemas would evolve to include the use of predicting the length of winter based on the weather on the day of Candlemas. Initially, the tradition was to watch whether or not a bear would emerge from hibernation. If it was a clear day and the bear saw its shadow and returned to hibernation, it was believed that there would be a second winter. As bears became less plentiful, a hedgehog was used. Germans who immigrated to America, and who would later find themselves concentrated in Pennsylvania, brought this tradition with them. We now know this tradition as Groundhog Day, which also falls on February 2nd. These celebrations always occur on February 2nd, as it marks 40 days since Christmas and the midway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. By the way, I saw that Punxatawney Phil saw his shadow this
morning, predicting six more weeks of winter. However, I beloved Alabama Possum, Sand Mountain Sam (who is more accurate) predicted an early Spring.
Whenever we encounter the number 40 in Scripture, the authors are often drawing our attention to something significant, as this number typically points to a period of transformation, testing, trial, or probation—or marks the changing of a generation. What does the number 40 remind you of in Scripture? Maybe Noah’s story, with the rain that lasted 40 days and nights. Perhaps Moses on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights. Maybe you remember that Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years, or that, in the wake of His resurrection on Easter, Jesus remained on earth for 40 days before His ascension into heaven or that Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness while Satan tempted him.
In our Gospel reading this morning, we hear the story of Jesus being presented in the temple for the Jewish ritual of circumcision, which is required of all boys. Mary and Joseph have done what is required of them in terms of their own purification and have offered the proper sacrifice of two turtle doves. Now, young Jesus is presented for the proper ritual that enjoins Him into the community of Israel. To celebrate this achievement, a devout man named Simeon along with a prophet named Anna recognize who Jesus is and what He will do in the world. This praise is memorialized in the canticle known as the Song of Simeon, which will be familiar to anyone who has participated in the Compline service:
“Lord, you now have set your servant free, To go in peace as you have promised. For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, Whom you have prepared for all the world to see, A light to enlighten the nations, And the glory of your people Israel.”
God’s promise to Simeon has been fulfilled. Simeon has seen what God will do in the world: that His promises of love are for everyone. We are transitioning from a period of waiting into a season of seeing what it is God will do and accomplish through Jesus.
A gentleman who spoke at the Eagle Scout Court of Honor a few weeks ago shared a story with the young men being celebrated that day. It was about his son applying to medical school and how difficult it was—he was almost rejected until the dean discovered he was an Eagle Scout. Because of this achievement and the reputation of Eagle Scouts, he was admitted into medical school. So often, we are identified by the company we keep, we are identified by the communities in which we participate. As members of the body of Christ, we are identified by the love we share and our desire to welcome. Scouting, whether it’s Scouting America or the Girl Scouts, is all about growing a community and growing within that community.
This morning, we will baptize young Emma Webb and welcome her into our church, our community. Her parents and godparents will pledge to help her as she is brought up in the Christian faith and life and to grow into the full stature of Christ and all of us here present will pledge to support Emma in her life in Christ. What exactly does this pledge of support mean? I think maybe it means recognizing that we are all created to be in relationship with God and not subservient to Him. In acknowledging this, we grow in relationship and model for Emma this relationship with the Father by seeking God and Jesus in others, by serving Him, and by
recognizing the dignity of everyone we meet. The Law or Ten Commandments and all the Levitical rules were never intended as a tool to weed out or judge, but rather as tools given to us by God so that we might know Him more fully and experience His love by finding it in one another. Today we remember Jesus who was presented to the world to help us do this work of love in a fuller way. The recognition that comes from scouting, from being a member of the church, is not about being better, but rather I think it is about accepting our place as servants to one another, so that we might more deeply appreciate, love, and encourage each other as we share that love with the world in a way that Jesus models for us.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This is the Great Commission, and now that they will know we are Christians by our love. God is telling us what to do. Jesus shows us who we are. That we are the beloved creations of God and now we are called to go and build his kingdom, that community of one purpose called to love each other and him.
Amen