Gracious Lord, thank you for immersing us in your
love ☩ in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
I wonder what you remember about your Baptism? It could be that it was so long ago and you were so young that you don’t remember anything about it. I was Baptized when I was 7 months old – so I take it on trust that it actually happened. The only photo that I’ve ever seen one of my parents and godparents holding me at the front of a church that I have no recollection of. Some of you though were Baptized when you were older and do have memories to reflect on. And there are also some who have not yet been Baptized – you might reflect on the questions that you still have about Baptism. Whether you can recall your Baptism or not, the question that matters is not “what do you remember” but rather “how do you remember.”
Regardless
of what happened on the day of your Baptism, what matters is that it happened.
A Baptism in a kitchen sink is just as valid and holy as one in the Jordan
River, a church’s font, or a pool. You might know your godparents, or maybe
they were just friends of your parents at the time and you haven’t heard from
them in decades. It could have been a picture-perfect Baptism in a family
Baptismal gown or a frantic emergency Baptism in a hospital room when time
appeared short. None of these sorts of details are important – what matters is
the transforming and renewing grace of Baptism. And so how we remember and
claim that Baptismal identity matters far more than any of the logistics.
In just a bit, we have
the joy of Baptizing Alice Plumley into the Body of Christ and I can’t wait for
that moment. But if you haven’t been Baptized yet and you’re feeling the nudge
of the Spirit to also come to the waters of new birth on this day on which we
remember the Baptism of Jesus – then when I invite the candidate for Baptism
forward, you are welcome to also be Baptized today. It’s not about whether or
not we planned for it, it’s about receiving God’s grace that is always on
offer. And what better moment than now to embrace this grace?
Now
that you can tell your friends that there was an “altar call” in the Episcopal
Church, let’s consider how to remember our Baptisms and how Baptism transforms
us.
One
way to remember your Baptism is to find your Baptismal certificate, if you can,
and display it prominently. Hanging on my office walls, I have three diplomas
and two ordination certificates, but the most important thing is my Baptismal
certificate. Most of them are quite small, but don’t let the size fool us –
Baptism is at the very center of our identity. At St. Luke’s, we do strive to
do things well, so the certificate that we’re giving to Alice this morning is larger
and more suitable for framing. Find your certificate though and display it. And
then get the date of your Baptism from it and put it on your calendar, so that
each year when your Baptismal anniversary rolls around, you can be particularly
mindful on that day of the way that God’s love has been present in your life.
Others find it helpful to put a note near the shower or sink, places we touch
water, that says “You are Baptized” as a way of recalling how God’s blessings
flow all around us. And later in today’s liturgy when we Baptize Alice, really
pay attention to the words and prayers – and know that they are also true of
you.
In
a word, Baptism is about union. The go-to Biblical passage about this is found
in Romans 6, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ
Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by
baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the
glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” In other words,
we have been united to the saving grace of Jesus’ Passion, his righteousness
becoming ours, and we are also, therefore, raised in the power and glory of his
Resurrected reality. Being united to Christ means that we are never abandoned,
regardless of things done or left undone. It means that we are never alone, not
even in our doubts, pains, struggles, or deaths. And it means that because we
are united to Christ, we are, by extension, connected to all others who are in
Christ. Contrary to what you’ve heard, water is thicker than blood because our
connection to one another comes not through a family tree, but by being joined in
beloved community by Christ’s Death and Resurrection.
What
happens as a result of this union with Christ is that we are endowed with the Holy
Spirit. To be clear, those who are not Baptized still belong to God by virtue
of being a part of God’s Creation. They are still loved by God because we are
all children of a God who loves as fiercely and tenderly as a mother does. They
can still be moved by the Holy Spirit because the breath of life is what
animates them. What is sacramental and unique about Baptism is that this union
is declared publicly, and the Spirit is given to dwell within us. The Holy
Spirit is not something that, on occasion, nudges us, inspires us, or guides us;
no, the Spirit is endowed to us, it belongs to us – or better yet, we belong to
the Spirit, for it is the Spirit who gives us life. In Baptism, we are assured
that the Holy Spirit is always with us – which is a spirit of charity, of forbearance,
of child-like faithfulness, of generosity, of hopefulness, of justice, of love.
