Celebration of New Ministry Sermon from Rev. Dr. Rachel Anne Nyback Saturday, December 12 At St. Anne Episcopal Church

“Suddenly there was a great burst of light through the Darkness. The light spread out and where it touched the Darkness the Darkness disappeared. The light spread until the patch of Dark Thing had vanished, and there was only a gentle shining, and through the shining came the stars, clear and pure. Then, slowly, the shining dwindled until it, too, was gone, and there was nothing but stars and starlight. No shadows. No fear. Only the stars and the clear darkness of space, quite different from the fearful darkness of the Thing.” (WIT, 87)

This quote from one of my favorite children’s books A Wrinkle in Time , by the Episcopalian author of Madeleine L’Engle quickly brings into focus today’s reading from the Gospel of John. Jesus, “the true light, which enlightens everyone was coming into the world.” Although we celebrate the feast of St. Lucia today, this reading is a perfect one for Advent as well as Christmas as well as a Celebration of New Ministry.

Seasonally, we are in a time of waiting in darkness, waiting for Christmas, waiting for the days to once again become longer than the night, waiting for more candles to be lit on our Advent wreath as we journey closer and closer to the birth of the light of the world, Jesus Christ. As we gather here today, to celebrate the new ministry of Phyllis and St. Anne’s we also recognize that both of you are coming out of a time of darkness and being called to kindle a much, much brighter light.

I am not sure that anyone would say that discernment is easy. It is much more of a rollercoaster that occasionally goes through tunnels of darkness. You know you are moving forward, but you can always see or prepare for the twist and turns, and you aren’t quite sure where you will come out . Some people are more graceful in discernment while others struggle through challenges. Yet one thing is for certain, one cannot do discernment on one’s own. St. Anne’s, you went through a period of darkness, not the darkness of oppression and injustice, I will get to that in a moment, but you went through the darkness of the unknown as you searched for who would be your next rector...you didn’t know what he or she would look like, or sound like, or what gifts they would bring to your parish. You had good programs but had to be courageous in saying you wanted someone who would take what you have and with you make it even stronger, more hospitable, more alive in the Spirit, more willing to stretch where the Spirit is calling you. You discerned through the darkness of the unknown together diligently and prayerfully.

And Phyllis, I know you were in the dark as to where you were going and to be called next…I was honored to sit next to you on the rollercoaster (with family and friends riding in the car with you) through your discernment then yearning to be called to St. Anne’s. Yet all of you were faithful to the process. All of you knew, knew, that with prayer, with talking honestly and

1 opening with one another, with relying on your deep faith to guide you, you would find the right fit. Both of you were looking for someone with whom you could build the light of Christ and bring it out into the world. While I am biased to be sure, I would say you both did a pretty good job of listening to the Spirit.

Which brings us to today, a Celebration of New Ministry, which isn’t so much about “Look Ma! We did it!” as “Time to roll up your sleeves and get started.” You see there is much darkness out there in your community, not the darkness of waiting, but the darkness of oppression and injustice, and to be honest that darkness seems to be seeping even further across our country and our world right now, a darkness that doesn’t come from the absence of the sun, but an absence of the light of Christ.

The darkness of homelessness, poverty, unequal educational opportunities, unjust social issues around race, sexuality, gender, socio-economic strata? This! This is the darkness that the light of Christ has come to vanquish. You St. Anne’s and you Phyllis, your call, your charge is to band together, to work as one and bright the light of Christ from St. Anne’s...out of these walls and out into your community.

Now like discernment, bringing the light of Christ to those in need can be a challenge. But you already know, yes, you already know that to bring the light of Christ you have to listen to each other, you have to discern again with each other, you have to be in relationship with one another to share the light of Christ. I don’t know if you realized but every one of the readings today from the OT to the gospel are about relationship. Relationship with God is a reflection of how we are to be relationship with one another.

When you are in the meeting and you think Phyllis has crazy ideas or “we have always done it this way” that is a time for you both to stop and listen, listen to what is important to one another, and then listen to where God, not you and your ideas, but where is the Spirit calling you to go? We cannot spread the light of Christ if we are not in good relationship with one another.

While each of us carries the light of Christ and is called to share it, we know we are stronger, more effective, when we work together. In my parish we have sung Silent Night in candlelight for the past fifty-eleven million years. Lights go out, acolytes come down with two candles and with in minutes the whole church goes from darkness into light, that light represents that which we each carry with us in our hearts and we share that light by the work of our hands and the words of our lips. St. Anne’s when you put your lights together, you become the burst of light that banishes darkness, banishes the oppression of the world.

Now I hasten to give a word of caution (this is especially to Phyllis), if you go running around like a chicken with your head cut off with a candle in your hand one of two things will happen...the flame goes out or your hair catches on fire...neither is a good idea. St. Anne’s I implore you to take care of my friend Phyllis. She gets soooooooo excited about spreading the light of Christ with you that she doesn’t take her days off or practice good self care. For example, if she were preaching this sermon, she likely could have been up until 2 am making St. Lucy’s wreaths for each of you to wear on your heads (ad lib the conversation on the phone with me). I also know that you St. Anne’s have the reputation of being non-stop workers yourselves. I implore you, if you want her light to stay strong, and in turn YOUR light to stay bright, be sure she is taking her

2 days off, taking her music lessons, hiking, etc. Don’t let her burn out her light. And Phyllis, be gentle with St. Anne’s as you are so filled with amazing, wonderful, Spirit-filled ideas, not everyone can move as fast as you can.

But move you will St. Anne’s; I can guarantee you. In your calling Phyllis I know how deeply you wanted to move, wanted to share the light of Christ even more brightly than you have in your past. So remain in relationship with one another, tend to the light of Christ in one another, find the most important places of the darkness of injustice and oppression that are waiting for your light of Christ to shine, to take away fear and to bring love.

3