Baptizing in the Spirit
Sermon
Facing the Future with Hope
Cycle B Gospel Text Sermons for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany
Object:
In Alex Haley's pioneer study, Roots, there is a poignant scene when Kunta Kinta, a slave, drives his master to a ball at a nearby plantation house. He parks his buggy and resigns himself to a long wait until it is time to take his master home again. At first, he listens to the white man's music emanating from the plantation house. Then he begins to hear in the distance other music with a different rhythm. He follows the sound down a path behind the house leading to a few humble cabins. What he hears is African music, melodies that he recalls from his early childhood.
Kunta meets a man who is from the same section of Africa where he had once lived. They are deliriously happy as they talk in their native language about those early days. That night Kunta lay weeping as he couldn't sleep. The African music had helped him to remember who he was.1
Baptism gives us a sense of identity and tells us who we are. In addition, baptism gives us a sense of function and tells us what we are to do.
Mark summarizes the baptism of Jesus in a brief paragraph.
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
-- Mark 1:9-11
We have already described John the Baptist, his person and his message, in two of our earlier Advent sermons; now our focus is upon Jesus and his baptism.
The words that Jesus heard at his baptism gave him a sense of identity: "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." He knew who he was. Jesus made it clear in his teaching and ministry that the same voice he heard at the Jordan River may be heard among his followers today. In their baptism they too hear that God accepts them and will care for them from the beginning of their journey to the end.
When Jesus first approached John to be baptized just like the other people were being baptized by John, the wilderness prophet was reluctant to do so. He did not think it was necessary for Jesus to undergo baptism, but Jesus insisted that he be baptized so that he could completely identify with his people, Israel. Matthew in his gospel has Jesus saying: "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15).
These words of Jesus have puzzled Christians through the centuries. What could they possibly mean? "Righteousness" usually means doing the will of God. To "fulfill" all righteousness meant doing or performing the will of God. Notice that becoming part of God's redemptive plan was something Jesus and John should do together.
Fred and Sue Ann Schmidt, ministers of the gospel, have begun to build a retirement home. In a recent sermon Sue Ann explained how they are going about the construction of the house. They are actually building a "house around a house." Fred grew up on a farm on the edge of the Amish country in Ohio. He recalls his father building the house with the help of his firemen buddies and Amish friends. His father took down an abandoned church building and used the wonderful walnut beams and lumber incorporating them in a tiny brick house for his wife and son on a sixty-acre farm. In the years since Fred's parents have died, a number of people have rented the house. It has always been a dream of Fred's that when he retired he would return to the farm and to this house that his father had built in the 1940s.
The time has arrived for retirement. Fred and Sue Ann realized that they would need a bit more house now that they have seven children and sixteen grandchildren. Therefore, they found an Amish man and his five sons to build the new structure.
The foundation of the existing house was solid. Fred's father had used the firm soil and all the thousands of sandstone rocks found in that area which provided a solid base. Now the builders raised the roof to accommodate new rooms, rebuilt the chimney over the roofline, and excavated enough ground to lay a foundation for the add-on part. Some contractors might have wanted to take down the old structure and simply start over, but this builder was more than willing to use what was there, maintaining the integrity of the memories Fred has of his father's hard work and precision building. Like Jesus in his desire to relate to the past of Israel's tradition, as he began a new ministry, even so Fred and Sue Ann did not want to forget Fred's heritage at the same time moving ahead into the new adventure of retirement.2
"What's in a name?" Shakespeare asked the question and went on to say, "A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet." Maybe a name does not really matter. As children we probably once chanted, "Sticks and bones can break my bones but names can never hurt me."
But names can hurt. If we are considered a problem child or a cantankerous adult, it hurts. If we are called ugly or stupid, it hurts. Parents, teachers, and other authority figures sometimes tell us we need to prove ourselves and then we will be loved and accepted.
Rather than setting forth this negative message, baptism is more affirming saying that in God's sight we are "Beloved."
We all fail miserably at times, even Henri Nouwen who has helped so many people on their spiritual journey fails but he is reminded: "… the Father is always looking for me with outstretched arms to receive me back and whisper again in my ear: 'You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests.' "3
Whether young or old each one is baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and that is why baptism is sometimes referred to as "Christening." Whatever our name may be, in baptism we are set apart in the name of Christ as one of his followers. We have a specific identity. We are special people. God says to us, "You are my Beloved, with you I am well pleased."
