Year A Last Epiphany 2026 God Leans In

 Year A Last Sunday after Epiphany, 15 February 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

Celtic Service “God Leans In”

Collect: O God, who before the passion of your only begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Tonight we see the height if the Epiphany, when we see Jesus revealed for who he truly is. Epiphany is all about that, and tonight’s Gospel looks at what we call the Transfiguration. And what a tale!

There is even a voice from heaven to make it clear who Jesus is. The Beloved. Ho Agapetos in the Greek. The word used here in the Transfiguration is the same word we hear from God at Jesus’ baptism. The Beloved.

And we know from where the story goes that we are the Beloved of Jesus, so much so that he gladly gave his life for any of us, for all of us. 

This story is told in three of the four Gospels. The synoptic Gospels, the three from the “same view.” Matthew, Mark and Luke. They follow the similar structure. Jesus asks his apostles, “Who do they say that I am?” And Peter, the loudmouth that speaks first and acts later declares, “You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Soon after this event, we reach the pinnacle of Jesus’ adoration, when he is recognized by God as being his Son, the Messiah, THE Beloved. 

Jesus took his intimates, Peter, James and John with him up the mountain to pray.  And notice, when he prays, God shows up. (Side note: I believe when any of us pray, God shows up. We just may not be attuned to what that looks like.) 

The Transfiguration is one of my favorite stories. It is a favorite for many reasons. It lifts up Jesus. He is more than a prophet; he is more than a Rabbi (teacher); he is more than a commentator on the Law (someone who does Midrash). He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Chosen One, the Beloved. In all of time and history it is abundantly clear that this is the pinnacle of what being a human can be. The title “the Son of Man” is exactly that, the Quintessential Human, the capital-H capital-O Human One as the Contemporary English Bible translates that title “Son of Man.” And as we prayed today, it was on this mount that we have his glory revealed. 

Now I am going to get a little science-y here for a minute, so stay with me if you would like. Or if you don’t want to get a little cross-eyed, check out for about thirty seconds, well to be honest,  two minutes. One thing that I hold onto, is that as we learn more and more about the nature of time in Physics, the Transfiguration makes more and more sense. Time is not a string, going from the beginning to the end, pulled taut and we are trapped in this tube that only travels in one direction. More and more in advanced physics we see that time is just another dimension just like height, width and depth, our normal 3. Time is the fourth dimension, and if we could see it, it is less like a taut string than it is bowl of spaghetti consisting of one REALLY LONG noodle.

When I read this story, I like to think that Jesus went up to pray, and God shows up. And Moses shows up. And Elijah shows up. Now if we read it in a traditional sense, Moses and Elijah come back from heaven to celebrate and uphold the Son. Symbolically this works well. Moses is the embodiment of the LAW, the Law Incarnate. And Elijah is the quintessential prophet, boldly declaring God’s word no matter the cost. And Jesus came to fulfill both the LAW and the PROPHETS, he even said as much. (Matthew 5:17) I see Jesus also as the embodiment of GRACE. Only Grace can fulfill both the Law and the Prophets. That is our traditional view. And I am fine with that view, too!

But what if we filter the Transfiguration through a different view. What if Jesus is praying and Moses and Elijah show up? And what if Moses was praying and Elijah and Jesus showed up? And what if Elijah was praying and Moses and Jesus showed up? In fact, we are given details about profound times of prayer of Moses on Sinai when he received the Commandments, and Elijah on Horeb after he took on the prophets of Baal and heard that still small voice. But they did not have witnesses to give the details. What if in these intense moments of prayer they were given a vision, Moses of the future of his people he helped deliver, how they would rebel, but that through them the whole world would be redeemed. Or Elijah, while fleeing Ahab and Jezebel, while hiding in the cave the still small voice pointed to where they came from, and though the times seem dark at the moment, where they will go. And Jesus, he gets to see the path of God from Law through Prophets to Grace, and was comforted and affirmed especially before he turns his face to Jerusalem and his imminent persecution, death, and resurrection. In fact, in the synoptics Gospels, it is after this that he begins the predictions of his passion.

