Sunday, January 8, 2017
Biblical Text: Luke 3:21-22
Story: Hiddenness of the baptismal pool growing up
Underneath the pulpit
Story: Positioning of the baptism font in worship this morning
St Paul’s Episcopal Church,
Amistad Chapel UCC
The Riverside Church…
From the child just born to the decrepit old man, so none is to be prohibited from Baptism, so none is there who does not die to sin in Baptism
- St. Augustine, the 4th Century African Bishop
- At whatever time we are baptized, we are at once for all washing and purged for our whole life, John Calvin, Institutes, 1536
Baptism is always a community-wide event—the gracious gift that is given in baptism is not something that is to be privitaized, but is to be made public—communal, for all to see and find themselves reminded.
Faith in Jesus Christ is not be seen, or understood as something that is private, or to be kept under a bushel—no faith in Jesus, commitment to Christ is the daring to be a church that dares to dream—a people who live out God’s limitless embrace!
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For many decades our folks have gathered in churches across this country and have sang of their faith as a ship passing through the waters. And it is has been with each round that a call for the community, those who have stand upon the shores of great faith in Jesus—and those who have wandered away from the ship—to join those who are aboard the ship on a heaven-bound journey to freedom and liberation.
Yet in order to join the community there is a commitment that must be made, which requires simply a repentant heart—aware of God’s love, aware of the Spirit’s presence, and water—-in some religious traditions lots and lots of water, in other religions traditions just little—but water nonetheless. And while our folks sang this spiritual about this ship, full of the faithful, passing through the waters of life—issuing a with each verse a call for those standing upon the shoreline to get on board—I am led this morning to question—the lack of danger in the water.
James Cone, the father of Black Liberation Theology, in his book The Spirituals and Blues, suggests that in order to understand the Spirituals (and blues for that matter), that reader/singer must become in touch with the realities of powerlessness, fear, and oppression that our black sisters and brothers experienced as they sang these songs.
- The lash of the whip
- The systematic separation of families
- The abuse of women
- The degredation of an entire race.
Cone says that in order to understand the Spirituals, that we first must understand the world in which they were given life. And what we know about this early American world is that was great danger in the land. They lived each day in dangerous fear…but belonging to God who is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient—sovereign in heaven and on earth—presented dangers of its own;
… having access to a power greater than any man far—presented dangers of its own.
And those who enslaved our sisters and brothers understood the ultimate danger to their systems profit….
- So they tried to keep us bound,
- So they tried to keep us from seeing
- So they tried to keep us from reading,
- So they tried to keep us from hearing
We cannot understand “Aint no danger in the water,” without first understanding the daily risks of danger, threats and fear which were cast over our sisters and brothers. Therefore the risks of living life as Christian
- to believe in God, yet endure the lash;
- to believe God to be a Mother, yet never experience your own Mother’s love
- to believe God to be a provider, yet endure the stinging pains of hunger….
The danger of living life as Christians…far outweighed the dangers face in daily living…..
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Aint no danger in the water? No, no my Sisters and Brothers there was/is great risk in the water—but the risk is not to kingdom of God but danger to the forces which seek to destroy and undermine the Kingdom of God and devour all of the good that lies within each of us.
What I’ve come to understand is that water, no matter how much, or how little is, in fact, risky. Water, holds within its grasp the ability to both give and take life. Water, no matter how much or how little is risky ridden and dangerous. And what I have come to understand about the waters of baptism, and the power of the Spirit the broods over them, is that water is designed to make us dangerously different. Isn’t it?
