The foundation of baptism: a talk based on Mark 1:4-11

            Last week was our first worship service of 2015. We heard the story of the wise men, their journey of discovery, and how they offered their gifts as an act of worship to a king who wasn’t going to be their king, at least in a worldly sense, for we believe that Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. We reflected on their experience which led to the asking of those five questions. [see previous post for the questions] I hope you took up my invitation to sit with those questions. I don’t know about you but those were some hard questions I came up with. I sat with them for awhile and I couldn’t think of anything to write. I’m going to have to keep those questions in front of me. Hope you are too.

            Another aspect of taking stock and looking ahead is to remember where you came from. What is your foundation? What do you stand on? Here I think about the family name I carry. Even though I was adopted, I am an Orr. I am partly the product of my parents who raised me. It’s the same for you. The family in which you were raised serves as a foundation for who you are. Of course, there are a lot of other people that have influenced you to help make you who you are, but it begins with the family.
            However, as Christians we have another foundation. This foundation is our baptism. On this second Sunday of the year, we are going to reflect on the meaning and significance of our baptism, the foundation on which we all stand.
            According to the gospel of Mark, Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of his earthly ministry. Immediately after he came up out of the water, the skies ripped open, the Spirit came down upon him in the form of a dove, and the Father said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” And then Jesus is immediately driven by the Spirit into the wilderness for a time of testing. Having gone through that test, Jesus then begins his ministry of proclaiming the gospel, he selects his disciples, and off they go.
            In the same way, we consider baptism to mark the beginning of our ministry, facing times of testing, proclaiming the gospel, gathering with fellow disciples, and being on our way. But what is it about baptism that starts us on our journey of Christian discipleship? What happens when we are baptized?
            Baptism is a source of discussion, even contention, among us Christians. There are different views on what baptism is for and what it does. Eric Folkerth breaks down the different views into two main views: baptism is something you do or baptism is something done to you. That first view is common among Baptists and many independent churches. This is the view that baptism is something that you do as a public sign of your commitment to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. It’s often called believers baptism. We in the United Methodist church and most other churches don’t have any problem with that. But we hold the second view, that baptism is something done to us. For us, baptism is a public act that recognizes what God is doing in the life of the one being baptized. It’s not so much about what you are doing, but what God has already started doing in your life. This is why we baptize babies. We understand that even before someone is aware of God’s love, or who God is, that God is already at work, wooing this child, drawing the child toward His love. In other words, God claims us before we claim God, as an act of sheer grace. And we acknowledge this grace by baptizing infants, acknowledging that God has already claimed them as his own children.
            The introduction of our baptismal covenant goes like this: “Through the Sacrament of Baptism we are initiated into Christ’s holy church, we are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All this is God’s gift, offered to us without price.” This statement hits on our initiation into the church. Just as Jewish boys are circumcised on the eighth day of their life, marking them as a part of the Jewish people, so we are marked as members of the people of God through baptism. We are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation, meaning that we are included in the saving grace that comes from God’s eternal love. And we are given new birth, we are born again through water and we receive the Holy Spirit. But the main point is that last line. “All this is God’s gift, offered to us without price.” Baptism is God’s gift to us, his beloved children. If baptism means anything, it means that God loves you and God claims you.
            In my home church, when there was a baptism, we used to sing this song. “Daniel, Daniel, God claims you. God helps you, protects you, and loves you too. We this day do all agree a child of God you’ll always be. Daniel, Daniel, God claims you. God helps you, protects you, and loves you too.” That little song captures what we hold to be true about baptism. Whether you receive it as an adult or as a child, by your own decision or by the decision of your parents, baptism is an occasion to affirm that God claims you as one of his children.
            Many of us were baptized as infants or little children, so we don’t remember our baptism. As a consequence, many wish they could get re-baptized so that there can be a memory of this special experience. I’ve wondered what it would be like to experience a full immersion baptism, fully embracing all the symbolism of that. Perhaps it would seem more real, more true, if we could go through the baptismal experience and remember what it was like so that we can go back to that memory as a source of encouragement. Or when we are asked to remember our baptism, we actually can remember it. There is something to be said to wait and be baptized when you have some awareness of what is happening.
            However, if we don’t remember our baptism, it doesn’t make it any less real. It still happened. It still took. After all, baptism is simply acknowledging what God is already doing. We don’t have to remember things that still shape us, make us who we are. None of us remember being born, but that doesn’t make it any less real!
            Whether we remember that day we were baptized or we don’t, it doesn’t change the fact that God has claimed you as one of his children. Just after Jesus rose out of the water, God said, “This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Just so, after you were baptized, God said, “This is my daughter, this is my son, with whom I am well pleased.” And that’s the foundation that we all stand on as Christians entering into 2015. It is the foundation that you are claimed by God. God claims you. God helps you, protects you, and loves you too. God always has and God always will.
            So as we continue, now into our second full week of the new year, let us remember that we are baptized, and be thankful.

