Father John McGinn, Rector

Saint John’s Episcopal Church

Sandwich, Massachusetts

 

January 7, 2006                                    Epiphany 1

 

 

Before performing a baptism, the priest approached the young father and solemnly told him that baptism is a serious step, and was he prepared for it.  “I think so,” the man replied, “My wife has made appetizers and we have a caterer coming to provide cakes and cookies for our guests.”  “I don’t mean that,” the priest responded, “I mean are you prepared spiritually?”  “Oh sure,” the man replied, “I have a keg of beer and a case of whisky.”  My guess is that was not what the priest had in mind.

 

Was this man ready for baptism?  I don’t think so.  I want to give you an example of someone who was prepared. 

 

In one of the countries on the continent of Africa, a young man went from village to village announcing that he was to be buried behind his house at 3 P.M. that very afternoon.  The man appeared to be strong and healthy, but as the curious villagers began to gather around his house that afternoon, they found the young man digging a hole in the backyard.  Some of his friends had brought shovels and were helping him. 

 

After they finished digging, the man and his friends began to carry pails of water to fill it.  At 3 P.M.  the pastor came and buried the young man in the waters of baptism.  My guess is that young man was ready.

 

There are many forms of baptism in the Christian community.  We all agree on one thing; baptism is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian.  The gospel reading from Luke this morning gives these words: “When all the people are baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form as a dove.  A voice came from heaven, ‘you are my son, the beloved.  With you I am well pleased.’”

 

This is how Jesus began his public ministry.  Jesus was baptized at the hand of John the Baptist.  This is how we begin our lives as his disciples.  Our baptism is sign and seal that we belong, each of us, to Jesus.

 

Each year on the first Sunday after Epiphany we affirm or baptism and acknowledge its centrality in our lives.  Part of the meaning of baptism is the washing away of sin.  The scriptures teach and personal experience affirms that each of us is a sinner.  It is sin that separates us from the love of God.  Baptism doesn’t mean that we become perfect, but it means that sin is no longer a barrier in our relationship with God.

 

I don’t know how many of you realize that our Organist and Choir director and her husband were baptized here a few weeks ago, Misao Hoagland was born in Japan and she lived there until her early twenties.  She came to America and was studying music at the Conservatory in Boston, but she was still Buddhist by upbringing.

She thought about Christianity along the way, but it was recently that she decided on her own that she and her husband wanted to be baptized.  Today her young daughter, Leila, who is two years old, will be baptized as well. 

 

What a wonderful story.  What a wonderful thing that Misao’s life has changed by her relationship with us, but more than that, her relationship with God.

 

Now Misao wasn’t made perfect by her baptism, just as the rest of us are not made perfect by baptism.  She was conscious that it was time for her to make a new beginning.  That is why, in understanding baptism, we begin with the washing away of our old life and sins. Even more important, baptism means the beginning of our lives with Jesus.

At Jesus baptism a voice comes from heaven, “You are my son, the beloved.  With you I am well pleased.”  In our baptism we affirm that Jesus is God’s son, and when we are joined with him we become children of God as well. 

 

A number of years ago in my old parish in Southington, CT, I baptized a five year old little boy.  First of all, I know there is a danger lurking here.  Anyone who has spent time with a 4-5 year old will tell you that.  I met with the parents and the boy on the Saturday before the ceremony and we went over the service step by step, so they all understood what baptism was about and what was being promised, and how the service would proceed.

 

Sunday morning came and they all were there. We came to the place in the sermon where I invite the family to come forward for the baptism.  They all gathered around the baptismal font, mother, father, 5 year old and two Godparents.  Everything was set until I said “What name is given to this child?”  I had forgotten the name, but the liturgy allows for this, and the mother, father and godparents looked at each other but no one spoke.  The question caught them by surprise, so there was an awkward silence.

 

Just then there was a tug at my robe.  A five year old boy said “Father McGinn, you know who I am.  I am Michael.”  Thank God Michael knew who he was, or we might still be standing there in front of the church.

 

 We know who we are.  We are God’s children.  Baptism is not just a washing away of sin, but our identification with Jesus.  We do not know who we are until we find ourselves.  And finally, Baptism is our initiation into the church of Jesus Christ.  This is so important.  Baptism signals our entrance into a family, the family of Jesus.

 

I found myself getting choked up an umber of times this week because I watched reruns of Gerald ford’s funeral.  At first at St. Margaret’s in California, then the National Cathedral, where the eulogies and homily and choir were absolutely wonderful.  Finally at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids where the burial site was, at the burial service those familiar words were said.  It made me feel good to be Christian, and to be an Episcopalian.  In the last several years that has not happened very often.  If you read the newspapers we hear the bad things happening to the church.

 

We found out that he was a closet Christian.  We didn’t know a lot about his faith.  We knew that he was an Episcopal that worshipped on a regular basis, but we had no idea of his love for scripture and his dependence on Morning Prayer and Eucharist.  As president, he was in a controversial position.  We know now that his presidency was one of healing and reconciliation. 

 

He had a Christian understanding of the world.  He pardoned Richard Nixon, and at the time it angered many people, but he thought it was the right thing to do.  We find out now that he debated about it, consulted many people, and decided pardoning Nixon was the right thing to do for the healing of the nation.

 

Ford was also involved in trying to get amnesty for all those who left the USA during the Vietnam War in protest of the draft.  He thought that it was important that these people be brought back to our country, and that healing and reconciliation take place.

 

We also find out that he was concerned for human rights.  The Helsinki Agreements it was his pushing that led to the fall of the Soviet Union and ended the Cold War.  He said it was important that all people have human rights and were entitled to freedom. Even in his death, we learn that in an interview that took place years ago he expressed his opposition to the war in Iraq.  Again some of his very good friends were behind the war, but Ford did not believe war was a good thing.

 

In church we find out that he was in favor of inclusion.  He was overjoyed when Katherine Sciori was elected the first woman bishop.  I am so touched that President Ford knew his true identity.  He was a follower of Jesus and a part of a community of people who serve Jesus in their daily lives.  I believe what gave him courage during his presidency and his life, was the knowledge that he had been baptized.   AMEN

 

HOME

 

 By our baptism we know who we are and to whom we belong.  Baptism is so much more than the washing away of sin.  Baptism shows our identification with Jesus.  Baptism is our initiation into the body of Christ. Go forth today that you have been baptized. You are not alone, you belong to God.   AMEN