Sermon for 1st Sunday After Epiphany: Be Evangelism (Year C)

1st Sunday After Epiphany: Be Evangelism

Isaiah 42:1-9; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17

The Reverend Paul D. Allick, The Church of the Advent, January 11, 2026

One afternoon, the city bus I was riding broke down. I

decided to take the longish walk home.

As I went, I prayed the Rosary on my fingers. Just as I was

beginning the fifth mystery two well dressed young men

approached me. They started sharing their message about

their religion with me. I politely told them that I was a

Christian and that I appreciated their mission efforts. I

wished them well.

They would not stop. I told them what I knew about their faith

and explained that I did not agree. Then I told them that I

was actually in the middle of my own prayers. As they rode

away, on of them said, “Maybe you should start praying

harder.”

This is how not to do evangelism. It has happened to me

countless times. I tell people who are evangelizing me

toward their way of seeing things that I am a practicing

Christian and they just keep correcting me.

My advice to Christians is do not do evangelism...be it. Be

evangelism. Stop telling me and start showing me.

Evangelism is important for us Episcopalians because we

are Christians. Sure we want to grow our numbers but far

more importantly, we are commanded in the Gospel to bring

others in and to baptize them. We do it so that others can

become Disciples and, hopefully, find the joy and peace we

have found. (Not fill the pews and turn in pledge cards.)

As the Church we are the Servant of the Lord; we are Christ

in the world.

Isaiah gives instruction on how to be the Servant of the Lord.

Some say he is referring to the people Israel others say he is

referring to the future Messiah and others believe it is both.

Whatever the case, there is good instruction here about how

to serve the Lord in the world.

Isaiah tells us that the servant is not going to make a big

scene lifting up their voice in the street. The servant is not

going to be theatrical breaking things that are already

bruised or putting out wicks that are already burning dimly.

That’s what happens when evangelism is used as a weapon

of judgment: those who are already leery simply run further

away. Whatever damage religion has done to them in the

past is only magnified by our theatrics and judgmental tones.

In our baptism we are called to bring the light of peace and

hope to others not an interrogation lamp.

The first Servant of the Lord is the people Israel whom God

called out of Egypt. They were baptized in the Red Sea and

then sent into the wilderness to test their faith.

Then comes the new Servant in the person of Jesus of

Nazareth. As a child he is brought up out of Egypt. He is

baptized and anointed in the River Jordan. Then he is sent

out into the wilderness to be tested.

St. Peter explains Jesus’ life and mission. After he is

baptized and tested, he goes into the world doing good and

healing people who are oppressed by evil. He dies on the

cross and then rises to eternal life. At his Ascension and at

Pentecost Christ gives the Church the command and power

to become the Servant of the Lord.

We were baptized. We experience our own wildernesses

where our trust in God is tested. We die on our crosses,

giving up our own will. We are resurrected over and over in

this life. Then we bring others into this story wherein life

begins to make more sense.

We do not cajole, we invite. We do not bloviate, we

demonstrate. We show others how our knowing Christ has

turned us around. How we have healed bitterness in our

hearts. How we have been able to forgive others the way

God has forgiven us. We prove how power and control do

not matter to us as much anymore. We become lights in the

world overwhelming the darkness of violence and

vengeance.

If our lives are about keeping our Baptismal Covenant, we

will be evangelism. If we are spending our energy

understanding the contours of our Catholic Tradition,

renouncing evil, treating others with dignity and working

toward right relationship with God and others, we will shine

the Light of Christ wherever we may be.

Sometimes that light is going to go dim. It is going to feel

really hard to bite the tongue or take a breath before we

react. But even when we do that others will see us doing it.

That in and of itself will show forth our love of God, our

respect for others and our faith in Christ.

At the risk of sounding medieval, I really believe that Satan

and the spiritual forces of dissension are perpetually

tempting us to get our own way; always working to put out

any light we show forth to the world.

We must resist them, firm in our faith as one resists a roaring

lion seeking someone to devour.