Thoughts from the Curate
Dear Friends,
On Sunday 10th January I preached on the Baptism of Christ. The sermon attracted a variety of comments and I was encouraged to include it as a magazine article. At a time when we are considering the future mission and ministry of St Paul's, our Holy Baptism services are posing a variety of challenges which we cannot ignore. I hope the following will enable us to have a more open discussion about this important aspect of our Christian witness. I look forward to hearing your comments.
With love from,
Ann
The Baptism of Christ
Readings; Isaiah 43.1-7, Acts 8.14-17, Luke 3.15-17,21-22.
Luke's gospel account of Jesus' baptism is a story I would imagine most of us could retell easily because it contains a lot of memorable imagery and action to help us recall it.
Firstly that odd man 'John the Baptist', the hairy, wild preacher who baptised people in the River Jordan. Here was a man who both proclaimed and did weird things. Who could forget him or especially his words "I baptise you with water. But one more powerful will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire". Fire - just for a moment imagine that!
Then along comes Jesus himself and he too was baptised by this strange man. There they both were up to their waists in the river and, as Jesus prayed, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of God - descended on him just like a dove. A lovely dove, all fluttery and gentle, and the voice of God heard to say "You are my son, whom I love, with whom I am well pleased". How magnificent and breathtaking!!
How could any of us ever forget a story like that? How can we not be intrigued by it and want to know more? Not just want to know more but want to witness and be a part of the continuing great mystery and sacrament of Holy Baptism.
Baptism is a sacrament which Jesus our Lord sought out for himself - doesn't that strike you as odd? How amazing that the Son of God, God's Anointed One, seeks to undergo his own Baptism by John in the river Jordan. Why was baptism so important to Jesus? Think about it and, just as important, ask yourself what does Baptism really means to us as individuals and to us as church today. What does it mean to us as St Paul's church, we who represent a fundamental part of the body of Christ in Blackheath?
Baptism is a Holy Sacrament equally as important as Holy Communion, a sacrament full of mystery, full of mercy and grace, amazing and wonderful. Through it God's love touches us. We can become like Jesus and, as such, Baptism signifies all that is good about our Christian faith. Here we are cleansed - made spiritually clean and freed from our sins. We are blessed and embraced by Gods love. It's incredible! In Baptism we are welcomed into the church, we become a member of the family of God and part of the community of faith. But more than this, in Baptism we pledge ourselves and our children to a better way of living and to always being welcoming of others.
The great German theologian Martin Luther was well aware of the benefits of Baptism, so much so that he engraved the Latin words Baptizatus sum -' I am baptised '- on his desk as a constant reminder of God's grace in his life: the same God by whom we are accepted and loved unconditionally.
I am baptised. If you are, then say it to yourself. Saying it out loud helps us to understand that being baptised is both very powerful and empowering. It is something we all need to repeat from time to time, both on our own and together, united as a church family.
Why, then, do we rejoice and celebrate when our own church children are baptised but grumble or stay away when people we don't know bring children to us wanting something better for their little ones? Baptism is an important and growing area of St. Paul's mission and ministry to our parish community at a time when we are facing many demanding challenges. It is one of the ways God is bringing people into this church and we all need to embrace it and engage with it.
For that reason I ask what are your own thoughts and feelings about Holy Baptism -the cleansing embrace and blessing of God. Do you ever think deeply about it or is it just an opportunity to have Sunday off? At some of our Baptism services it is difficult to spot church members, not because of the crowds of fidgety visitors but because many of us are simply not present. Is the distracting behaviour of some of our guests a stronger influence than being part of the Sacrament of Baptism and being reminded of our own identity in Christ? What is more important?
How can we as a church support the ongoing need for welcoming new people and provide the necessary generous hospitality to our visitors when most of us are not here?
Each baptism service is a reminder to us all that we have been given a new identity in Christ, that as the church we are part of God's family; we are brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus himself. We are forgiven people open to receive the Holy Spirit -and as such it is our privilege and responsibility to share our experiences of God's love - love that is given to us to share. In his great commission, Jesus implored us all to do just that -to go out and make disciples, to baptise and to pray to receive the Holy Spirit.
Together we need to catch a little more of this great mystery, perhaps even dare to be open to the unpredictable fire and passion of the Holy Spirit and not just the dove; together we need to be more sensitive to the spirit of God's love in our own lives and in each other;
then together we may all hear afresh the beautiful words of God
"You are my children, whom I love, with you I am well pleased".
Amen.
