Reverend Michael McManus

Today, we read some of the most beautiful readings about "the call" - both Hebrew Scriptures and Christian Scripture.   The call from the Lord.  We read about Samuel's call to be a prophet.  Now Samuel's birth was the answer to Hanna, his mother's prayers, who had been barren.  In thanksgiving for Samuel's birth, his mother dedicated Samuel to the Lord.  Thus, Samuel served the priest, Eli. We hear of God calling Samuel three times, each time Samuel believing it was Eli that was calling him, until Eli realized -third times a charm - that it was the Lord calling Samuel.  

Samuel would have been about 12 years old - a time when a Jewish boy took on the responsibility to observe the law. So, we can glean that the call can come at any age. The Lord calls when the Lord calls.

Epiphany
B:   Accept the light of love and forgiveness, and then           

             Shed that light to others who need love and forgiveness.

In western Christian
tradition, January 6 is celebrated as Epiphany. It
goes by other names in various church traditions.  In Hispanic and Latin culture,
as well as some places in Europe, it is known as Three Kings’ Day (Spanish: el Dia de los Tres Reyes, la Fiesta de Reyes, orel Dia de los Reyes Magos).
 

In western Christian tradition, January 6 is celebrated as Epiphany. It goes by other names in various church traditions.  In Hispanic and Latin culture, as well as some places in Europe, it is known as Three Kings’ Day (Spanish: el Dia de los Tres Reyes, la Fiesta de Reyes, orel Dia de los Reyes Magos).  

Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are usually counted from the evening of December 25th until the morning of January 6th, which is the Twelfth Day. 

The season of Epiphany runs from Epiphany to The Sunday before Ash Wednesday (which starts Lent).  Epiphany looks ahead to the mission of the church to the world in light of the Nativity.

There is nothing more exciting that taking a trip!  Exotic ports-o-call!  Exciting destinations! Seeing new places!  Meeting new people!  Eating new food!  Actually, preparing for the journey is sometimes as exciting, because our imaginations of what we will see on the journey, gets the gears in our mind turning!  Before our recent trip to Kenya, I imagined living in a little mud house and eating I don't know what! But the reality of what happened was different than I could imagine and more sustaining than I thought. Because once we were picked up at the airport in Nairobi, we were driven along some road, wash board roads into the darkness.  Finally, we turned into an opening in a fence and we heard people singing.  Then our headlights shined on over one hundred people singing and dancing.

The pastor was invited for dinner at his parishoners' house.  He was warmly greeted by the father and mother  and son of the house.  After some chit-chat, the father and mother asked the pastor to relax in the living room and talk to their son, while they went into the kitchen to prepare and serve the meal.

The pastor asked the son what they were eating that evening and the son replied, "Goat."  The pastor remarked, "Goat, that's interesting!"  The son replied, "That's what my parents said, 'we are having the old goat for dinner!"

Well, today's Gospel talks about sheep and goats.  This is the last story in the series of
Matthew's readings which talk about the end of times. 

So often we are taught to not take a risk, but if you use your brain creatively and take an educated risk, the rewards can often be great!  

Today, I want to talk about risk and reward.  I will tell you three stories of people that have thought creatively and taken appropriate risks.

1)  A man named Mike retired about 10 years ago.  He did the usual things retired people only dreamed about when he was working full-time.  When he first retired, he played a lot of golf.   But after awhile, he was bored. Mike realized that he had always been an active man and what was missing was service to others.  He looked around and searched for what the  community