Thus
says the Lord, he who created you...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I
have called you by name, you are mine. [Isaiah 43:1]
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in
the beauty of holiness…The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice; the voice of
the LORD is a voice of splendor. [Ps 29: 2, 4]
[Peter
and John] went down and prayed for them…laid their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Spirit. [Acts 8:15a, 17]
"...one who is more powerful than I is coming...He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his
hand...to gather the wheat into his granary but the chaff he will burn with
unquenchable fire....and when Jesus had been baptized...a voice came from
heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'" [Luke 3:16b-17, 21b,
22b]
Here
we are in fast-forward mode. Last Sunday, the Magi visited the Christ Child, leaving
town in a hurry to avoid Herod. In between then and now Joseph received a dream
that caused him to take Mary and the Child to Egypt as Herod was killing all
the male children under two. It was after Herod’s death, three years later, that
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned to settle in Nazareth.
This week, John, the cousin of Jesus, is a
God-sent herald to warn the Sadducees and others to turn away from their
corruption. As he says “one more powerful than I is coming. He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to
clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the
chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Enter Jesus, a grown man of 30,
beginning his public ministry, who comes to John for Baptism.
As Jesus rises
from the water, God announces from on high, "This is my Beloved Son in
whom I am well pleased." The Holy Spirit descended as a dove to mark this
man Jesus as God-sent, of God-nature, One with God, God’s own Human Image. In a very short
time, he will claim the sinfulness of the World ~ past, present, and
future to take to his crucifixion.
In this awakening
time of Epiphany, let us begin again to discover and define our own public and
private ministry. With the glitter of Christmas put away, all the turmoil in
every corner of the world claims our attention and repels us and it’s easy to
be distracted and distanced from the calling of Jesus. Whether you were
officially baptized or not, take some time to think about the ritual of Baptism
and its deep significance. For many Christians, though not all, Baptism is a
Sacrament of purification, a Rite of Initiation, a formal adoption into the
Christian faith. A simple definition is that the word comes from a hybrid of
Latin and Greek and literally means "washing." This Sacrament is
intended to be a means and visible form of God’s grace, just as the dove descending was for
Jesus was the beginning of his journey as Messiah.
Whether
by aspersion (sprinkling with water), immersion (plunging into water),
or affusion (pouring water on), Baptism is a sacrament, ceremony, a rite, that
hearkens back to the Jewish heritage of Jesus. Ancient and modern Jewish
rituals of ablution (washing) for cleansing and/or purification were
established millennia before John poured water over his cousin's head in the
Jordan River. Some denominations believe that Baptism is necessary for
Salvation, others do not. Not all schools of Judaism practice these rituals and
neither do all Christians. But for many Christians, this Gospel moment marks
the beginning of the public
ministry of Jesus, though after this he immediately went to the desert to
prepare further. Whether or not officially anointed, we are each claimed as Christ’s
own for ever. As mortal beings we will fail and fall away yet we can
and may always return to the One who raises us with Him. Our hearts love to
claim the Babe in the Manger. Now we begin to
claim the Man ~ the Messiah ~ of the Gospel.
You can read and pray through the ritual of the US Episcopal
Church, learn or revisit its purpose and understanding at www.BCP.org and clicking Holy Baptism on the left
sidebar. The five questions are asked of and answered by either the one
being Baptized or, in the case of a child, a Godparent or Sponsor. Along with
the five promises that are part of the Baptismal Covenant, these
questions and promises are our operating principles, our acceptance of our
charge and responsibilities as followers of Jesus. They are intensely serious
and not meant as mere platitudes in a sweet ceremony. We revisit them at least
five times per year in the Liturgy to remind us of what we might need to work
on, a chance to reflect on how we managed at the end of a day or a month. One
or more of them may even point to possibilities to shape our mindset for daily
activities, or perhaps a new direction in vocation or volunteering as we make
our way through our short human existence. My favorite part of this Sacrament is near the end, after all the
words have been spoken and the water has been poured. It is then that the
Celebrant takes the chrism oil that was blessed in Holy Week and anoints the forehead of the one
Baptized. The words at that moment stir my heart and my self-reckoning: you
are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's
own for ever.
From
the waters of Creation, to the waters of Baptism, Christ is our bridge over
waters troubled and calm and who comes with the infusion of the Holy Spirit. Even
if you haven't been baptized, christened, or dedicated, just wanting to be is
enough, some believe, and so you become baptized through desire. And while
anyone of us can be a baptizer with water, only Jesus brings the fire of the
Holy Spirit to set our faith ablaze It is time to be refreshed and renewed as we begin our own ministry
again. Come on in and wade in the water. Let us now stake our souls’ claim to
the Christ who leads us on His Way to our Salvation.
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Creator God~Beloved
Messiah~Holy Spirit, You call us each by name and we are Your own. Gather us as
wheat into Your granary and burn off the chaff within us that turns us from
You. Baptize us in the fire of faith that we may discover the beauty of
holiness in each day of our earthly lives.
O Lord of Glory
Bless us with your strength and peace
~ Creator
God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, fill us with the splendor of Your powerful
voice to proclaim Your boundless love, eternal presence, redemption and honor
for all faithful people, to all who govern or hold authority in every corner of
the Earth, nearby and far away. We pray especially for: add your own
petitions
O Lord of Glory
Bless us with your strength and peace
~ Creator
God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, cradle the hearts of the sick, the poor, and
the lonely, and fortify the spirits of all who give of themselves to
help. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your
own petitions
O Lord of Glory
Bless us with your strength and peace
~ Creator
God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, carry the sorrowful through the waters of
grief, as those You have called back Home now live again, forever joyful, in
Your infinite love and grace. We pray especially for: add your own
petitions
O Lord of Glory
Bless us with your strength and peace
~
Creator God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, we pause in this
moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions
O Lord of Glory
Bless us with your strength and peace
~ Creator
God~Beloved Messiah~Holy Spirit, enlighten and excite Your anointed disciples
of our own day, who pray with and for us, baptize and confirm us, and instruct,
encourage, and travel with us through our earthly sojourn. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
O Lord of
Glory
Bless
us with your strength and peace
The
Celebrant adds:
Eternal and Almighty King, enflame us with the joy of freedom from fear and
with confidence in Your enduring presence. Grant us the courage to give the
glory due Your name by our every thought, word, and deed, striving to be among
those with whom You are well pleased. We ask through Jesus, Your Beloved
Son; and the Holy Spirit, the Fire of our Faith; who together live and reign with You as One God,
now and forever. Amen.
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