Martin Luther, the great German reformer of the sixteenth century, to whom we all are indebted, usually is remembered as a man of remarkable faith, and rightly so. His key words of "justification by faith" found in the apostle Paul's writings, not only changed his own life but became the watchword of the Reformation. He was a man of courage who challenged the oppressive powers of the church and the state. Luther also had his moments of doubt; indeed he suffered long bouts of depression (anfechtung). When he felt himself threatened he would pull himself out of the tailspin by saying to himself, "I am baptized. I am baptized." That affirmation brought to mind that God's love had marked him long ago and would never desert him.4
Baptism not only gives us an identity but also an awareness of our function. We know not just who we are but also what we are called to do. At Jesus' baptism he not only had the assurance of God's approval, but "he also saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him" -- in a word he received power to exercise his ministry.
As followers of Jesus we all need this same power to discharge our own ministries. Sometimes we need a little extra. I heard of a pastor about to baptize a baby turning to the father and asking the name of the child. The father replied, "Justin Winthrop Charles Adam Lucius McWilliams." The pastor turned to his associate and said, "A little more water, please."5
Although we have many different jobs, as Christians we have one essential calling -- to serve in Jesus' name. We share the good news and above all we live the good news. As we serve in Jesus' name we take chances and risks, and we may even have to suffer as Jesus did. It can be a costly adventure.
Not only as individual disciples but as a whole congregation we are poised at the beginning of the new year to see where real needs are. We want to bring God's love to anyone who is hurting. It may be a sacrificial endeavor but it will be worth every ounce of effort we put into it.
Of course, we cannot fulfill our function, obvious as it may be, in our own strength and power. Even though Jesus became fully aware of his acceptance by the Father, yet he also needed the motivating power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work he was called to do. Likewise, God gives us the same Spirit to do the tasks we are summoned to do.
In the early Christian church of the first few centuries, the new members admitted by the sign of baptism were impressed with the seriousness of their commitment and an understanding that they were not only accepted unconditionally by God's love but they also had a function to perform as disciples of Jesus. All were baptized according to the Trinitarian formula that concludes the gospel of Matthew: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
The candidates of baptism received intense instruction in the faith, in some cases the instruction lasted three years. The candidates (catechumens) were permitted to worship during their preparation, at least for part of the service. They were required to leave before the Communion service when the Eucharist was celebrated.
Baptism was usually by immersion in water. In some churches the candidates were baptized naked, the children first, then the men, and at the last the women. Also, in the early church the laying on of hands followed the baptism symbolizing the reception of the Holy Spirit. Easter or the fifty days after Easter became the most prominent time for the baptism ceremony.
Everything was done in getting the candidates ready for baptism to underscore their personal responsibility in responding to God's grace. They were asked to take vows that included renunciation and affirmation. Later, when children were baptized the parents and sponsors took the same vows on behalf of the children. The vows might include questions like the following:
Do you renounce evil and its power in the world,
which defies God's righteousness and love?
Reply: I renounce them.
Do you renounce the way of sin that separates you
from the love of God?
Reply: I renounce them.
Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your
Lord and Savior?
Reply: I do.
Do you intend to be Christ's faithful disciple, obeying
his word and showing his love, to your life's end?
Reply: I do.
Today in many churches words similar to these are being used to accent the function of the new member of the church as being a faithful Christian disciple prepared to serve others.
Native Americans used to have a unique practice for training young braves. When a boy turned thirteen, and after learning the skills of hunting, scouting, and fishing, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off his blindfold, he was in the middle of a deep, dark forest where he had to spend the entire night alone.
You can imagine how the young brave felt. Every time he heard a twig snap he could imagine a wild animal ready to pounce upon him. Every time the wind blew he wondered what sinister sound it masked. It would be a long, long night for the young boy being initiated.
After what seemed like forever, the dawn came. Looking around the boy saw flowers, trees, and a path out of the woods. Then, to his astonishment, he saw a man standing just a few feet away armed with a bow and arrow.
It was the boy's father. He had been there throughout the night. What a way to teach a young boy how God allows us to face the challenges of life. God is always present with us. God's Spirit, the same Spirit that came to Jesus in his baptism, comes to us in our baptism and protects us, directs us, empowers us to do what God has called us to do in our individual lives.6
There is nothing like being baptized in the Spirit! God is with us all the time, to the end of time.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
-- Saint Patrick's Breastplate
Amen.
__________
1. Story quoted in William H. Willimon, Remember Who You Are: Baptism, a Model for Christian Life (Nashville: The Upper Room, 1980), 113.
2. From a sermon preached by the Rev. Sue Ann Schmidt at the First Congregational Church, Hudson, Ohio, February 20, 2011.
3. Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming (New York: Doubleday, Image Books, 1994), 44.
4. Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (New York: A Mentor Book published by The New American Library, 1955), 287.
5. Leonard Sweet, Soul Tsunami (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 237.
6. Leonard Sweet, Soul Salsa (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 23-24.
Kunta meets a man who is from the same section of Africa where he had once lived. They are deliriously happy as they talk in their native language about those early days. That night Kunta lay weeping as he couldn't sleep. The African music had helped him to remember who he was.1
Baptism gives us a sense of identity and tells us who we are. In addition, baptism gives us a sense of function and tells us what we are to do.
Mark summarizes the baptism of Jesus in a brief paragraph.
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
-- Mark 1:9-11
We have already described John the Baptist, his person and his message, in two of our earlier Advent sermons; now our focus is upon Jesus and his baptism.
The words that Jesus heard at his baptism gave him a sense of identity: "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." He knew who he was. Jesus made it clear in his teaching and ministry that the same voice he heard at the Jordan River may be heard among his followers today. In their baptism they too hear that God accepts them and will care for them from the beginning of their journey to the end.
When Jesus first approached John to be baptized just like the other people were being baptized by John, the wilderness prophet was reluctant to do so. He did not think it was necessary for Jesus to undergo baptism, but Jesus insisted that he be baptized so that he could completely identify with his people, Israel. Matthew in his gospel has Jesus saying: "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15).
These words of Jesus have puzzled Christians through the centuries. What could they possibly mean? "Righteousness" usually means doing the will of God. To "fulfill" all righteousness meant doing or performing the will of God. Notice that becoming part of God's redemptive plan was something Jesus and John should do together.
Fred and Sue Ann Schmidt, ministers of the gospel, have begun to build a retirement home. In a recent sermon Sue Ann explained how they are going about the construction of the house. They are actually building a "house around a house." Fred grew up on a farm on the edge of the Amish country in Ohio. He recalls his father building the house with the help of his firemen buddies and Amish friends. His father took down an abandoned church building and used the wonderful walnut beams and lumber incorporating them in a tiny brick house for his wife and son on a sixty-acre farm. In the years since Fred's parents have died, a number of people have rented the house. It has always been a dream of Fred's that when he retired he would return to the farm and to this house that his father had built in the 1940s.
The time has arrived for retirement. Fred and Sue Ann realized that they would need a bit more house now that they have seven children and sixteen grandchildren. Therefore, they found an Amish man and his five sons to build the new structure.
The foundation of the existing house was solid. Fred's father had used the firm soil and all the thousands of sandstone rocks found in that area which provided a solid base. Now the builders raised the roof to accommodate new rooms, rebuilt the chimney over the roofline, and excavated enough ground to lay a foundation for the add-on part. Some contractors might have wanted to take down the old structure and simply start over, but this builder was more than willing to use what was there, maintaining the integrity of the memories Fred has of his father's hard work and precision building. Like Jesus in his desire to relate to the past of Israel's tradition, as he began a new ministry, even so Fred and Sue Ann did not want to forget Fred's heritage at the same time moving ahead into the new adventure of retirement.2
"What's in a name?" Shakespeare asked the question and went on to say, "A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet." Maybe a name does not really matter. As children we probably once chanted, "Sticks and bones can break my bones but names can never hurt me."
But names can hurt. If we are considered a problem child or a cantankerous adult, it hurts. If we are called ugly or stupid, it hurts. Parents, teachers, and other authority figures sometimes tell us we need to prove ourselves and then we will be loved and accepted.
Rather than setting forth this negative message, baptism is more affirming saying that in God's sight we are "Beloved."
We all fail miserably at times, even Henri Nouwen who has helped so many people on their spiritual journey fails but he is reminded: "… the Father is always looking for me with outstretched arms to receive me back and whisper again in my ear: 'You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests.' "3
Whether young or old each one is baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and that is why baptism is sometimes referred to as "Christening." Whatever our name may be, in baptism we are set apart in the name of Christ as one of his followers. We have a specific identity. We are special people. God says to us, "You are my Beloved, with you I am well pleased."
Martin Luther, the great German reformer of the sixteenth century, to whom we all are indebted, usually is remembered as a man of remarkable faith, and rightly so. His key words of "justification by faith" found in the apostle Paul's writings, not only changed his own life but became the watchword of the Reformation. He was a man of courage who challenged the oppressive powers of the church and the state. Luther also had his moments of doubt; indeed he suffered long bouts of depression (anfechtung). When he felt himself threatened he would pull himself out of the tailspin by saying to himself, "I am baptized. I am baptized." That affirmation brought to mind that God's love had marked him long ago and would never desert him.4
Baptism not only gives us an identity but also an awareness of our function. We know not just who we are but also what we are called to do. At Jesus' baptism he not only had the assurance of God's approval, but "he also saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him" -- in a word he received power to exercise his ministry.
