Presentation of Our Lord

Sunday, February 1, 2009

St. David’s Episcopal Church, DeWitt NY

The Rev. James C. Bresnahan, Interim Rector

“Three Generations”

Luke 2:22-40 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus 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 turtledoves 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 seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped 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; and the favor of God was upon him.

Today’s Gospel reading narrates an inter-generational event.  Three generations come together in one sacred space. There is the child Jesus, forty days old.  He is carried into the temple cradled in the arms of his mother, with Joseph beside. These, his parents, are the second generation. The second generation has brought the first generation into the temple to dedicate his life to God. A third generation is nearby - a man named Simeon, a woman named Anna.  Both are of advanced age. They have been waiting for the glory of the Lord to be revealed, for a light to shine on Israel and be light also for the world.  They have come to the temple this day to pray.

Three generations, and this day their paths converge.

In narrating this story, how could the author, Luke, writing ninety years later, not have had also in mind the parallel experience of Christians of his own day, who brought their newborns to the font of Holy Baptism, who believed that children were not owned by parents but owed their life to God, and who pledged in Baptism to raise their children in the ways of God!

Both the presentation of Jesus in the temple by Mary and Joseph and the words spoken in Baptism that the baptized is child of God – both are powerful expressions of how we parents do not have our children as possessions, but that they belong to God.  We are entrusted with them not to make them be like us, but for them ultimately to journey along a path that God that them.

No one has expressed that more profoundly than the Lebanese poet, Kalil Gibran, who near to a century ago wrote in the book “The Prophet”:

Your children are not your children.

    They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

    They come through you but not from you,

    And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

    You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

    For they have their own thoughts.

    You may house their bodies but not their souls,

    For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

    For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

    You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

    and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

    Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

    For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

There is no more sacred responsibility parents have than to nurture, provide for, and then set free those whom they have been blessed for a time to care for.

Now today’s reading, as I said, does not end with Mary’s and Joseph’s presenting Jesus to God. It tells of a third generation, represented by aged Simeon and Anna, who rejoice in this child.

Again, would not Luke also have had in mind, telling this story, an older generation of his own day, gathered in Christian assembly who witnessed the faith being transmitted to a much younger generation and who rejoiced in the continuing work of God – rejoiced that the light of Christ would continue to shine!

Simeon takes Mary’s and Joseph’s child and cradles him in his arms and bursts forth in song.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

    For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

    Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

    A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

This ancient song has been the church’s song for 2000 years.  It is spoken in the night service of Compline, at the close of day, before we fall asleep, to assure us that even in the dark of night a light shines.

For a century now, in Lutheran tradition, however, it has been sung after the distribution in the Holy Eucharist: Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.  Having held in their hands the body of Christ, as Simeon did in the temple, having experienced the mercy, forgiveness, and power of Christ in the Eucharist, Christians go out in peace with the light of Christ leading the way.

Wherever it’s placement, it is a song that has remained on the lips of Christians for 2,000 years.

Then there is aged Anna. She too is in the temple, sixty years a widow, yet still looking ahead in hope rather than back with sad nostalgia.  When she sees the child Jesus, she praises God and speaks about the child to all who are looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Is not Anna a model for how we should praise God for the young children in our midst, here at St. David’s, and how we should rejoice in them, bless God for them, and strive to support their growth in every way we can!

I’m not going to get into the debate over whether it takes a family to raise a child or a village.  But I know this.  It takes a church to raise a Christian.  It takes a church to baptize.  It takes a church to feed us with the body and blood of Christ. It takes a church to communicate the breadth of Christian tradition.

We have been planning some important and needful changes, soon to be implemented, that will bring children into greater prominence in the life of our congregation. Some of those changes will be announced at our Annual Meeting following the service.  The changes have as their aim helping us to be more an inter-generational church, not only on church records, but in our life together - at worship, in fellowship, in learning, and every other way possible.  We do that for children’s sake, yes; but we do it also for our own. For children have gifts to give us.

Some words in conclusion about Candlemas – this day, when we bless the candles we will use throughout the year: Just as the bread of the Eucharist is bread, and the wine, wine, but becomes for us the body and blood of Christ, so these candles are like all other candles to view them, but for us, blessed and dedicated, they represent to us the light of Christ, whose word illumines the darkness within us and the darkness about us, and reveals the path on which we should walk. May they in our gaze serve always to point us to Christ, who is our light and our salvation, and who has brought us Gentiles, old and young alike, to worship and adore the God of the Jesus.