 

 

Questions for the new year

Here are five questions I am using to begin this new year. I shared these with my church family yesterday, with the sermon included. I offer them for your considered use.

1. What do you want to learn more about this year?

2. How am I applying what I am learning to my life?

3. Whose voices or perspectives on God or the world do I need to start paying attention to?

4. Am I giving my time and treasure to God and others with no expectations of receiving anything in return? Is the giving itself enough reward?

5. Where in my life do I need to surrender my control over so that God can use me?


This sermon is based on Matthew 2:1-12

            The first of the year is a good time to assess where you are in your life and to set goals for the next year. We set resolutions, we write down goals, we commit ourselves to stop doing some things and start doing other things. We make plans. Now is a great time to look ahead to what the next year will bring.

            This morning, we are going to look at the actions of the wise men, as they made their way from far away Babylon to Bethlehem, following the star that led them to the new born king of the Jews. There are things they did that can guide us as we enter into this new year. You have with you a piece of paper that has on one side a prayer that was written by John Wesley to be used for an annual covenant renewal service. And on the other side is a list of questions. I invite you to begin thinking about how you would answer those questions as I lead you through this reflection on the wise men. And then take this home with you and sit with those questions for awhile. Write out your answers. This can be a helpful resource for you as we enter into this new year.

            The wise men began their journey after noticing something they had not seen before. It was a star. And this star appeared in a way that they interpreted as a sign that the king of the Jews had been born. See, they were astrologers. They studied the stars and looked for signs. And they saw this one, so they went to Jerusalem to find out more information. One thing we learn from the wise men is that they were always looking to the stars searching for signs. And when they saw something, they went on a journey in order to find out more about it. They saw the sign of a new born king, so they went to discover who this king was. They were curious. They wanted to know more, to go on journeys of discovery.

            So that is the first question I invite you to consider. What are you curious about? What have you noticed that you want to know more about? There is always something more to learn, more discoveries to be had. Consider exploring something new to you that strikes your interest. Do some research, read some books or magazine articles. See if a class is being offered somewhere. Think about something you would like to learn more about this year.

            When the wise men got the information from Herod, that the king is to be born in Bethlehem, they quickly went on their way, continuing to follow the star which led them to the place where Jesus was. Once they had the information they needed, they acted on it. They applied this new information so that they could continue their journey of discovery.

            It’s one thing to learn something new. But you can’t stop there. You have to then take what you have learned and apply it to your life. You have to act on this new knowledge that you have obtained. I’ll admit to you, this isn’t always easy. We are all creatures of habit. We have our ways of doing things that we pick up as we go along. When we are exposed to new ways of doing things, it is not a given that we will adapt this new knowledge into how we live. Instead, if you are like me, we think about what we are learning, it satisfies our curiosity, and then we move on to something else. If we don’t do the necessary work of discerning how to apply new knowledge to our understanding of the world and of ourselves, or of God, then it is like looking in the mirror, seeing what you need to change, and then walking away and forgetting what you just saw.

