1-12-14: Baptism

Baptism

 

Matthew 3: 13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

 

Friends, I’m doing something a little bit different today, as I think you can see. Bear with me; the Holy Spirit put something very special on my heart this week.

So, first thing’s first: you’re preaching, Pastor Natalie, why are you holding a guitar?

This is why:

I got a song stuck in my head this week. You know when that happens to you? You’ll be doing something totally non-musical, like washing the dishes, or feeding your pet bunny, or making your family dinner, and this tune will just creep into your head?

This happened to me this week. Sometimes that happens, and it’s pleasant, because it’s a song you really like. Sometimes that happens, and it’s really annoying, because that tune just follows you everywhere…in my case, even in my sleep.

But it wasn’t just my brain fixating on a song this week. It was God, leading me through these words to realize this song is the whole point; this song is a means to an end. This song is the Good News.

I realized that when I sat down at my computer to start typing out this sermon. And I re-read the lectionary appointed Gospel passage, and the tune just came back. And I was humming it. And my mind was searching through my memories to recollect the lyrics to all five verses. And then my body was moving with it. Then I was down to the rec room to fetch my guitar, and I was on Google learning the chords. Then I was playing it.

Then I thought—What are you doing, Natalie? You’re supposed to be working right now!

Then I figured it out: this is my work.

This morning we’re hearing about the story of Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan by his trusted friend and cousin, John the Baptist. John the Baptist. We always call him that. Not just because we need to distinguish him from a few of the other men named “John” in the Bible, but because tradition has engrained that on him as his name.

That’s his calling. He baptizes. He baptizes everyone. He loves to baptize.

Until it’s his own cousin, Jesus. Then he’s suddenly full of doubt and reservation about the one thing he does better than anyone else. John the Baptist comes face to face with Jesus, and all the sudden he doesn’t want to baptize! But Jesus tells him, It’s ok John, baptize me. I don’t need to be the leader right now. Let me submit to you for once. It’s right, I promise.

And I realized these words, from a contemporary Christian folk song, speak beautifully to what Jesus is telling John:

Brother, sister, let me serve you.

Let me be as Christ to you.

Pray that I might have the grace to

Let you be my servant, too.

 

This morning we’re hearing about Jesus on the very beginning of his journey in his own ministry. And we, here in our contemporary church, have something very important in common with Jesus—we begin our walk with God the same way Jesus did, through our sacred rite of baptism. Whether you were baptized as an infant, or as an adult, like Jesus was, you began like he did.

And if you’re sitting here listening to me, and it so happens that you have not received the sacrament of baptism yourself, this message is every bit as much for you, too. Because baptism is much more than just the ritual that we’ve seen. Baptism is about accepting God’s charge to go forth and live your life like he expects you to.

While I was sitting around all week with this tune stuck in my head, I also got into a long-distance internet-facilitated conversation with my big sister, Cassie. A lot of you got to meet Cassie last summer, when she came up here to be a bridesmaid with me in our little sister’s wedding. As poor Sean over here can attest, Cassie got me into this conversation all night long, so it’s too much to share all of it with you here. But Cassie was sharing with me how frustrated she was with the state of our Church. And she was angry. She was angry at some of the messages she’s been getting from some of our own brother and sister Christians. Messages that we’re all exposed to if you watch the news on TV, and even moreso if you have an internet connection. Messages from people who claim to have committed their lives to following Christ, and yet don’t reflect any of his love in their behavior—especially their behavior toward others.

So, being that I’m the only pastor in our family, when someone has a faith-related question, or a concern, or really anything spiritual on their heart, I’m your go-to girl. But as Cassie and I talked I realized that not only did Cassie have some frustrations that all of us share from time to time, and not only was Cassie saying some things that I really think all people of faith need to hear, but that Cassie’s concerns were perfectly timed with what I planned to preach to you all about today: our baptisms.

Remember a minute ago, when I said that baptism is about more than the ritual with the water? That this message about baptism is just as much for you as anyone, even if you happen to have not received the sacrament of baptism yourself?

Here’s why: we are called to something very special, as people of Christ. God has put something very, very important on us.

Matthew tells us that when Jesus was baptized, something miraculous happened. The heavens were opened, and a light shone on him. And everyone could hear a voice speaking to Jesus. The voice of God. And what God says to Jesus is so significant that a lot of us can recite them from memory:

You are my Son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.

This is what happened to every one of us when we were baptized. This is what God said to us when we decided to walk with him, however that took place for you. God said to you, you are my son, you are my daughter, you are my own beloved child, and in you I am well pleased.

These are words of a love so radical, and so tremendous, that it can only come from God. These are words of support and reassurance, whenever the road gets rough, whenever a hardship or an obstacle is put in front of you—God was already well pleased with you when you started, way back when you were a baby, way back when you first became a Christian, way back when you first rolled out of bed and decided to come to church. God was already well pleased with you then, and you hadn’t even done anything yet. You’re not going to lose his love no matter what happens.

But these words are also our charge. These are the words that we, as God’s children, now need to live up to.

A few minutes ago I told you that when you decide to walk with God, you commit yourself to living your life like God expects you to. Those are big words—but what do they mean? What does it mean to “live like God expects you to”?

It means to be a person in whom God would be well pleased.

This is a huge calling for us. It’s not easy. And it’s bigger than most people think, or even know. God has great expectations for his sons and daughters. God doesn’t just want us to be nice people. God doesn’t just want us to be law-abiding citizens, to pay our taxes, to do our jobs, to look out for our own, and to be polite and cordial. Anyone can do that. We can do more.

We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. We are called to be disciples. We are called to show the same radical love to everyone around us that God first gave to us—the kind of love that accepts someone you just met as your own beloved family.

God calls us to share the best of life with each other. All of life with each other. To rejoice in one another’s triumphs, to cry each other’s tears. To show real compassion.

And that calls us together, as a community. In order to show compassion you need to have people around you to show it to. We also all need one another, to help us out when this special calling becomes so difficult that we’re tempted to give it up.

When you live with compassion, you live just like this song—this tune I had stuck in my head all week. This is the tune of our own renewed baptisms, our own renewed callings, this and every day.

Brother, sister, let me serve you
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too

We are pilgrims on the journey
We're together on this road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load

I will hold the Christ light for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born to all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony

Brother, sister, let me serve you
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too.

Let us all so live our lives, so that God may be well pleased in us, this and every day. Amen.

“The Servant Song” was written and composed by Richard Gillard. Copyright 1977 Scripture in Song (a division of Integrity Music, Inc.).