Trinity Parish Church - Epiphany 1 - January 13, 2008
Matthew 3:13-17
The Rev. Rachel Endicott
As I mentioned from the pulpit a couple of weeks ago, I believe that God is a God of grace. I shared the story of my daughter Megan Grace’s birth and Kathleen Norris’s moving story about how a small baby at an airport made her aware that God looks at each one of us knowing that we are made in the divine image. So, I do believe that all of us are invited into a holy and gifted place. We are special at the very depths of our being because we are part of God’s creation. But even more so, for those of us who are baptized, we have been given an inward and spiritual grace as others see the outward and visible sign happening at our baptism. Today, I want to talk further about grace. And I want to talk specifically about how grace ties into baptism and how, if we are thoroughly aware of this grace, we are pushed to respond to God’s grace. In baptism, we are reminded of much. We are reminded of the water of creation from which all things are given life and birth. Yet I believe that the predominant biblical image of water, for Jews and Christians, is our central story of being freed as slaves in Egypt, of being brought out through the sea, of being able to be free to worship and even wander as we desire. We are marked as children of God. While I don’t want to dismiss the fact that we come to baptism for forgiveness, I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind us that baptism has to do with being given a new life of grace. During our baptism service, we pray over the newly baptized, asking God that they will be given some specific gifts. We ask that they would have an inquiring and discerning heart, that their very core would be changed. In my mind, I associate hearts with compassion, love and even the ongoing support of bodily life. We pray further that the candidates are given the courage to will and to persevere. I know that there have been times in my life where that prayer prayed for me over 30 years ago now has held me in good stead because otherwise I’m not sure how I would have made it through some dark times in my life. Further we pray for the candidates to have a spirit to know and to love God. I read of a wonderful story recently. I believe it was Bishop Mark Dyer who shared with a fellow clergyman about being in St. Petersburg shortly after the Russian Orthodox Church was able to start reestablishing their faith in the context of the freedoms now available in Russia. A “priest emerged onto the street outside the church where the long Orthodox liturgy had just taken place. As he did he met a young man who looked like one of the Hell’s Angels, although there was no motorcycle in evidence – leather jacket, jeans, boots, and a bandana on his head. He was carrying a bundle close to his chest. “Father,” he said, “I want you to baptize my child.” The priest was a bit surprised, and asked, “Are you a believer?” No, I can’t believe,” said the man. “But I want her to” – nodding toward the bundle in his arms. The priest took them in and baptized the baby girl. The priest told Bishop Mark that’s how it was all over Russia. People felt that they had been robbed of faith for the past 75 years. They had been robbed of security. They had been robbed of the power of faith. The realized they couldn’t reclaim it just by willing it, but they did want it, and they wanted it for their children most of all. They saw purpose in the lives of people who believe; they saw hope when they no longer had hope. A new world had been opened up to them and they wanted to come in and be part of that wonder and mystery and to have that power at work in their lives and in the lives of their children.”1 But even knowing that people have a yearning, a desire for this new life, want a sense of faith, we might wonder where that takes us in the years to come? How does baptism change us? For Jesus, his acceptance of John’s baptism was the beginning of his public ministry. So, too, we get a sense of Matthew writing his Gospel with this knowledge about the importance of public ministry. In his Gospel, as opposed to the other synoptic Gospels (the Gospels of Mark and Luke), the voice says, “This is my Son”, rather than “You are my Son”, indicating that this voice was heard by others, that it was a public statement, rather than a personal sharing. As a clergyperson, I – on liturgical occasions and at other times – wear a clerical collar, a symbol of my role and ministry within and without this community. In itself it is a public statement of who I am and what I do. But for most of you, you don’t have that same way of publicly showing externally the signs of your ministry. For you – as well for me I would hope – most people would be aware of the ministry we do by what we do, not by what we wear. They would be aware that we care for others. They would be aware that we attempt to live into an ethical framework that meshes with our faith. They would be aware that there’s a certain sparkle within us that shines with a light that is not our own. Now going back to Jesus’ baptism, some scholars posit that Jesus allows himself to be baptized by John, even though he didn’t need to be baptized – to repent of his sins, to show that we should do more than is required by the law. As followers of Jesus, disciples, I do believe that we are asked to do more. We are asked to do more than the minimum. Now, as many of you know, I have a son, Benjamin. Ben is like many boys his age. He does what he has to do. In fifth grade, he is now at the point in school where he is expected to write more complex papers and research reports. He’s expected to write five paragraph essays and reports that encompass a number of facets about the topic or person being studied. And as in many schools, the teachers give guidelines. For instance, for a paper it’s expected that there will be an opening paragraph, three supporting paragraphs with each having 4-5 sentences, and a concluding paragraph. Now Ben will do that. He’ll set up his paragraphs, contemplate how the point can be carried through the essay, and what the best sentences might be. But – as not the most enthusiastic writer – a six-sentence paragraph is out of the question…even if it might benefit the whole essay in a wonderful way! What is required is 4-5 sentences, so that is what is accomplished. As Christians, I would say we are called to write those six-sentence paragraphs. We are to go beyond that which is required of us. May the Holy Spirit, as a straightforward sign of God’s grace, give you and me this ability. Amen. 1 The Ven. Richard I Cluett, at The Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Jan. 7, 2007), as printed in Synthesis, 1/13/08.
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