Saturday, January 11, 2020

The Baptism of the Lord, Year A

Marked By Baptism

Readings: Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17

When I left my teaching position to study Theology, my good friend and colleague gave me a lovely gift, a glass swan on a mirror. She called it a marker, something to mark a significant event in my life as I made the transition from teaching to ordained ministry. I still have her gift. I consider it to be a treasure. But on reflection I realized that I already had a marker in my life. Through the sacrament of baptism I became a child of God, God’s beloved. “I sign you with the sign of the cross and mark you as Christ’s own for ever,” we say as we make the sign of the cross on the child’s forehead. I have that marker in my life.

John foretells the imminent arrival of the Coming One. Then Jesus, that very one, appears at the Jordan River to be baptized by him. John objects. “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”

Jesus’ response may seem at first glance to be strange. “It is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness,” he says to John. And John then consents to the baptism. By his baptism, Jesus identifies himself with humankind in all of our sinfulness. Yet if anyone is fulfilling righteousness already it is Jesus. What Jesus is saying, I think, is that God’s work, putting things right, is coming together in this baptism at this time. It is for Jesus the beginning of his earthly ministry. He is making a public declaration about where he stands in terms of God’s justice. His ministry is about righting the wrongs and lifting the burdens from the oppressed. He is being called by God to shine the light of God’s truth into all the dark places of the world.

And isn’t that exactly what Jesus did? Of course, the world responded as it always does by trying to stifle the goodness and light that Jesus brought. Humankind does not take kindly to criticism or to having one’s deeds exposed. And so Jesus was labelled a criminal and executed. That means that we who have been baptised sharing in Jesus’ baptism cannot stand by and approve of what happens in the world. It means we must strive to fulfill righteousness. We too must go about doing God’s work of justice, of putting things right, of shining the light of God’s truth into the dark places of the world.

And yet as I reflect on justice, I realize that our version of justice has often simply spread the darkness further through the world. Too often justice is brought about through vengeance, through force, through hostility, rather than through compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation. How do we let the light of the gospel shine through us into the darkness around us?

All of that is reflected in our Baptismal Covenant which we will renew this morning in place of the usual affirmation of our faith. What did baptism mean to you? After all, for most of us here this morning it was likely a rite undertaken on our behalf when we were babies. That is the norm for an Anglican. How then does baptism become meaningful in our lives?

My baptism was as an infant. It was on May 24th, a Sunday afternoon. I was a few weeks old, so I don’t remember the day. But I can recount it to you, because my parents and sponsors made certain that I heard the story. They told me about the service. They gathered in the little church in Byng, my father’s first parish, on a beautiful sunny day. There were my older siblings, my parents and sponsors, my aunt and uncle and a good friend of the family, Aunt Alice Francis. My father performed the baptism. I was sprinkled with water. My brother was immersed and my mother put her foot down about the rest of us. She wasn’t going to have us drowned. A party followed the baptism and, since it was the long weekend, there were fireworks down by the river. I have pictures that were taken that day in the little church. I have my baptismal certificate and the tiny silver cross that my Godmother gave me. More than that, I have the recognition that something momentous happened in my life that day. That is because my parents brought me up in the faith. As I came to understand God’s significance in my life, I assumed the responsibility for my own spiritual life. I began to take my baptismal covenant seriously. In effect, I entered into ministry. Not ordained ministry – that came much later – but ministry nevertheless.

Grace is given at baptism. That has great significance. But as we grow into adulthood, we need to take responsibility for our spiritual lives. Baptism is something to be lived every day. When we were baptised God said over us as God said over Jesus, “This is my beloved.” We need to live every day knowing that by baptism we are beloved of God.

Being beloved of God carries with it an enormous responsibility. It is in the Scripture readings today. It is in the Baptismal Covenant that we will renew later in the service.

"Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?" I will say, and hopefully you will all answer, “We will with God’s help.” We get our spiritual nurturing by meeting as a community for fellowship and prayer. We hear the Word spoken and preached. We share bread and wine as we remember God's great gift to us.

"Will you persevere in resisting evil and, whenever you fall into sin repent and return to the Lord?" We will continue. A friend of mine has argued with me over the years about the need to confess our sins and to seek absolution. "You confess your sins every Sunday and then you go out and sin again," he said to me. "It just gives you permission to be a sinner. All those 'good' Christians coming sanctimoniously to church, getting down on their knees and repenting, and then going out of church with permission to do the same thing over again! What is the sense of all that!”

I reminded him that confession is good for the soul. It is part and parcel of our human nature to need reminders that we fall short of the grace that God so freely bestows on us. We need to know that no matter how many times we fail, God is there reaching out to us. But we need to know that it is our responsibility to live the Christian life. We can't simply say 'the devil made me do it'. And above all, if we are to be forgiving we need to know that we are forgiven.

I will ask you, "Will you continue by word and example the good news of God in Christ?" Most of us are not good at 'wearing' our faith. It is ‘unanglican’. It is not something we talk about too freely. Truly talking is not the most important evangelistic tool that we have. It is by living the Christian life that we share the good news. “Preach the gospel,” says St. Francis. “Use words if necessary.”

"Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbour as yourself?" We are redeemed and reconciled by the Spirit. We are called to follow Jesus. We have the task Isaiah put before the people of Israel and that we see fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. We are called to be light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring prisoners out of bondage, and to feed and clothe the poor and hungry. It is our call as part of the human race. It is our responsibility as Christians.

"Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?" How inclusive are we as a community? Are we advocates for the poor and those in need? The vocation of the Christian life and witness is to shed light on issues of justice. It is the great commandment once again. It is about our call to love God and to love neighbour.

And finally, one that is not in the BAS, but has been wisely added in recent years by General Synod. “Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth?” In light of the ecological problems the world faces – wild fires, floods, drought, famine – that may be our most important call as Christians. What do we do personally to change our footprint, to use less of the world’s resources in a country blessed with so much? How do we become environmental advocates and activists when so many of our politicians and world leaders deny climate change? Do we simply give up thinking that we can do nothing, or do we demand the change that is needed and do something about it in our own lives?

If we take our Baptismal Covenant seriously – and I hope and pray that we do – then God’s justice must be our justice. The heart of the Christian faith is that by baptism each of us is brought into intimate relationship with a loving God. The simple fact is that I am God’s beloved daughter. You are God’s beloved son or daughter. It is for each of us to claim it and to live in the joy and confidence of it. The consequence of our baptism is that we emulate Christ, through witness in word and deed, and through communicating the love of God to all of humankind. There is a marker in your life. You are marked with the sign of the cross. Go out and be God’s light in a world of darkness. Amen.


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