- Dangerous to the strongholds and powers of injustice
- Dangerous to those who seek to unravel peace
- Dangerous to those rather live in division not unity
- Dangerous to those who benefit from racism,
- Dangerous to those who benefit from sexism,
- Dangerous to those who benefit from classism,
- Dangerous to those who benefit from inequalities
- Dangerous to those who reap rewards on the backs of sexual minorities and the disabled
This Sunday we are introduced to John the Baptist. An interesting character to say the very least; living in the wilderness, eating locus (a ritually clean food as noted in Leviticus 11:22, but that only the poor would consume), and wild honey; dressed in camels hair with a leather belt about his waist. Here we find John the Baptist, in the wilderness, with disciples that have come to him requesting that the community acknowledge—through a baptism of much water, that a change has come over hearts and minds. Enter Jesus, coming to the site where John the Baptist has been at work baptizing in the Jordan River.
It must have been terribly awkward exchange between Jesus and John the Baptist, for in that moments John is able to recognize exactly who Jesus is—the Son of God and the Suffering Servant—one in whom he should be receiving baptism from not baptizing. Yet Jesus, obedient to his call walks into the Jordan River, as the gathering of disciples look on. Jesus is dipped in the river, and as he comes up from the water the heavens open up and the Spirit descends upon him like a dove—and voice of Lord announces Christ’s identity that is may be made clear to all gathered who he is….
Those rushing rivers of Jordan, were indeed risky waters that John and his people entered into. And not only were the waters risky, but the change that wrought as they made their declarations of faith in fact made them people who had a be bound a promise, a commitment, a covenant to be radically different in the world. They were considered radicals, outcasts of sorts—people who where doing something that went against the grain of society.
Instead of living life a Monday, Wednesday, Friday coat, and Tuesday, Thursday weekend coat—they gave the “extra” coat to someone in need. And the same was to said of the food on their tables—they were share with someone in needed.
Those collecting taxes for the state and government, were not take more in taxes than was required by the government and state.
Those employed by the state for military purposes, don’t use your power and position to demand money from people, and accuse people of crimes that they didn’t commitment…be happy with what you have.
Why did baptism make them dangerous?
Because it meant that they were different, changed, set apart
Why did baptism draw them into risk?
Because it meant that they were a called out community—with a purpose to believe in and share the Good News of power that God could bring…
Why did it make them dangerous?
Because they possessed a power that was greater than them.
Because they were able to clearly discern right wrong.
Because the Spirit of the Lord, which hovered upon the waters in creation—rested upon them.
Remember your baptism! Remember your baptism! Remember your baptism.
Remember the change came over you.
Remember the new thing that was birthed in you at the fount.
Remember the new gift given to you, not for your own but for the community of God—gifts to empower not to bring down?
Remember your baptism! Remember your baptism! Remember your baptism!
Remember what motivated you to make the public profession, Christ is Lord!
Remember the waters…Remember the cooling waters of faith….
Remember you baptism! Remember your baptism! Remember you baptism!
Tell your children their stories that begin their faith….
Show them pictures…
Relive the details…
Sing the songs….
Read again the litanies…
Recite again the prayers…
Help them to remember their baptism.
And in so remembering, know that we are not holders of a passive faith—
No our faith is active, and alive
It is moving, and empowering
And as Detrick Bonheoffer notes, it costs us something…
sometimes our pride,
sometimes our need for control,
sometimes our desire for isolation,
sometimes our very life….and at all our PRAISE!
It was being immersed in this dangerous, lift-giving faith that empowered
- It was a baptized believer by the name of Rosa Parks, in 1955, to refused to move her seat—setting ablaze righteous storms of just anger throughout this country.
It was being immersed in this dangerous, lift-giving faith that empowered
- It was a baptized believer by the name of Martin King, in 1963, to respond to white southern clergy and the entire world, saying “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
It was being immersed in this dangerous, lift-giving faith that empowered
- It was a baptized believer by the name of Nelson Mandela to spent 27 years, fighting against the demonic forces of apartheid, stirring South Africans and the world to realized freedom and liberation.
It was being immersed in this dangerous, lift-giving faith that lead this baptized Palestinian Jew, by the name of Jesus, to those risky waters where he heard the call of God on his life
to endure the suffering and shame cast upon for us,
to be led from judgment hall to judgment hall for us,
to be kicked and spat upon,
to be named nailed upon the tree….