If that was too science-fiction-y, I apologize, but I have always been fascinated by this story and its implications. But maybe I watched too much Star Trek growing up. But think on this. When you pray, see it as the Universe pausing and God shushing everything so that you can clearly be heard. Picture God leaning in to focus on you and what you pray for. I know I would pray differently with that in mind. Chew on that Beloved of God! Amen 

Year A 2nd Epiphany 2026 God Calling

Year A 2nd Sunday after Epiphany, 18 January 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“God Calling”

Collect: Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament

Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, O coastlands,
pay attention, you peoples from far away!

The Lord called me before I was born,
while I was in my mother's womb he named me.

He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me away.

And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

But I said, “I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;

yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
and my reward with my God.”

And now the Lord says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,

for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength--

he says,

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;

I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,

to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
the slave of rulers,

“Kings shall see and stand up,
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,

because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Portion of 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

John 1:29-42

John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

It is one of my foundational beliefs that God is calling us, every single one of us, all the time. Our job is to listen. Jesus summed it up this way, “He who has ears, let him hear.” We hear these words, or close equivalents 16 times in the New Testament. Even in Jesus’ reminder, he recognizes that too often, we just do not listen. Maybe we should have handed out spiritual Q-Tips with the bulletins so that we can hear better.

There are all kinds of hearing the call of God. Some are general messages, like signs on the Interstate. They are messages for everybody. Think of “Detour Ahead,” or “Bridges Ice Before Roads.” We all need to hear and heed those warnings.

And then there are specific messages of call, those things that are said directly and intentionally to you. You will never see an electronic sign on the interstate that says, “Hey you, SLOW DOWN!” Those other, direct messages often come in much more personal ways and God will speak to us in ways that we will hear.

I once met a woman who was telling me about a troubling situation. She honestly sought God’s will, and was praying about it while she was washing the dishes. There was a window above her sink with a good view that was her thinking space every day. While she was praying, the sun was setting, and in the sky were two jet contrails. As she was watching, the two crossed, and formed the shape of the cross. She told me how that was the answer to her prayer. She knew then what she had to do, what she had been praying over. My first thought was that she was joking. She wasn’t. She was dead serious. I will honestly admit there was judgment on my part. I kept a pastoral poker face, but inside I was thinking, “Wow, really? That’s how you hear God?”

In youthful naivete back then I thought how silly she was, but my thinking has since changed. Looking back, I would see it differently. That is what it took for her to hear from God, and if God was in it, God spoke in a way that she would hear. God does not speak to me in jet contrails because God knows that is not the language in which I would listen.

One of the greatest tasks in living a life of faith is discerning the messages we receive, and taking action on those messages in our lives. And God is not a God of confusion. God speaks clearly when God speaks.

We see clearly in our Isaiah reading the call of God, and Isaiah reminds us that it is lifelong, from womb to tomb. 

The Lord called me before I was born,

     while I was in my mother's womb he named me.

Isaiah’s name means “Yahweh is salvation,” by the way. Yahweh being the name in Hebrew “I am who I am” which Moses received on Mt Sinai. “Yahweh is my Salvation.” No accidents.

The one who formed you fearfully and wonderfully is also the one who calls you and knows you.

We are all called into relationship with God. And we can run and try to hide (see Jonah if in doubt), but we can only get so far. As Psalm 139 reminds us:

Where can I go from your spirit?

    Or where can I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there;

    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.

If I take the wings of the morning

    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,

    and your right hand shall hold me fast. [vv. 7-10]

And because God loves us, we have a say. We might not be able to run from God, but we can reject God’s call. I have seen many do that. God wants to be a part of our lives, and give us direction in living this life which we have been given, but God will not force us into anything. That is the way God is.

Some people hear a call from God beyond the generic calls to be in a relationship with God, to do good, and to avoid evil. Sometimes God invites us to special tasks or ministries. It is a bit scary and a touch humbling to think God points at you and says that there is something special planned for you. 

For several years I helped lead the discernment retreat for the diocese for those thinking they might be hearing a call to the priesthood or the diaconate. Friday nights always started a bit nervous, but that changed quickly. For many, it was the first time they had mentioned a possible call in a public setting. What had been done in soft tones with a spouse or their priest, is now out in the open and there for anybody to see. Rather than being daunted, the group empowered each person there. People found that God made connections where they could hear they are not the only one, and as important, that they are not crazy. God still speaks. It is a delusion on our part to assume that the Vox Dei was only for there and then.

