Reverend Ref +

PREACHED BETTER THAN IT READS

This sermon preached much better than it reads. I think the emotional content came through better in person. Anyway, here's my latest attempt at being a preacher man.

EPIPHANY IA -- BAPTISM OF JESUS

Water. Think about water for a moment. It nourishes us and quenches our thirst. We cook with it. We clean with it and we bathe with it. Our bodies are something like 75% water. Without it, there is no life; this planet would be a wasteland, a big rock. Water is life.

Today we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, the day when he began a new life. We don’t know much about his life before his baptism, but the synoptic gospels are very clear that his ministry, his new life, started when he was baptized. At his baptism, the Trinity was manifested; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Immediately after his baptism, he went into the wilderness, and his new life began.

We need to remember that. Baptism marks a turning point in our life, when we turn from our old ways of doing things towards a new life that puts God front and center. The waters of baptism pour over us, washing away the crud of the world, cleansing us of our sins, and making all things new.

And for those of us who were baptized as infants, I think we need to work a little harder at remembering what our baptism means. Confirmation or reaffirmation is one way of doing this. It is our chance, as adults, to say, "Yes, I believe and confirm that my baptism washes me clean."

We can also reconnect with our baptism during a service at which we renew our baptismal vows. Today is one of those days, the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Other times during the year include the Easter Vigil, Pentecost and All Saints Day. These are specific times when we are asked to remember our baptism and what that vow entails.

Water is life. The water of baptism washes over us, cleansing us, making us new. But water also has a dark side. Water gives life, but water can also take life. The symbolism of baptism is that we are lowered into the water where our old self dies, and then we are raised from that watery grave into our new life.

But it’s also more than symbolic. Water can be terrifying, just ask anyone who can’t swim. And if you think about the water of baptism washing over you and cleansing you, then also think about the water of the Indian Ocean washing over the people of Indonesia. There wasn’t a whole lot of cleansing going on there; but there was a whole lot of terror and death.

In baptism, we choose to be submerged. The people of Indonesia had no such option. They were submerged and drowned without regard to race, gender or religious belief. Tens of thousands of people were washed away and died in the water. Tens of thousands more will die from disease. Tell those people that water cleanses.

How are these disparate images – life and death – reconciled? One route is to remember our baptismal covenant. "Will you continue in the prayers?" Pray for the victims and survivors of the tsunami.

"Will you proclaim by word and example?" Part of what we are asked to do is to care for those less fortunate. On behalf of this admonition, I urge you to offer, from your abundance, funds that can help those in need.

"Will you respect the dignity of every human being?" Allowing bodies to lie in the street, or refusing to shelter the homeless, or ignoring the pleas of the orphans, doesn’t allow them any dignity. We have an opportunity and responsibility to reach out and help dignity be restored.

The bishop has asked that this week’s offering be donated to help the relief effort. We’ve already got a jump on that, since we started collecting last week. But let me make this clear: this isn’t simply our normal offering. This is above and beyond. We need to continue our pledge to the parish, but we also need to make a special effort at this time to raise money for those most in need right now.

We have been buried with Christ. The waters of baptism have washed over us as we died to the world. We share in Christ’s resurrection, and are reborn by the Holy Spirit. It’s a new life, with new responsibilities. We have been given much, in our way of life, in our income, in our health and our families. To whom much is given, much is required. And right now, the people of Indonesia require our help.