Water-Washed
and Spirit-Born
Sermon preached by the Reverend Patricia Farris
January 9, 2005
Scripture:
Isaiah 42:1-9 and Matthew 3:13-17
In
the church year, the season of Epiphany is the season given to us
so that we might deepen our understanding of Christmas. That is, God
has come to us in Christ Jesus. On the day of the Epiphany he is revealed
as the Savior of the world, the Messiah, Emmanuel. Now several Sundays
are designated for us to dig into what all that means, about Jesus
and about our lives as his faithful disciples.
We
begin today by hearing again the story of his baptism in the River
Jordan. Jesus comes from Galilee to find John and to be baptized by
him. As he is coming up out of the water, another epiphany occurs,
that is, another manifestation or revelation of his holy identity.
So that all may understand who he really is, the heavens open, the
spirit of God descends upon him like a dove, and a voice from heaven
pronounces: “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well
pleased.”
All
the key elements of our baptism are also found in this story. We are
baptized with water, as Jesus was baptized in the waters of the river.
Just as Jesus chooses to come and to be baptized, so adults or the
parents of a child choose baptism to enter into relationship with
Christ. All parts of the Trinity are present, God—Father, Son,
Holy Spirit—and so we, too, are baptized in that Trinitarian
name. And, just as in Matthew’s Gospel, God says of Jesus: “This
is my Son,” so we, too, are declared to be God’s children
through our baptism. Through his baptism, Jesus made us all the beloved
sons and daughters of God. And in our baptism, we are each affirmed
and singled out as a unique gift of God’s love.
To
this day, when we baptize, we do so in the manner and the way of Christ
Jesus himself. We become, in the words of the beautiful hymn, “water-washed
and spirit-born,” initiated into the Church, incorporated into
the community of God’s people, the Body of Christ and commissioned
for ministry to serve God in the world.
In
recent times, it has become the custom across the church to celebrate
the Reaffirmation of our Baptismal Vows on this Sunday of the baptism
of Jesus. How wonderful this is, at the beginning of a New Year, to
be assured of a fresh start, a new beginning, a chance to
(continued...)
"Water-Washed and Spirit Born"
Sermon by Rev. Patricia Farris, Jan. 9, 2005
make
things
right in the sight of God and one another in the church. We choose to
come forward and then it is the gracious, loving Holy Spirit of God,
who comes to renew our joy and to make all things possible in our journey
of faith. For in baptism, and in the renewal of our
baptismal
covenant this day, God rejoices as much as any loving parent possibly
could.
I know that many of you have come
to love this beautiful service and I know that there are still many
questions out there about all of this. So let me try and respond to
some of your questions. First, this is not a service of re-baptism.
We believe that baptism whenever it occurs in one’s life and
in whatever branch of the church is a baptism once and for all. Some
of us talk about being baptized Lutheran or baptized Presbyterian
or baptized Catholic even, and wonder if joining the United Methodist
Church requires another baptism here. Happily, it does not. Across
the church, we have grown so much in our ecumenical understanding
of Christian baptism over the years, that baptism in any part of the
church is now recognized in all parts of the church.
When you come forward this morning,
we will say: “Remember your baptism and be thankful.”
Now several of you have said to me that you were baptized so long
ago at such an early age that you cannot possible remember that day!
What we’re invited to remember this morning is not necessarily
the event itself, but rather the fact that we are baptized. Another
way to say it would be: “Remember that you are a baptized child
of God and give thanks!”
If anyone here this morning has not
been baptized and would choose to do so today, please let us know
as you come forward and we will receive you into baptism. This might
be the day that you hear the voice of God calling you into a new life
of deeper faith and commitment.
When we are baptized, we make vows
or vows are made by our parents and sponsors on our behalf. You’ve
heard us ask these so many times here as one comes forward for baptism.
These are vows which we will revisit this morning, vows about repenting
of sin, about resisting evil and injustice, about remaining a faithful
member if Christ’s holy church and serving as Christ’s
representative in the world. For in our baptism, we enter into covenant
with Christ to love him by loving all those we meet, to continue his
ministry in the world, and to worship him in prayer and song with
the whole church.
We
will remember our vows this morning and if we have fallen short in any
way, we will confess and ask God for forgiveness and a fresh start.
We will then reaffirm those vows and give thanks for our baptism.
(continued...)
"Water-Washed
and Spirit Born" Sermon by Rev. Patricia Farris, Jan. 9, 2005
When we remember our baptism in this renewal of vows, we use the name
or names with which we were first baptized, that is, our first and
middle names. Traditionally, these were called our Christian names.
Because in the days before hospital births and birth certificates
on which a baby’s name was first recorded, our name was given
in baptism. We carry over that custom in the ritual when we ask parents,
“What name is given this child?” The Christian name, first
and middle, was then recorded on the baptismal certificate along with
the family name and the last name. This document served in place of
a birth certificate. Our Christian name is ours from birth to death,
used first in baptism, then at renewal of baptismal vows, at confirmation,
in marriage, in church membership rolls and finally, in the memorial
service celebrating the life of that Christian, celebrating his or
her entry into the life everlasting.
You
should have found a blank white index card in your Order of Worship
this morning. To honor your Christian name, please print it plainly
on the card—first and middle—and bring it forward when
you come to renew your vows. We will read from these, collect them
in these baskets and then place them all on the altar table this morning,
as one more symbol of the rededication of our lives to God this day.
So
come, beloved daughters and sons, come to the waters of new life.
Come, in awe of the power of God to love us this much. Come, giving
thanks for your baptism. As you come, listen, in your heart of hearts,
to hear the voice of God whispering to you: “This is my child,
my beloved, in you I am well pleased.”
Notes:
© Patricia Farris, 2005. Permission is given for brief quotation
with attribution. All other rights reserved.
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