And as mentioned, the power comes from the group. The people discerning a call were not doing so in isolation. They are doing it together, and the Spirit is working in each of them to come to a decision and place of affirmation together. After the retreat, the participants who felt the need to go on would do so with a group in their parish to go over, in depth over many weeks what God might be prompting. This is one of the great gifts of the church to us, its members. And it also helps stop things that are not of God, and encourage things that are.

There have been some big decisions made in the short time I have been here at St George’s. The listening, the group prayer and encouragement, have been powerful to witness and I am thankful for Joe+ and the whole staff who truly seek together where God might be calling and leading us. The discernment done communally and collectively has been powerful to witness. Listening to the Spirit’s promptings is a powerful commitment and witness of this parish.

When John the Baptizer told Andrew and the other disciple of John that Jesus was the one who was to come, they discerned for themselves. They went up to Jesus, and he did not force it on them. When they asked about him, he gave the invitation, “Come and see!” And the two did and discerned together. Their call and the discernment around it had immediate effect. And because of that, Andrew connected Jesus with Peter. Thanks be to God!

One last word on Call, there are also times when we get a gut punch from the Spirit to do something right now! It is not a call to question. It is clear and it is emphatic.

Even in Jesus’ stories we see this. There is a lost sheep, GO FIND IT RIGHT NOW! There is a man bleeding in the road, STOP AND TAKE CARE OF HIM RIGHT NOW! (Good Samaritan) You have fallen as far as you can go, and you remember that there is someone who loves you and will help you, GO HOME RIGHT NOW! (The Prodigal Son)

And from today’s reading, you think you found the Messiah, GO AND TELL YOUR BROTHER RIGHT NOW!

When the Spirit says move, MOVE! And let me be clear, the Spirit will never tell you to do or say anything which goes against God’s teachings. The “God told me to do it” excuse has been used by many a psycho- and sociopath to rationalize and justify horrendous actions.

The greatest task in living a life of faith is discerning what to do, and when. God is not a God of confusion. God speaks clearly when God speaks. But we are not doing it alone. We have our calling from God, we have our community to help us divine what God wants, and we have God who keeps calling and loving us wherever and however we are. As St Paul started in his letter to the Church in Corinth: 

to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…

God calls us and we call on Jesus in whose name we are given this most amazing privilege.

I watched a movie the other day, and the way they described the call of God was the beat of a drum, and the main character had a choice, would he follow the beat of the drum and dance, or not? It was sad and sweet and beautiful. Sad because he almost didn’t. Sweet because he did. And beautiful because the invitation was there for each and every one of us, too.

God is calling, I believe This may be an Epiphany to you, or it may be old hat, but if you have ears to hear, listen. The beat of the universe is the heartbeat and the call of God, will we listen? And if we are listening, will we dance? I hope you dance. Amen

Year A Baptism of our Lord 2026 Corporeal

 Year A Baptism of our Lord, 11 January 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“Corporeal”

Collect: Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

I have been in the ministry for over 30 years. And many times over the years, I have been asked something along this line. “If Jesus was sinless, why did he have to be baptized?”

I have always appreciated how people are wrestling with this. I think one of the underlying issues is that people have the wrong idea about baptism. It is not a bath which washes something away. We are not Lady McBeth who wants her darned spot removed. Sin does not work that way. Neither does baptism.

So if it is not that, then what is it?

Eminent mythologist Joseph Campbell reminds us that “Ritual is an enactment of a myth.” Myth here meaning a formative story, not a fiction. Baptism is definitely a ritual, and we see it as a sacrament in the Episcopal Church. So what story are we reenacting?

It is harder to see in the usually way we do it in the Episcopal Church with our fonts, but our full-immersion-siblings have a clearer view of the story. It is BIRTH. Coming forth from the water of the womb, we are born. Coming up from the water, we are also reborn in baptism. It is a symbol of the new life we find in God.

This is no surprise. We are even explicit in our language around it. But it does not answer our original question, then “Why was Jesus baptized?” He, of all people, is surely in relationship with God!

I am not trying to be flippant here, but why did  Jesus need to be baptized? Because he was. He would not have done it if it were not necessary. And he gives good reason in his interaction with John. John at first refused, but Jesus responded:

"Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then [John] consented.

