"What's the Point of Baptism Anyway?"
A sermon preached on The Baptism of our Lord Sunday, January 13, 2008, at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp. The sermon is based on Galatians 3:23-29.
R. Wayne Stacy tells of a minister who was explaining the tradition of baptism by immersion to a newly candidate for baptism in the church. She had been baptized as an infant in another church by sprinkling but wanted to be baptized again as an adult. She had slipped away from the church, and in some respects had abandoned her religious faith and practice, and just recently got involved in a church and she wanted to be baptized to symbolize this new or fresh start. However, she wasn’t real familiar with the tradition of being baptized by immersion. In fact, after the minister had explained to her the process that she would go through she exclaimed; "But, pastor, isn’t there another way? Dunking just seems so... so... inelegant!"
I have never thought of baptism as being inelegant, but it is a notion worthy of consideration. Baptism means, among other things, repentance and repentance isn’t always the most elegant of experiences. The United Methodist pastor and author, Rodney Wilmoth once said that a retired pastor friend of his often referred to the baptistery as the "humility tank." What a fitting description! Monica Baldwin, the niece of the former British Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin once said; "What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God." And certainly, baptism does just that, as the Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Galatians.
While there are many forms of baptism, it seems that baptism by immersion does help us to see the symbolism of death and resurrection. In fact, John Westerhoff III describes a baptism in a small church in Latin America that certainly celebrates this theological view, he writes:
I have never thought of baptism as being inelegant, but it is a notion worthy of consideration. Baptism means, among other things, repentance and repentance isn’t always the most elegant of experiences. The United Methodist pastor and author, Rodney Wilmoth once said that a retired pastor friend of his often referred to the baptistery as the "humility tank." What a fitting description! Monica Baldwin, the niece of the former British Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin once said; "What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God." And certainly, baptism does just that, as the Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Galatians.
While there are many forms of baptism, it seems that baptism by immersion does help us to see the symbolism of death and resurrection. In fact, John Westerhoff III describes a baptism in a small church in Latin America that certainly celebrates this theological view, he writes:
"The congregation began the baptism by singing a funeral hymn as the solemn procession moved down the aisle. The father carried a child’s coffin he made from wood: the mother carried a bucket of water from the family well; the priest carried the sleeping child wrapped only in a native blanket. As they reached the altar, the father placed the coffin on the altar, and the mother poured the water into the coffin, and the priest covered the wakening baby’s skin with embalming oil... the priest slowly lowered the infant into the coffin and immersed the child’s head in the water... he exclaimed; "I kill you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." "Amen!" shouted the parents and the congregation. Then quickly lifting the child into the air for all to see, the priest declared: "And I resurrect you that you might love and serve the Lord." Immediately, the congregation broke into a joyous Easter hymn and the celebration began."
That gets to the heart of baptism, doesn’t it? Today the church celebrates the baptism of our Lord. And what a fitting day for us to celebrate Taylor, Zachary and Claude’s baptism. But some folks have often been puzzled as to why Jesus was baptized in the first place. After all, they argue that he was without sin. Why did he need to participate in a ritual that focuses on repentance if he was sinless? One of my favorite reasons for why Jesus was baptized is because Jesus chose to immerse himself in the inelegance of life.
There is indeed something inelegant about baptism, but for that matter there is also something inelegant about life! There is something inelegant about war and racism. There is something inelegant about hunger and injustice.
And Jesus entered into this life with us! As the writer of Hebrews reminds us; "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize" with us, but rather, he has experienced life as we do, all the way down to entering the very waters of baptism.
The baptism of Jesus is linked to his being completely obedient to God’s will. And it is a reminder that we too must do likewise. You see, what gives us hope and encouragement when we observe the baptism of Jesus is that he was willing to enter the murky waters of the Jordan River as God’s servant and one who serves with love and grace. Christ became the servant, and the primary work of the servant is to establish God’s rule in the world, thus helping our world become more elegant. When Jesus emerged from the river, a voice from heaven was heard to affirm: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." The baptism of Jesus signals the fact that God is in the midst of all of life’s inelegance. God is with us!