There
are two ways to interpret this gift of the Spirit. One would be as a burden, which
it is not. But we could think “Oh my, I had better use this gift of the Spirit
properly.” And I get that – the Spirit is such a tremendous gift and we should
want to be good and faithful stewards of this gift. But as we heard in Matthew,
Jesus was Baptized to fulfill all righteousness – meaning that we don’t have to
worry about getting it right because Jesus got it right on our behalf. We heard
Isaiah speak about the Servant of God – he comes not to break an already
stressed and bruised reed, nor will he extinguish a wick that is already dimly
burning.
The
Gospel is not a burden. Belief is not a to-do list. Faith is not a competition.
Baptism is not being enlisted to serve on church committees. We all have
worries, concerns, doubts, and distractions – Jesus is the one who comes to us
and says “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.” Yes, it is true that there are injustices to address,
there are enemies to forgive, there are people to love – but being endowed with
the Spirit does not burden us with doing these things, rather the Spirit makes
us capable of responding to things that would, otherwise, overwhelm us. It’s
not that we are responsible for doing all of these things as if the salvation of
the world depends on us, rather the Spirit makes us response-able, able to respond,
in Jesus’ name, to the needs of the world.
This
is the vision Isiah gives us, that the Spirit makes us a light to the nations
to open the eyes of the blind, to liberate prisoners from their captivity.
Sometimes Baptism is called “enlightenment.” It’s why we burn a candle, which is
lit from the Paschal Candle representing Easter, at Baptism and give that
candle to the Baptized. That’s another way to remember your Baptism – if you
have such a candle, light it on your Baptismal anniversary. By the Spirit, our
vision is enlightened and transformed – we no longer see ourselves or others as
being defined by our mistakes, we no longer see death as something final, we no
longer see scarcity but recognize God’s abundance, we no longer accept any
situation as hopeless, no person as irredeemable, no injustice as acceptable.
Yes,
it is far easier to remain blind to the plight of others, to the ways in which
our comforts come at the cost of others, to the systems of oppression and
prejudice that we benefit from. But the light of the Holy Spirit takes away our
blinders and lets us see all things through the light of Christ. The reason why
Christians can see, name, and confront difficult issues is because of this
light that shines and gives us hope. When considering issues as intractable and
complicated as poverty, cancer, climate change, war, racism, or the future of
the Church, it is tempting to give into despair or willful ignorance. But
because we have been endowed with the Holy Spirit, we have eyes to see that God
has more possibilities in store than those we can imagine. We have trust that,
indeed, God is doing new things, as we heard Isaiah prophecy. This is why we
remind ourselves and invite others to come and see – God is always bringing
forth the fruits of the Resurrection, and if we have eyes to see it, we can taste
and share that goodness of the Lord.
And
with this light, we are able to follow Jesus into our salvation from all that
holds us back from the abundance of life that God intends for us. Later today,
we’re doing an acolyte training – and there is a sense that all of the Baptized
are called to be acolytes. The word “acolyte” means “follower,” and we are all
meant to follow Christ. And often, an acolyte carries a light – we are the
bearers of the light of Christ and so others follow that light that shines in
us. We all have a light, and, by God’s grace, we’re gonna let it shine.
I
think of the new icon panel in the Chapel and the image of Harriet Tubman
holding a lantern as she leads others into freedom, reminding us that “God’s
time is always near.” I think of Elizabeth Duncan Koontz, who we remember this
weekend on the anniversary of her death 34 years ago. Libby’s is a legacy of
being endowed with the Spirit and leading others into the liberation of the
Gospel. And I think of you all – and I thank you all for glimpses of the light
of Jesus shining in your lives. Truly, you inspire me – and I use that word
very deliberately. “Inspire” is related to the word “Spirit,” so when I say
that you inspire me, I mean that you fill me with the Spirit and give me hope. And,
already, with her joy and lively spirit, Alice inspires me and I can’t wait to
see how else the Holy Spirit will move in her life and inspire us all. God has not chosen to be God without us, but God with us – we all are endowed with the
Spirit to guide others to the shimmering brilliance of God’s love.
Again,
Baptism is all about union with Jesus. And because we are united to Jesus, what
is true of him is also true of us all. Just as the Spirit descended on Jesus,
we have been endowed with that same Spirit. And what the voice from heaven declared
about Jesus is true of each of us as well: You are God’s beloved daughter, God’s
beloved son, and with you God is well pleased. Thanks be to God.