            There is a great teacher I know named George. I was at a workshop he was leading on church development. We covered all kinds of material on how to help churches become vital. At the end of the sessions, George asked us to take some time and write down three things that we learned that day that we will apply in our ministry setting. He knew how easy it is for us to be exposed to new learnings and get all excited about these new insights, but then not do anything, not allow those insights to impact our lives. It’s so much easier to just do things as we have always done them. It’s hard to change. But if we don’t apply what we are learning then we are falling short. We aren’t growing.

            That’s the second question I invite you to consider. Ask yourself, “How am I applying what I am learning to my life?” As you learn new things, are you asking of yourself how you might apply what you are learning so you can improve yourself, be a more faithful Christian, a more engaged citizen, a better person, whatever? Commit yourself to apply what you learn so that it becomes more than information in your head, but something that you incorporate into how you live your life or how you understand the world or how you understand God.

            The wise men followed the star to Bethlehem, which led them to the house where Jesus was. Where Jesus was did not bother them. They had no preconceived notions of where a king would be born. Because Jesus was not in a palace or in a large city made no difference to them. That he was born in poverty in a little village was no obstacle for them. They followed the star wherever it led them.

            We all have biases. We have our sources of information that we go to and we close ourselves off to other perspectives. Let’s say you identify yourself as politically conservative. You want to learn more about the issue of immigration. You could certainly read up on what people are saying from your own perspective. But what about exposing yourself to the perspectives of others who are on the liberal side of things, and to do this leaving open the possibility that you might learn something?

            Or consider where God may be at work in the world. The world is a lot different from what it was even a few decades ago. We live in different times. No longer do people look to the church when it comes to finding meaning in life. The joys and sorrows of life are experienced by many outside of a church community. But that doesn’t mean that people don’t have community. Their community may be co-workers, friends they hang out with, whatever. God is there too. The question is, are you open to the possibility that God is present among people who don’t go to church? Are you open to learning something from those who have a different perspective than yours?

            Once the wise men arrived, they presented to Jesus their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They left empty handed. This was not a quid pro quo situation. They weren’t looking to get anything from Jesus. No, they were giving something precious to him in order to honor him. He wasn’t going to be their king. There wasn’t anything Jesus could do for them. They simply gave these gifts as an act of honor and left with empty hands, but with joy filled hearts. Amazing, that they would be so generous with no clear benefit to themselves!

            How not like us. How much do we wonder what someone can do for us rather than ask what we can do for that person, no strings attached? We live in a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” kind of world. We think that if we don’t get any benefit from helping someone out that maybe they are taking advantage of us. And what about our relationship with God? Do we only turn to God when we need something?

            Gifts should not have any strings attached. They should be given as an act of love or appreciation with no expectation that you will get a gift in return. If you expect a gift in return, it’s no longer a gift you are giving, but a bribe. This next question asks about your relationship with God. Are you offering what you have to God freely, as an act of love, with no expectation that God will bless you in return? I’ll admit, it can be discouraging when you give of yourself to help others and you are dedicating your life to serve God, and it seems like life keeps throwing obstacles at you instead of blessing. Life can be discouraging at times. We can get discouraged in our relationship with God sometimes. The hard question I’m asking you to wrestle with is, do you give your time and treasure to God and others with no expectation of getting anything in return? Is the giving itself enough of a reward?

            The wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, but to go home by another way. That’s because Herod was not ready to surrender to the reality that his time in power was coming to an end. He liked being in charge. He would not surrender his position of power and authority easily. He was willing to kill every male child in Judea if that’s what it took to be rid of the new born king, so that he could stay in power. The corrupting influence of power is so real. We see so many examples of it all around us. For those of us who have enjoyed some power and authority, anyone who would challenge or try to usurp that authority becomes a threat. It is amazing what people are capable of doing to keep their power.

