Proper 14, 2015 (Baptism)
How many of you know how to swim?
It’s probably that it’s become such a common thing that even if you didn’t know
how, you may be hesitant to admit it.
Personally, I learned when I was in
school, 4th grade actually; and our boys have been taking classes at
the park district. And whether it’s because of more opportunities to learn, or
because people have more time to swim than they used to—learning to swim was
not always such a common thing.
Of course, our being able to swim
in no way means that we’ve mastered the water, however. For instance, my Mom,
who learned how to swim as a child has no interest in swimming, because when
she was younger she was witness to someone drowning—someone who was a good
swimmer, in fact.
So, while most of us are drawn to
the water—in fact, Herman Melville spends a long time talking about this fact
in Moby Dick (he actually spends a
lot of time talking about a lot of things really)—but, even though we’re drawn
to the water, we find that it still demands our respect.
Every year—probably
early-to-mid-summer—the media goes bonkers about reports of shark attacks. Of
course, this is often around the time that the Discovery Channel starts “Shark
Week,” and many people are flocking to the beaches with their floaties and
goggles. Inevitably, as people are want to do, then—they either plan to punch
the first shark they meet right in the nose, or they’ve decided that there is a
shark just waiting to make them a statistic…
But that’s to say, you have a 1 in
63 chance of dying from the flu and a 1 in 3,700,000 chance of being killed by
a shark during your lifetime (Pretty good odds). And, apparently, in 1996,
toilets injured 43,000 Americans a year. Sharks injured 13. This is according
to National Geographic.
Now, obviously, I’m being a little
ridiculous—but, the reality is that water (while it is necessary to life, and
is something that draws us)—water remains a powerful element. In fact, in the
Ancient Near Mid-East, the sea was
considered a place of fear and chaos. The sea is a place where creatures of
judgment and destruction dwell (Book of Daniel).
And yet, we’re reminded that under
God’s dominion, the waters are the womb that gives birth to all of Creation.
God judges with waters in the Great Flood, and yet provides salvation through
Noah and his family.
In parting the Red Sea, God leads
Israel out of their slavery in Egypt—and calls them to be the Chosen People of
God…chosen to be the way in which God could be made known to all of humanity.
Finally, while there isn’t anything
exactly like baptism in the Jewish tradition, we know that Jesus was baptized
by John in the Jordan river—and as followers of Jesus, we’re commended to be
likewise baptized. And it is in this sign of baptism that we are supposed to
experience the death of Jesus, and be symbolically buried with him—then to be
raised again to new life like him. Likewise, as adopted children in the family
of God, we take our places with Israel to make God’s Love known.
Now, even though we use these safe,
but tasteful, baptismal fonts to enact this sacrament—we’re still supposed to
hold in mind all of these seemingly contradictory understandings of water.
We’re supposed to remember that water was the vehicle for salvation,
deliverance, and even the birth of Creation. But we’re equally challenged to
consider the danger. Water is a powerfully unruly, and dangerous element. It is
a place where unimaginable creatures dwell, and it has the power to overwhelm
us either by sheer tidal force—or even simply by being too much for us. Sort of
like God, I suppose. *(Skip next section at 8 am)
(For 10:30 am service only) All the same, we find ourselves drawn to
it…we’re drawn to water, and we are very much drawn to these waters of Baptism.
Today, Joseph _____ _____, will be drawn to these waters. And, even though
we know that there is solemnity, and danger in this sign—we also know that he,
like all of us who are part of this family of God, are not thrown into the deep
end of life and told to learn how to swim.
Instead, in spite of the fact that
life is as dangerous as any place we would swim—through Holy Baptism, the
Church joins Joey. All of us agree to share the hope and faith that we have in
his life—the faith that has enabled all of us to weather the storms and waves
of our own lives. Because, of course, we know that at the center of all of
this, stands the one whose quiet words can calm any stormy sea; has called all
Creation into being; and calls Joey, and each of us by name…Jesus Christ, the
one who loves us so dearly and meets us in these signs and sacraments; who
gives us life, and the one in whom we claim our resurrected life.
*At our 10:30 service, we’ll baptize Joseph _____ _____…and
given all that baptism evokes—death, danger, all of that—it seems an odd thing
(a negligent thing, in fact) to do to an infant. Yet, for all that it’s
terrible, and fearful—it’s at the same time, perhaps the most honest thing we
do as Christians. After all, even as people of faith, we’re not so naïve as to
believe that life isn’t hard. We’re not taught to take on faith as something
that will allow us to hide from difficulties that come with living…and really,
the one thing we know for certain about life is that none of us gets out of it
alive..
But that’s to say, we still have
this stubborn, and wonderful hope about us. We continue to have children, and
we know that life throws us into the deep end, and tells us to swim. And yet,
in these waters of baptism, we’re never left to face the waters of life alone.
Because as the family of God, we are adopted into a family of faith so broad,
and so diverse, that we find ourselves helped along as we try to doggy paddle
this life. And we’re encouraged, held up in those times when we feel too tired
to continue—and yet, we’re also given opportunity to do the same for others as
well.
However, it isn’t all drudgery, and
toil, either, because as many of us know that there are times of wonderful joy,
as well. What’s more, these moments of joy (like the baptism of a child) offer
us glimpses…reminders that at the center of all of this, stands the one whose
quiet words can calm any stormy sea; has called all Creation into being; and
calls each of us by name… Jesus Christ, the one who loves us so dearly and
meets us in these signs and sacraments; who gives us life, and the one in whom
we claim our resurrected life.
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