In our Scripture Lesson this morning, Paul speaks about the old way of life under the custodian - under the disciplinarian - the law, which we could not keep or live up to or fulfill. The law held us captive. The law held us bondage. But then Christ came and in Christ we become the children of God. And this is expressed in baptism. Baptism is an visual symbol of an inward transformation. We are baptized into Christ - into the body and we "put on" Christ. The image is unmistakable - as if we are receiving a new wardrobe. And because we have put on Christ, we are made over, we are transformed, we are changed.
In baptism we are marked, claimed and given access to the grace that God wants to give us. Paul writes; "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." Baptism is about identity: we belong. Baptism is about transformation: we are changed. Baptism is about newness of life: we are cleansed.
And so, as we gather on this Baptism of our Lord Sunday; as we have witnessed the baptisms of Taylor, Zachary and Claude, we too, have the wonderful privilege of remembering our own baptism, and celebrating what God is doing in and through us, as God’s covenant people.
And so we place ourselves in God’s hands and we allow the waters to cleanse us, and our hearts are tuned to sing of God’s grace, and we see ourselves, and each other, for who we really are. We remember that we are baptized.
The outward and visible sign is the water washing over us. The inward and spiritual grace is the acceptance, the unconditional love, the fount of every blessing, always a gift, a moment that extends into an eternity. God is never finished with us. God will not give up on us. God is with us! Our lives, our priorities, are being rearranged. Someone once said; "Through baptism God says to us, "'welcome to the family of God, now let’s get you cleaned up.'"
There is indeed something inelegant about baptism, but for that matter there is also something inelegant about life! There is something inelegant about war and racism. There is something inelegant about hunger and injustice.
And Jesus entered into this life with us! As the writer of Hebrews reminds us; "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize" with us, but rather, he has experienced life as we do, all the way down to entering the very waters of baptism.
The baptism of Jesus is linked to his being completely obedient to God’s will. And it is a reminder that we too must do likewise. You see, what gives us hope and encouragement when we observe the baptism of Jesus is that he was willing to enter the murky waters of the Jordan River as God’s servant and one who serves with love and grace. Christ became the servant, and the primary work of the servant is to establish God’s rule in the world, thus helping our world become more elegant. When Jesus emerged from the river, a voice from heaven was heard to affirm: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." The baptism of Jesus signals the fact that God is in the midst of all of life’s inelegance. God is with us!
In our Scripture Lesson this morning, Paul speaks about the old way of life under the custodian - under the disciplinarian - the law, which we could not keep or live up to or fulfill. The law held us captive. The law held us bondage. But then Christ came and in Christ we become the children of God. And this is expressed in baptism. Baptism is an visual symbol of an inward transformation. We are baptized into Christ - into the body and we "put on" Christ. The image is unmistakable - as if we are receiving a new wardrobe. And because we have put on Christ, we are made over, we are transformed, we are changed.
In baptism we are marked, claimed and given access to the grace that God wants to give us. Paul writes; "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." Baptism is about identity: we belong. Baptism is about transformation: we are changed. Baptism is about newness of life: we are cleansed.
And so, as we gather on this Baptism of our Lord Sunday; as we have witnessed the baptisms of Taylor, Zachary and Claude, we too, have the wonderful privilege of remembering our own baptism, and celebrating what God is doing in and through us, as God’s covenant people.
And so we place ourselves in God’s hands and we allow the waters to cleanse us, and our hearts are tuned to sing of God’s grace, and we see ourselves, and each other, for who we really are. We remember that we are baptized.
The outward and visible sign is the water washing over us. The inward and spiritual grace is the acceptance, the unconditional love, the fount of every blessing, always a gift, a moment that extends into an eternity. God is never finished with us. God will not give up on us. God is with us! Our lives, our priorities, are being rearranged. Someone once said; "Through baptism God says to us, "'welcome to the family of God, now let’s get you cleaned up.'"
posted by Pastor Christopher @ 11:09 PM
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