            The Christian life, however, is not one of amassing power and influence. It’s not a life of ambition, of climbing to the top of the heap. It’s not a life of clinging to what little power and influence you have over others. The Christian life is a life of surrender, of humbling yourself, of not seeking wealth, fame, influence, or any of that. The Christian life is one that calls us to surrender our will to God’s will. It is a call to live a life of service, even if that creates inconveniences or requires sacrifice on our part. It is a life, not of grasping, but of letting go, of surrendering to Jesus Christ as our Lord. That’s the last question I’m asking you to consider. What area of your life do you need to surrender so that you can be a more faithful servant of God? Maybe it is your finances. Perhaps it is an attitude that you have to always get your way. Take some time and ask yourself, “Where in my life do I need to surrender my control over so that God can use me?” It can be hard to let go sometimes. But if our hands are clinched fists, we can’t hold on to the hand of God and be led where God wants to take us.

            I hope you will take these questions home with you. Pray and reflect on them. Write something down. Say the prayer on the other side as an act of commitment. And keep these questions somewhere so that you can review them throughout the year. It is my hope that by doing this we will experience 2015 as a year full of blessing, richness, and significance, all to the glory of God.

Having a bigger picture

"But I said, 'I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity'...[God] says, 'It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribe of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.'"

- Isaiah 49:4a,6

When I first started professional ministry, I was the director of a Wesley Foundation at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Those few months were frustrating. I felt like I had "spent my strength for nothing and vanity." I organized Bible Studies, open houses, parties, and hardly anyone came. Have you ever tried to lead a Bible study when it is you and one college student? Awkward.

So I left town for the weekend and went on retreat to have some heart to heart time with God. During that time away, it dawned on me what I was doing wrong. My picture was too small. All I was focusing on was getting students into the Wesley House so we could do things I had planned. What if instead of staying in the House and luring students over, I got out of the House and walked the campus? What if I claimed the campus as my "House"? I would do ministry by walking around.

I am grateful today for Martin Luther King, Jr., who had a picture that went beyond the confines of Ebenezer Baptist Church, or his side of Atlanta. I am grateful that he grasped the vision that his call was to not just be with "the tribe of Jacob", that his life mission was not to comfort "the survivors of Israel" located in Atlanta. He got out of the church and walked the streets. And he didn't just walk the streets of Atlanta. He walked the streets of a lot of cities. He walked the streets of towns and villages. He walked through the country side. He saw his mission to be "a light to the nations." Thank God he didn't confine himself to Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Do we ever limit our impact in the world by focusing our efforts in too small a spot? Could it be that if we are trying to make a difference somewhere, but things aren't working, that we haven't cast a big enough net? John Wesley famously said, "The world is my parish." This is the picture I'm trying to live in to, that wherever I am, and with whoever I'm with, these are my people, and this is my opportunity, to do good, to offer a word of hope or encouragement, to let in a little light.

A Watershed Moment

Below is the sermon I preached this past Sunday, Jan. 12, based on Matthew 3:13-17.

Why did Jesus go to be baptized by John? John was out there in the wilderness, like a modern day Elijah, preaching up a storm, telling people they need to shape up, to stop messing around and do God’s will, be obedient to God’s laws and ordinances. And people were coming from miles around to hear this. John the Baptist is like Joel Osteen in reverse. Osteen says things that tickle our ears and make us feel good, with his slicked back hair, polished teeth, and tailored suit. John the Baptist is the exact opposite and he isn’t giving out platitudes about positive thinking. But people are eating it up. Throngs of people are coming out to see and hear John the Baptist. They confess their sins and then John baptizes them in the Jordan. And they believe that in that baptism they are being cleansed from the stain of their sins and they are getting a new start in life. Everyone wants a new start, right? A chance to start fresh? John was offering that fresh start.

            Then Jesus shows up. Why did he feel the need? He had no sins to confess. He didn’t need a fresh start. There’s no obvious reason why Jesus would be there, unless he was just going over there to check this thing out, see who this John the Baptist was that everyone was talking about. But Jesus wasn’t there just to check things out. He got in line.

            And John shares our confusion. He doesn’t understand what Jesus is doing there either. He knows a little bit about Jesus. He knows that Jesus is his master, that he is more holy, more powerful. He sees Jesus standing before him and he says what we all are thinking, “Jesus, you should be baptizing me.”