Now, to step beyond the obvious. For me, what I love about Jesus being baptized, I see in it that Jesus identifies with us. He sees himself as part of humanity so fully that he knows of our needs to be baptized and chooses to be one of us.

So often we think of the miracle of the incarnation as God being with us. There is that and it is true. But Jesus put on humanity fully. He lived. He died. He hurt, and laughed, and loved. He experienced pain and sorrow. He subjected himself to baptism, “to fulfill all righteousness.” The miracle of the incarnation is not that Jesus is like God, but that God is like Jesus. Jesus put on this human suit to show is in a way we would understand that God is with us. Emmanuel!

We are spiritual beings having a human experience. So was Jesus. We include our bodies in our faith because we experience everything through and in our bodies. To do otherwise would be disingenuous. Our sacraments are all about the things required for life. Think of them and the part of life with which the relate.

So when you take that warm shower that feels so good, or take that taste of food that is beyond belief, or you feel so deeply it brings you to tears, know that you are given the gift of that body of yours. And embrace it and give thanks. You were given this life in your body to learn to bear those beams of love!

Jesus was baptized, embracing his humanity, and God was pleased.

And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Thanks be to God! Amen

Year A Christmas 2 WED 2026 Chapel Service: Jesus was a Middle Schooler, Too!

 Year A Christmas 2 WEDNESDAY, 7 January 2026

Anna Julia Cooper School, Richmond, VA

“Yes, Jesus was a Middle Schooler, too!”

Collect:

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.

Luke 2:41-52

The parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem every year for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

Good afternoon! It is always a joy to be back at Anna Julia Cooper. I loved the time I spent here and the wonderful work and ministry that this place does.

Today is a strange reading from the Gospel of St Luke. We see that Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph were devout, and made the long trip to Jerusalem to follow their religious practices properly.

They would travel up with all their relatives and the friends from their home town, Nazareth. It was safer and easier to do this with more folks which is probably why they missed that Jesus was not with them when they headed out. When the group left, they may have thought, “Where’s Jesus?” And then assumed he was running around and walking with the other Nazareth kids. 

They probably thought the same at lunch. And I am guessing by dinner time they were asking friends and relations, “Have you seen Jesus?” By bedtime they were probably worried and set out the next morning to find him.

So back they went, all the way to Jerusalem. They searched and scoured, looking high and low for Jesus. I am guessing they looked everywhere a 12 year old would be. But he was no where to be found. Finally after three days, they looked in the Temple. I am guessing they figured the last place a 12 year old boy would be is hanging out in church, or at the Temple, rather.

But, sure enough, there he was. And he was teaching the teachers, don’t you know.

But wait, Father Rock, doesn’t it say that:

…they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 

Did you notice that it says that he was asking the teachers in the Temple questions? Back then, when people taught, they often did it with what is now called the Socratic method. It comes from the Greek philosopher Socrates, so Socratic means to teach like him. When he would teach he would start not with answers, but with questions. By asking questions he could see where his students are and what they are thinking. So Jesus was schooling the Teachers. We know this because of the next sentence.

And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 

So he corrected where they were wrong, and taught them what he was thinking. His answers caused amazement, which I think was pretty cool. 

Three times in this chapter, it talks about how Mary was amazed and treasured in her heart the things said about Jesus. In verse 19 with the shepherds who had come to praise him in the stable while he was lying in the manger. In verse 34 when Simeon prophesied who he was to become she was in awe. And then here, seeing him actually in action, doing what it was foretold that he would do.

And then we are given this transition verse, where Jesus jumps from being a 12 year old to being a 30 year old. Luke sums it up this way:

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

Friends, that is what I think is my prayer, and your teachers’ prayers for you. That you would grow up strong in your mind and in your body, and that you would be approved by those that know you and with God. The Bible word for God’s okaying of you is “Justified.” 

That is what we all want for you. We want you to grow fully to be who God made you to be, and that you would be found worthy to all who know you, especially God.

So Jesus was a middle schooler. People thought he was misbehaving and being bad or wrong, but he surprised them by being better than good. And he grew up. Being a middle schooler is a hard time. Your bodies and minds are changing and growing. You are trying on new personas and thoughts and beliefs. But I promise you if you take the effort, to grow in wisdom and into your body, you will find favor with those who know you. 

Blessings on you this day! Amen