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Chicken and Egg                        Psalm 91                   January11, 2009

He will cover you with his pinions (with his feathers), and under his wings you will find refuge. (Psalm 91:4)

The Bible is full of references to birds. About three hundred in all, they are scattered throughout the Scriptures, literally from Genesis to Revelation.

And all of those birds - in fact, all birds - have one thing in common. Each one was hatched from an egg. More about that in a moment.

The Scriptural references to eagles are among the most dramatic. With apologies to all of you that are waiting expectantly for this afternoon's game, none of them have any particular relevance to football, nor do the Biblical pictures of eagles bear much of a resemblance to the aggressive, almost angry bird that adorns the helmet of our beloved Philadelphia team.

The biblical pictures of the eagle, on the contrary, evoke beautiful images, symbolizing God's caring, nurturing side. They have stirred poets and songwriters and inspired anthems like the one we just enjoyed: "And He will raise you up on eagle's wings," the choir sang, "bear you on the breath of dawn, make you shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand."

Our watchword text for 2009 doesn't specifically mention the eagle, but it calls to mind the other passages that do. In the book of Exodus, for example, the deliverance of the People of Israel is described using the image of an eagle: "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, the author writes, "and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself."

And in the book of Deuteronomy, using much the same language as the Psalmist uses in our text, the author writes: "As an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, as it spreads its wings, takes them up, and bears them aloft on its feathers," so God will protect God's people.

Our Watchword Text, and the Psalm from which it is taken, is one of those passages that prompts us to breathe deeply, close our eyes and allow the presence of a caring, nurturing, protecting God to wash over us. It's a perfect devotional text.

"Because you have made the Lord your refuge," the Psalmist encourages us to sing, "the Most High your dwelling place; no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone."

Our Gospel lesson for today is the story of Jesus' baptism by his cousin, John. It also makes reference to a bird. A dove. The symbol of the Holy Spirit.

And just as the refuge we enjoy beneath the wings of our loving, caring God is a refuge that builds us up so that we can do God's will, the Spirit's descent at Jesus' baptism is a symbol of his empowerment. A symbol that launches his ministry of suffering and obedience.

Eagles and doves - two different birds, two different metaphors. One represents God's caring; the other represents God's work in the world through the Holy Spirit. In this Epiphany season we are encouraged to strike a balance - to receive the pouring out of God's love, and to follow the example of Jesus and share that love.

But there's a third bird I would like to suggest we all consider today. The chicken. Mostly because of all birds, the chicken is one we can scarcely think about without also thinking about the egg.

There is a reference to a chicken in the Bible, by the way. Just one. Interestingly, it is a reference by Jesus, recorded both in Matthew and Luke, and, like our Watchword, it evokes a picture of the children of God gathered under the wings of a mother hen.

"Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" inquiring minds often ask. If the chicken came first, then didn't it hatch from an egg? On the other hand, if the egg came first, wasn't it laid by a chicken? It's one of those riddles that seem unanswerable.

Where am I going with this?

Here's where. As we gather, on this First Sunday after the Epiphany, contemplating the eagle that surrounds us with feathers of shelter and comfort, the dove that descends from heaven to launch the ministry of our Lord and the chicken who may or may not have proceeded the egg in the grand scheme of things; as we gather around this Epiphany Communion table today, let me leave you with words borrowed from an author who seems to often write words worth borrowing - C. S. Lewis. Words about an egg:

"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird," Lewis once said. "It would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg."

"We are like eggs at present," he continues. "And you and I cannot go on indefinitely being just ordinary, decent eggs. We must be hatched or go bad."

Listen again to our Watchword for this year: "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge."

However comforting those words may be, they are not an invitation to a life of inactivity. They are not an invitation to spend life as an egg. The refuge of God's protective wings is not offered in order to protect us from the world, it is offered so that we may face the world. So that the world will be no match for us.

Welcome to the table of the Lord, brothers and sisters. A place where we eggs can be hatched, take flight and soar like eagles.

                                                                             AMEN

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