            But then Jesus says something that helps explain why it is that this sinless man is standing in the water to be baptized so that his sins, which he doesn’t have, can be washed away, which makes no sense. Jesus says, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Both John and Jesus care about being righteous, about being obedient to God’s will. That’s what it means to be righteous, to do God’s will. So there is something about John baptizing Jesus that is a part of God’s will. God’s will is the unfolding of salvation. That’s what God is up to. God’s will is that all of creation be saved, be renewed, be restored to life. And in this moment, John and Jesus had a specific role to play in the unfolding of this great drama, this epic unfolding of God’s will that all of creation be made new. So that is what is going on here. That is why Jesus is being baptized by John, because it has something to do with fulfilling God’s will.

            But what does baptism have to do with it? Why does God want John to baptize Jesus so that God’s plan of salvation can continue to move forward?

            Water is a powerful symbol in the history of Israel. I’m not going to take time to review all the key points in the history of Israel where water is involved in significant ways. Water shows up at Genesis 1:2, where it says the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water. You could say that the history of Israel is dripping with water.

            One moment where water shows up is in the Great Flood. The earth needed a good scrubbing. God’s creation had become so corrupt, so impure, so far from what God had intended, that God decided to start fresh. So God opened the flood gates and wiped out every living thing on the earth with the exception of one righteous man, Noah, with his wife and kids, with their wives, and two of every kind of living creature. They were put up safely in the ark so that after the flood waters receded and they got off the boat, they could start anew. God’s plan of making everything new was fulfilled by wiping everything out with water and then starting over again with Noah.

            John was calling the people to repent of their sinfulness, to be sorry for what they have done, and to make a vow to start over. And then they got into the Jordan river and had their own Great Flood experience. They got into that water, all the way in, and then came out, declared clean, and given a new beginning.

            And here comes Jesus. The angel said that he was to be named Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. The one who saves his people from their sins goes out to the place where people are looking to be saved from their sins. Looking at it that way, where else would Jesus go, than to be with a bunch of sinners wanting a fresh start?

            Then Jesus, the sinless one, gets in the water with the rest of the sinners. Back in the days of Noah, only Noah was the sinless one, the only righteous person on the planet. And when the Flood came, he was above it all, safe and secure in the ark, while all the sinners drowned to death. And here stands another Noah, the only righteous one on earth, but he isn’t safe and secure above it all. This righteous one gets in the water and goes under with the rest of the sinners. Jesus identifies completely with the sinners. In this baptism, Jesus identifies, stands with, you and me.

            And as Jesus comes out of the water, the heavens open. Maybe it was a cloudy day when Jesus went out to see John that day. Maybe it was raining a little bit. But when Jesus came up out of the water, the clouds broke, the sun came out. I wonder if maybe a little rainbow was forming. And a dove appears out of nowhere and lands on Jesus’ shoulder.

            Do you remember, after the rains were over, and after the ark had settled down on a rock outcropping, that Noah released a dove? The dove circled around but couldn’t find anywhere to land, so the dove came back. Noah waited a few days and then sent the dove out again. This time the dove returned with an olive branch in its mouth, a sign that it was about time to get out of the ark, for the waters were receding. Then Noah releases the dove a third time, and the dove didn’t come back.

            The dove came back.

            There is something about the baptism of Jesus that marks a new beginning for all of creation, a new covenant for all God’s people, for Israel and the nations. Jesus’ baptism, in a way, was a watershed moment. It marked the beginning of something. And at the end of the gospel, Jesus instructs his disciples to go to all the nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching everything that Jesus had taught them. It is this same baptism that you and I have received. It is a baptism that marks a new beginning. It is a part of the fulfilling of God’s righteousness for our lives, our participation in God’s ongoing work of redeeming, making right, bringing back to life, all of creation.

