A Baptism Sermon for Easter 5 - John 13:31-35,
Peter and Captain Jack Sparrow
I was challenged to include Captain Jack Sparrow in my short talk for a recent Baptism service and thought those who weren't able to be with us on the day might enjoy reading the result.
Carole.
May I speak in the love of God, and may we hear with our hearts the message of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Our reading today gives us the crux of what it is to be a Christian - Jesus' disciples are told that they must 'love one another' as he has loved them. It is by their loving care for each other that they will be witness to their calling as disciples of Jesus. But Jesus is leaving them and says they can't follow him just then.
Peter is a simple man … not a fool, but a big, strong fisherman who often seems to see life in black and white. He's got definite views and speaks his mind; he says it as he sees it. Why can't he follow Jesus?
Peter believes in loyalty and is a very passionate chap who often reacts first and thinks about it later … but he does have moments of great perception. It was Peter who was the first Apostle to claim Jesus as the Messiah - the son of God.
The bible passage actually goes on to tell us that Peter challenges Jesus straight out 'Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you'.
A typical passionate Peter challenge … only to be met with the response that before the cock crows in the morning he will have denied Jesus three times. And so he does, folks.
And we've all been there, haven't we?
We know all too well how we as Christians should behave.
But we all fall short … we mean to do the right thing, we have the very best of intentions, but life gets in the way.
People don't behave or respond as we expect them to.
If we are nice to them, they should be nice back, shouldn't they?
But things don't go like that in real life … the strangest people can do the most extraordinary things. And often people can be seeking the way to eternal life in all sorts of ways rather than through Christ. Like my great anti- hero, the pirate Captain Jack Sparrow from the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' trilogy of films. I love Captain Jack. He is such wonderfully lovable rogue, a scallywag who is full of faults but who makes me laugh.
As many of you may recall, Captain Jack's greatest fear is of dying, so he is searching for the way to achieve eternal life.
Jack actually gets there, he holds the way to eternal life in his hands when he is confronted with his friend Will dying whilst Elizabeth, Will's distraught new bride, tries to keep him alive.
What is the reprobate to do?
Well we know that Captain Jack saves Will and it is Will who gets eternal life;
Jack has to start all over again … this time sailing out in his little dinghy in search of an island where legend has it the water of life is to be found.
For Christians, the water of life is the holy water of Baptism, when we are cleansed of all that has gone before. It is a spiritual ritual representing our movement into life as a member of Christ's church; we start our journey to eternal life through Jesus as we are baptised into his family.
And today we have the joy of welcoming two gorgeous little ladies for baptism into our Christian family: Antonia Elizabeth Marriott and Jessica Lesley Cooper.
May their journeys as ones who are today being initiated into the
'ministry of all the baptised' be a blessing to them … to their families and to the family of the church.
Let us pray …
Risen Lord,
By our baptisms we were initiated into your family.
As children of the same heavenly Father,
may we seek to show our Christian discipleship through
the love we offer each other and all people,
knowing that our actions speak far louder than words.
Amen.
Carole's Corner
A world without God is …
A book without a plot.
A curry without taste.
A life without purpose.
Milton Jones
Hi Folks
No sooner is Christmas over, New Year arrives and then it's time for the run up to Easter. To me, life seems to be going by so quickly that I think there must be something in the maxim that time moves faster with age. Maybe I'll have to stay the age I am (49)!
Our short "enquirer's course" on Tuesday evenings in the church hall will finish on February 14th - Valentine's Day - with a meal. Why not pop along for a session or two to explore where your faith is at right now?
If you are coming along on Valentine's Day, please let me or Mary Pike know so that we can make sure there is plenty of food available.
Then the following week (7 pm on the 21st February) we shall be having our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Party in the Church Hall. Is it any wonder I'm smiling?! Can you help out with a few pancakes, please? Do look out for the list at the back of church if you can or talk to Mary Pike or me. Should be a great evening of St. Paul's hospitality and fun (and it's free, folks).
This year we shall be using a Lent Poverty Project course produced by our Anglican Church Urban Fund (CUF) for our 5 session Lent course.
I'm really excited about this course which addresses real issues in society today: homelessness; debt and unemployment; youth today; family life and refugees. I do hope you will support the wonderful charity work of CUF by taking a collection box into your home over the Lent period.
Following a trial run in January, Peter Swannie reports that Highfields Primary School has requested regular 'Open The Book' presentations at their assemblies - possibly on a similar basis to Hurst Green Primary School. This ecumenical Anglican/Methodist initiative under the Abbacus banner is proving so very successful due to the really excellent efforts of the team members under the leadership of Peter. It is wonderful to have the bible stories dramatically presented to our schoolchildren who are so enthusiastic and love to be involved.
Reflection on Faith, Hope and Love
I am indebted to Mary Pike for this reflection which you might like to use during Lent.
Faith:
Is keeping on going into the "don't know".
Is believing in God even when it is impossible even to believe God exists.
Is a very small voice that you have to listen for and look for very hard.
Is trusting that it is all true even when it all seems totally unbelievable.
Hope:
Is keeping alive the expectation that it will all turn out to be true.
Is expecting that it will all be much, much better than expected.
Love:
Is not dependent on feelings or emotions.
Is putting someone else's needs and happiness before one's own;
but attending to one's own needs too.
Is not necessarily the same as liking.
Is looking at people with God's eyes.
(Author unknown)
On the lighter side of life …
The Pastor's New TeethA Pastor goes to the dentist for a set of false teeth.
The first Sunday after he gets his new teeth,
he talks for only eight minutes.
The second Sunday,
he talks for only ten minutes.
The third Sunday,
he talks for 2 hours and 48 minutes.The congregation had to mob him to get him down
from the pulpit and they asked him what happened.The Pastor explains the first Sunday his gums hurt
so badly he couldn't talk for more than eight minutes.
The second Sunday his gums hurt too much to talk for more
than ten minutes.
But on the third Sunday, he put in his wife's teeth by mistake … and he just couldn't stop!
Cracked?
I woke up, lifted my arms, moved my knees, turned by neck, everythingmade the same noise … craaaaaaaaaaaak! I came to a conclusion … I'm not old, I am crispy!
Blessed are the cracked - for they are the ones who let in the light.
May your journey through Lent be blessed with new insights into the love and nature of our Lord. Your servant in Christ
Carole.
