 |
| Photo: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7570177.stm |
Today we celebrate the baptism of Ellis and Nancy.
Baptism is not something the church has invented, it is what Jesus told us to
do. In Matthew 28.19 he says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”
Baptism is rooted in Jewish practice, for example that of
John the Baptist. A ritual bath has a symbolism of repentance and cleansing from
sin. But Jesus took it further. Christian Baptism identifies us with Christ,
the Son of God. We are adopted in him as children of God and made members of
that new humanity which is his body, his Church.
At its heart baptism is very simple, the pouring of water
over the candidate with the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.” In an emergency, that is all that is
necessary, and anyone can do it. But in normal practice, as today, that very
simple action is surrounded by other ceremonies, signs and declarations to
bring out its inner meaning.
Baptism is what is called a Sacrament, that is an outward
visible sign that coveys an inward spiritual grace.
In a sacrament the Church performs the outward action,
the thing that Jesus told us to do, but it is Jesus himself who is the real
minister of every sacrament, the risen Lord who stands among us and gives the
inward grace that the outward sign signifies.
The Mass that we celebrate today is also a sacrament: bread
and wine are consecrated with the words that Jesus gave us, and those outward
signs become what he said, his body and blood conveying his life to all who
receive them.
So when we are baptized it is really Jesus who baptizes us.
Even before we are baptized, he has opened our hearts to believe in him.
Baptism is a response to faith, the faith of adults if they are being baptized,
or the faith of parents and godparents expressed on behalf of children.
When we are baptized, we are joined with Jesus in his
death and resurrection. The font is a symbol of being buried and emerging to
new and eternal life, the life of the spirit in God. We receive the Holy
Spirit. As we heard in today’s Gospel, the Holy Spirit raises us to the life of
God so that we share in the love of the Father and the Son. The Spirit creates
us us anew, forgiving our sins. He is the Advocate, the counsel for the
defence, who protects us from the accusation of the world. The Spirit brings peace,
a spiritual peace that the world cannot give, even in the midst of all that
life can do to us.
Baptism is our renewal in the Holy Spirit and looks
forward to the renewal of all creation. Today’s reading from Revelation showed
us our ultimate goal, the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, where all creation is
filled by God. The river of the water of life flows in that city for the
healing of the nations. But it flows also in the font, and baptism makes us
citizens of that heavenly city. The healing of the nations begins with our own
coming to Christ.
All the gifts we need to follow in the way of Christ are
given to us in baptism and remain with us for life. But the grace of baptism is
given as a seed that needs to be nurtured, tended and nourished, so that it can
grow and bear the fruit that God intends. When children are baptized, the
parents and godparents promise to help and encourage that growth. The habits of
prayer, bible reading and taking part in the worship of the church, all help
the grace of baptism to be nurtured and to grow within us.
With the grace of baptism each of us receives a
particular calling, some task that God has for us as we follow Jesus. And God
gives his people a variety of gifts and callings, so that, in the church,
everyone can be built up together into the full stature of Christ.
There is an example of that in our reading from Acts,
where we have the story of a baptism: Lydia and her household. A very
significant moment, because Paul and his companions have just crossed into
Europe for the first time, and so Lydia is the first person in Europe to be
converted to the Christian faith.
So she and her household were baptized. She was a wealthy businesswoman, the purple cloth trade was the luxury end of the market, and her household would have been quite large: not
only her extended family, including children, but also servants and employees. In
fact, that baptized household was the first local church in Europe. I wonder if
there is a blue plaque there?
Now of course Christianity is bigger than Europe, but
it’s amazing to think that the Church in Europe began with the baptism of Lydia
and her household. In that moment they became disciples of Jesus, his
ambassadors to spread the good news of salvation in the place where they lived.
As with Lydia and her household, so with us. In our
baptism we become members of Christ, ambassadors for him, and we receive in
that moment all the gifts that we need to follow in the path he has for us.
There are many such gifts just as there are many kinds of
service in the Church, but the same Lord is served, and all in one way or
another are expressions of the love that Jesus has for us, and that we are to have
for one another.
Whatever our particular vocation, we are all called to be
witnesses to Christ, his ambassadors in this world that so much needs to know
of his love and the peace and forgiveness he brings.
Ellis and Nancy are about to start their journey of
faith. They become the newest ambassadors of Jesus Christ today. As they grow
in years and walk in faith along life’s pathway they will find that Jesus is
walking with them, unfolding for them their particular gifts and calling, as
they discover more and more their identity in him as children of God. That is
our calling too, and therefore we rejoice with them today.
No comments:
Post a Comment