            It is good for us from time to time to be reminded of this mystery, this new covenant that has been established by God for us, the new beginning that baptism provides for us. We come to the waters to remember that we too are sons and daughters of God, God’s beloved, with whom God is well pleased…most of the time. We come to be reminded that these waters that once symbolized death and destruction, as in the days of Noah, now symbolize cleansing and renewal. Today, we will come forward, to gaze upon and touch this water, and remember what this water represents, in all of its mystery, in the unfolding of God’s plan to make all things new.

From a Monastery Cookbook

I bought many years ago a cookbook from a monastery that I visited with a group of seminary students for spiritual formation retreats. The cookbook is a collection of recipes from a Trappist Monastery. They are divided up by seasons. On a whim, I thought I would work my way through the cookbook. So, I turned to the Autumn section and went to the first recipe, called Soup Julienne. It is a simple and tasty soup.

3 leeks (white part only)
4 carrots
2 medium turnips
1/2 head green cabbage
1 onion
3 bouillon cubes (I used low sodium chicken bouillon)
3 quarts water
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

Cut the vegetables up into thin strips about 1 1/2 inches long. Put them in a large soup kettle with the water. Add the bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil. Then lower the temperature to medium, cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring every now and then. When the vegetables are done, add the salt, pepper and parsley, give it a quick stir, and then put the lid back on and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve hot. It makes about six servings.

The state of resurrection

Here follows a wonderful quote from Olivier Clement's "The Roots of Christian Mysticism."

We are continually tempted to appropriate the world, to take possession of it as a kind of prey. We thus increasingly enslave it to death, and today we are in danger simutaneously of collectively committing suicide, and destroying nature. But by the intervention of the mystery of Christ and of the witness of his followers a state of death is transformed into a state of resurrection. In Christ the world becomes Eucharist. In him we can transfigure the world by integrating it into the human consciousness of the Risen Christ, who offers resurrection to everyone and everything. It is up to Christians to show people that the cross, all the crosses of history, call upon us to advance from possession to sharing and offering, to discover the Giver through the gift. They invite us to respect nature and spiritualize it, and to share the blessings of the earth like brothers and sisters, because, as Dumitru Staniloae, whose thought is summarized here, writes, "They are destined to serve interpersonal communion" (Dogmatic Theology, I, 344). Sanctity imparts the divine light not only to our bodies but to the whole cosmic environment. Today, when history itself is raising the ultimate questions, we are called to what Simone Weil termed a "holiness of genius" that is able to communicate the light to the very foundations of culture.

Good Friday reflection

A beautiful prayer by Isaac of Nineveh:

Lord Jesus, our God, who wept for Lazarus, and shed for him tears of grief and compassion, accept the tears of my bitterness. By thy sufferings assuage my suffering. By thy wounds heal my wounds. By thy blood cleanse my blood. Pour out on my body the perfume of thy life-giving body. For the gall that thou was given to drink changes the bitterness of my soul into sweetness. May thy body stretched on the wood of the cross draw to thee my spirit crushed by the demons. May thy sacred hands pierced with the nails snatch me from the pit of damnation and bring me back to thee, as thou hast promised. May thy face which suffered blows and spittle enlighten my face that is defiled by my wrongdoing. May thy soul which on the cross thou didst give back to thy Father lead me by thy grace to thee. I have no broken heart to start me on the quest for thee, no penitence, no tenderness. I have no tears with which to pray to thee. My spirit is in darkness. My heart is cold. I know not how to make it warm again by tears of love for thee. But thou, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, do thou give me complete repentance, the breaking of my hearts, that with my whole soul I may set out in quest of thee. Without thee I should be without all reality. May the Father who in his womb begot thee in eternity renew in me thine image. I have forsaken thee. Do not thou forsake me. I have wandered far from thee. Do thou set out in quest of me. Lead me back to thy pastures with the sheep of thy flock. Feed me together with them on the fresh grazing of thy mysteries where the pure heart dwells, the heart that bears in it the splendour of thy revelations. May we be worthy of such splendour through thy grace and by thy love for humankind, O Jesus Christ our Saviour, for ever and ever. Amen.