St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Owings Mills MD
January 18, 2026
Year A: The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-12
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1: 29-42
Everyone Is Invited
As I hope you all know by now, we have begun holding Focus Group Meetings, on Sundays after the two morning services and also during the week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The Sunday meetings are in person, over in the Parish Hall, and the weekday meetings are on Zoom, which we hope will give everyone who loves St. Thomas’ an opportunity to attend and participate.
I have found the first four meetings to be very moving experiences.
It’s been inspiring to hear our wardens and other leaders present a vision of how we can continue to build on the firm foundation that we’ve inherited from our spiritual ancestors – how we can care for our organ so that it can ring out with God’s praises for many years to come – how we can appropriately remember our brothers and sisters buried in the North Cemetery – how we can live even more deeply into our vocation as a servant church.
Our leaders have been presenting a lot of information, plenty of facts and figures, but, most of all, they’ve been speaking from the heart.
The love that our leaders have for this place and our ministries has been shining forth so beautifully.
And it’s not just our leaders.
What I like most about how we’re doing these Focus Group Meetings is that, not only is everyone invited to attend, but everyone is invited to share their thoughts, to share what they – you – see as our greatest needs.
Everyone is invited to reflect on what God might be calling us to do.
Everyone is invited to dream.
Everyone is invited.
It hadn’t really occurred to me until a couple of days ago, that we are undertaking these conversations and reflections – we are extending these invitations – during the season of Epiphany – which, some of you will remember, was the name of our last capital campaign, twenty-five years ago.
Epiphany means “manifestation.”
And during these weeks between Christmas and Lent, we celebrate the manifestation of Christ to the people of the world.
Epiphany begins with the arrival of the stargazing, gift-bearing Magi – the mysterious visitors from the East.
Although they’re not Jews, they travel far to honor the newborn king, to pay him homage.
And then last Sunday, we heard the story of Jesus’ baptism – when anyone who happened to be listening would have heard the voice of God declare:
“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Epiphany.
The manifestation of Christ to the people of the world.
And now, in today’s lesson from the Gospel of John, we hear John the Baptist remember baptizing Jesus.
And then John points to Jesus.
John points to Jesus and says, “Look! Here is the Lamb of God.”
Another epiphany – an epiphany that draws Andrew and the other disciple to follow Jesus, to find out what this “Lamb of God” is all about.
And there are more epiphanies: Jesus gently invites Andrew and the other disciple to “Come and see.”
And then Andrew passes on the invitation to his brother Simon and before we know it, Jesus has begun gathering his little band of followers, the little band that will eventually grow into the church all around the world, including right here at St. Thomas’.
Right here at St. Thomas’, where everyone is invited to participate, not only in our Focus Group meetings, but everyone is invited to participate in everything.
St. Thomas’, where everyone is invited.
I really like the words of today’s opening prayer, what’s called the collect:
“Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory.”
Isn’t that beautiful?
And, you know, one of the privileges of my job is that I get to see so many of you shining with the radiance of Christ’s glory all the time.
I see the radiance of Christ’s glory shining through our Focus Group presenters, people who care so much about the mission of the church, people who devote an extraordinary amount of time and talent to strengthen our church so we can be even more faithful, more effective in sharing the Good News in word and deed.
I see the radiance of Christ’s glory shining through so many of you who have already attended our meetings, wanting the best for this holy place, sharing your experiences and insights.
And, of course, I see the radiance of Christ’s glory shining through you any day of the week as you tutor children at Owings Mills Elementary School, make sandwiches for the hungry, make sure our church is ready and beautiful for worship, sing God’s praises, welcome people as they arrive at church, teach our children, care for our cemetery, puzzle over The Screwtape Letters, and on and on.
And I see the radiance of Christ’s glory shining through you each time you invite someone into our community, each time you pass along Jesus’ holy invitation to “come and see.”
These holy invitations – these holy invitations to people who may not even know what they’re looking for – these holy invitations are so important.
In fact, a holy invitation once changed my life.
I’ve told you this story at least once before, but it’s a good one, and, besides, not everyone’s heard it.
So, about twenty-five years ago, I was teaching history at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, my high school alma mater.
Sue and I had been married for a couple of years and things were good. But at some point, I realized that, although I was sort of getting church through my job, it wasn’t something that Sue and I shared.
So, I suggested that we go to Mass at our local Catholic church.
I won’t get into details but, in short, it was not a good experience.
The following week, I was telling this story in the faculty room, probably exaggerating how uninspiring the service was to get cheap laughs. After the room settled down, one of my colleagues, Patty Nickerson, said quietly, “You should come to my church sometime.”
And the following Sunday, Sue and I accepted Patty’s invitation and worshiped at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, just a few blocks from our house in Jersey City.
And not unlike Andrew and the other disciple and Peter, that invitation changed our lives – sending us down a path that I could not have imagined, opening us to experiences we could not have dreamed, eventually leading us here with all of you.
After I talked about that long-ago holy invitation during our Wednesday Bible Study, a few others who were there told their stories of invitation – simple, quiet invitations that changed them, invitations that led them to St. Thomas’, invitations that were indeed epiphanies, manifestations of Christ.
So, it’s the Season of Epiphany and Christ is being manifested to our weary and hurting world.
It’s the Season of Epiphany, and as always, our church is jumping with plenty of activity – opportunities for worship and learning, chances to dream big about our future, ways to care for one another and to tend to our community.
It’s the Season of Epiphany and the radiance of Christ’s glory is shining through St. Thomas’, shining through you.
It’s the Season of Epiphany and everyone – absolutely everyone – is invited.
Amen.
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