“Immortal, Invisible”

A homily by The Rev. Alice Marcrum

September 16th, 2007

I want us to begin our study of the scriptures for today by looking at the last verse we are given in the First Epistle to Timothy, chapter one, verse seventeen. St. Paul writes, “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.” Now that is the reading of this verse from the New Revised Standard Version. This is how it is written in the King James Version, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.”

 Please now turn in your hymnals to Hymn #423. The first verse of the hymn reads as follows: “Immortal, invisible, God only wise, in light inaccessible hid from our eyes, most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, almighty, victorious, thy great Name we praise.” Do you see the similarity of the words to this hymn compared with the scripture we read today? For those who may wonder why we sing hymns, it is to remind us what the scriptures say and to give us further insight into their meaning.

Yesterday at Bishop Dabney Smith’s Investiture as our new diocesan bishop, the glory of God was present. The glory was present in the liturgy, in the worship of the people, in the preaching and in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. It was a beautiful and spiritually moving service that brought those of us present at this service into the Presence of the very throne of God Almighty. Personally, my heart was leaping for joy - not because we were saying good bye to one bishop and greetings to another, but because the line of godly leadership of this diocese was continuing. As the season of one godly leader ended, it was being passed onto another godly leader. This is cause for much rejoicing! This is why the glory of God was felt – not just by me, but by many others who were witnesses of this most glorious event.

Yesterday, the Enemy of God was defeated as the shepherd’s staff of the Great Shepherd was passed from one good shepherd to another. Victory in Christ was proclaimed both on earth and in the heavens as the immortal angels joined us mortals in praise to the “Immortal, invisible, God only wise”.  I can honestly say that there was no where else on this earth at that particular time I would rather have been for the Presence of the Living God is more glorious than anything I have ever known.

In our new bishop’s sermon, Bishop Smith emphasized the mission of the Church. As he preached to both clergy and laity alike, he let us know that we are all in this together. For if we just came to the cathedral to receive our heavenly dose and then leave without sharing it, what good would come of it?

As members of the Body of Christ, each one of us is commanded by the Lord to share the Presence of Christ within us to a spiritually hungry world. Bishop Smith noted that each parish within this diocese has been gifted in various ways to accomplish this mission. None of us are alike, because we have been placed in different parts of the mission field to meet a diversity of needs. Yet, each one is important in the overall mission of the Church. Like a good shepherd, Bishop Smith, united us not under him, but with him to reach others through the Christ within us.  

In today’s gospel reading from Luke, Jesus rebukes the grumblings of the Pharisees and scribes who were complaining about the sinners that came to hear Jesus’ teachings by telling them a parable. Jesus tells them, “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

When a member of a team doesn’t show up for the game or refuses to do their part, what happens to that team? It is weakened. So too, when members of the Body of Christ refuse to help carry out the mission of reaching others for Christ. This is why the Great Shepherd goes and seeks the lost sheep. It is to bring strength and unity to the flock. For the Great Shepherd knows that each member of the flock is important.

Now not all of us are called to be shepherds in the flock of Christ like Bishop Smith, but we are all called to be Christ’s sheep. So whenever a member of the Church wanders away from the teachings and sacraments of the Church, the entire Church is weakened. When the lost sheep is found and returned to the flock, even the angels in heaven rejoice!

Each parish in this diocese has been commissioned to bring the lost to Christ. We have each been given different gifts to accomplish this task. Here at St. Raphael’s our gifts are hospitality and healing. We have been called to welcome the strangers and to offer those who need healing the healing touch of Jesus Christ into their lives.  This ministry is evidenced in our opening up the doors of the rectory as a place of rest and refreshment for clergy and their families, especially those who have been hit with adversities in their lives such as hurricane Katrina. This is a rare gift that only we here at St. Raphael’s offer to help the shepherds and their families in the Body of Christ to heal.

To all who walk through our doors, we welcome with hopefully radical hospitality. We also offer to all the healing touch of Christ in their lives. The very patron saint of our parish St. Raphael is the Archangel of Healing and Aid to travelers. Every time we say our namesake we are reminded of our mission for Christ in this island community and to all who choose to visit here. Every person who comes to us is a gift from the Lord for us to share the healing love and glorious Presence of Christ. Every person whom the Lord heals is a reason for us to rejoice with the angels.

When we fulfill the mission that Christ has charged us to do, then we too experience His abiding Presence with us and even more exciting, we come to know the love of God in depths of glory we could never even imagine. So let us rejoice in our calling and serve the Lord with gladness by serving others through Christ. Then we can rejoice here at St. Raphael’s in the wisdom of ‘the immortal, invisible, the only God’. May honor and glory be His forever! AMEN.