“Be Anointed” – Sunday preview by The Rev. Stephanie Kendell

Beloved Church,

I hope your Christmas Day was filled with love and hope. Sharing the evening worship with many of you was a truly moving and holy experience that I am so grateful for. This coming Sunday we will again have two Services. One at 11am and a Watchnight Service at 11pm. Both will be services you will not want to miss.

This new year in the church is an interesting year in terms of the calendar. Christmas Eve and Advent IV were on the same day. When we get into 2018 Valentine’s Day is Ash Wednesday and Easter is April Fool’s Day. Having secular and religious days coinciding will offer us interesting and unique opportunities to experience God with our surrounding communities. Each of those days on their own have certain expectations of celebrations but this year we are anointing them with the holiness that accompanies Lent. Which ties into our scripture this week from Luke.

This week’s scripture follows our newly born baby Jesus into the social habits and rituals that are expected of every baby of his era and religious upbringing. Mary and Joseph had certain expectations as to what should traditionally happen when bringing your baby son to the temple. However, Simeon makes the day even more special by continuing the anointing of Jesus as the Messiah.

“When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. (Luke 2:22-40 NRSV)”