As followers of Jesus we all need this same power to discharge our own ministries. Sometimes we need a little extra. I heard of a pastor about to baptize a baby turning to the father and asking the name of the child. The father replied, "Justin Winthrop Charles Adam Lucius McWilliams." The pastor turned to his associate and said, "A little more water, please."5
Although we have many different jobs, as Christians we have one essential calling -- to serve in Jesus' name. We share the good news and above all we live the good news. As we serve in Jesus' name we take chances and risks, and we may even have to suffer as Jesus did. It can be a costly adventure.
Not only as individual disciples but as a whole congregation we are poised at the beginning of the new year to see where real needs are. We want to bring God's love to anyone who is hurting. It may be a sacrificial endeavor but it will be worth every ounce of effort we put into it.
Of course, we cannot fulfill our function, obvious as it may be, in our own strength and power. Even though Jesus became fully aware of his acceptance by the Father, yet he also needed the motivating power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work he was called to do. Likewise, God gives us the same Spirit to do the tasks we are summoned to do.
In the early Christian church of the first few centuries, the new members admitted by the sign of baptism were impressed with the seriousness of their commitment and an understanding that they were not only accepted unconditionally by God's love but they also had a function to perform as disciples of Jesus. All were baptized according to the Trinitarian formula that concludes the gospel of Matthew: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
The candidates of baptism received intense instruction in the faith, in some cases the instruction lasted three years. The candidates (catechumens) were permitted to worship during their preparation, at least for part of the service. They were required to leave before the Communion service when the Eucharist was celebrated.
Baptism was usually by immersion in water. In some churches the candidates were baptized naked, the children first, then the men, and at the last the women. Also, in the early church the laying on of hands followed the baptism symbolizing the reception of the Holy Spirit. Easter or the fifty days after Easter became the most prominent time for the baptism ceremony.
Everything was done in getting the candidates ready for baptism to underscore their personal responsibility in responding to God's grace. They were asked to take vows that included renunciation and affirmation. Later, when children were baptized the parents and sponsors took the same vows on behalf of the children. The vows might include questions like the following:
Do you renounce evil and its power in the world,
which defies God's righteousness and love?
Reply: I renounce them.
Do you renounce the way of sin that separates you
from the love of God?
Reply: I renounce them.
Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your
Lord and Savior?
Reply: I do.
Do you intend to be Christ's faithful disciple, obeying
his word and showing his love, to your life's end?
Reply: I do.
Today in many churches words similar to these are being used to accent the function of the new member of the church as being a faithful Christian disciple prepared to serve others.
Native Americans used to have a unique practice for training young braves. When a boy turned thirteen, and after learning the skills of hunting, scouting, and fishing, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off his blindfold, he was in the middle of a deep, dark forest where he had to spend the entire night alone.
You can imagine how the young brave felt. Every time he heard a twig snap he could imagine a wild animal ready to pounce upon him. Every time the wind blew he wondered what sinister sound it masked. It would be a long, long night for the young boy being initiated.
After what seemed like forever, the dawn came. Looking around the boy saw flowers, trees, and a path out of the woods. Then, to his astonishment, he saw a man standing just a few feet away armed with a bow and arrow.
It was the boy's father. He had been there throughout the night. What a way to teach a young boy how God allows us to face the challenges of life. God is always present with us. God's Spirit, the same Spirit that came to Jesus in his baptism, comes to us in our baptism and protects us, directs us, empowers us to do what God has called us to do in our individual lives.6
There is nothing like being baptized in the Spirit! God is with us all the time, to the end of time.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
-- Saint Patrick's Breastplate
Amen.
__________
1. Story quoted in William H. Willimon, Remember Who You Are: Baptism, a Model for Christian Life (Nashville: The Upper Room, 1980), 113.
2. From a sermon preached by the Rev. Sue Ann Schmidt at the First Congregational Church, Hudson, Ohio, February 20, 2011.
3. Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming (New York: Doubleday, Image Books, 1994), 44.
4. Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (New York: A Mentor Book published by The New American Library, 1955), 287.
5. Leonard Sweet, Soul Tsunami (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 237.
6. Leonard Sweet, Soul Salsa (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 23-24.
