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| Baptism of Christ, Daniel Bonnell |
January 12, 2014
In case you missed it, today our focus is on baptism. It’s addressed throughout the readings, and
we ourselves will renew our baptismal covenant shortly. The Baptism of the Lord which we celebrate
today is one of the three “epiphanies” or revealings we celebrate during the
season of Epiphany. Like the arrival of
the Magi and Christ’s first public miracle at the wedding in Cana, the Baptism
of our Lord reveals something to us about Christ, about our relationship with
God, and our response to that relationship.
We should know that the story of the Baptism of the Lord is
important. It’s one of the few stories
that is contained in all four Gospels, which few stories are. When a story is repeated by each of the
Gospel writers, they all concurred that it was important. Their telling of the story may be different,
but we should take note.
Today we hear Matthew’s account of Christ’s baptism. In this brief reading, Matthew includes all
three persons of the Trinity. Jesus, God
the son is coming up out of the water.
He sees God the Spirit descending.
And he hears a voice from heaven, God the Father, saying this is my Son,
the beloved. Three different persons.
One God. All present at this baptism. Not unlike ours.
Later we’ll reaffirm our baptismal covenant, which has two
parts. In the first, we are asked some
questions about what we believe. Do you
believe in God the Father? Do you
believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God?
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
Three different persons. One God. All present at our baptism. Not unlike Christ.
Our responses to those questions of faith contain the words
we repeat every week in the Creed.
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ his only
son.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the
communion of saints.
Because we say these words every week, it could seem like
just a repackaging of our weekly liturgy.
Routine. Something that causes us
to glaze over and stop thinking about what we’re doing and saying, both every
Sunday, and today when we reaffirm our baptismal covenant.
But what if we could think about it the other way around? Not
about the routineness of saying the words every week making today’s
reaffirmation routine, but rather the words today making every week special?
Our baptismal covenant is really unique and special and weighty and
important. What we’re asked and how we
respond are the foundation of our covenant with God. Baptism
is where a bond is created between us and God, a bond that is indissoluble. When
you say the Creed every week, realize that those words repeat the responses
which establish that covenant.
When you say those words today and every time you reaffirm
your vows, think about that indissoluble bond made with God at baptism.
When you say those words next week and the week after in the
Creed, think about that same indissoluble bond made with God at baptism.
Matthew’s account of the Lord’s baptism includes a dialogue
between Jesus and John. Jesus comes to
be baptized by John. John protests, and
Jesus responds that his baptism done in this way is necessary. It’s necessary because it will fulfill all
righteousness. Fulfilling all righteousness is an odd term, one we wouldn’t
use in every day conversation.
Righteousness means more than just saying the right things or believing
the right things. Righteousness actually
means acting in accord with divine law. To fulfill all righteousness means to carry
out acting in accord with law. Carry out.
Acting in. The Baptism of our Lord is all about a response and action. Just like ours.
Our baptismal covenant goes beyond accepting a set of
statements, or believing the right things, or even accepting Jesus Christ as our
personal lord and savior. Sure, that’s
the foundation, but we don’t stop there.
The part of our baptismal covenant which follows the creedal
statements is nothing less than a full menu of ways we are each asked to act or
respond. To teach, be in fellowship, to
break bread and to pray. To repent. To
tell the story. To act and behave in a
way that shows the Good News of Christ.
To seek and serve Christ in all people.
To work for justice and peace. To
respect the dignity of all human beings.
Not only are you asked to commit what you believe, you are
asked to act. You are asked to
act. And you respond that, with God’s
help, you will.
At different times in our lives, God calls us in different
ways, seeking different responses. At one time in life, teaching may be how you
are called to respond. You teach your
own kids, you serve as a leader or trainer.
Maybe you’re called to serve Christ in the children in your life, with
the sack lunches and skinned knees. Starting
with Baptism, God is always calling. We
are always asked to respond.
We are not asked to do everything. But we are all asked to do something.
After the Lord’s baptism, you know what Jesus does? The Spirit leads him out into the wilderness
for 40 days. Jesus, fully human, left
his baptism to spend time trying to wrap his head around this relationship with
God, what being marked as God’s own means, and how he was to respond.
Maybe you can’t leave for 40 days to contemplate God’s
call. But at least pause when you
respond, or go back and prayerfully consider this immense covenant and how God
is calling you to respond in the coming week.
How is God calling you in your Baptism?
I hear God calling me to respond to seek justice and serve
Christ in all people.
Fifty years ago this week, Lynden B. Johnson declared his war
on poverty in his inauguration speech.
At that time, the poverty rate was 19% nationally. And today, it’s 14% nationally. While that’s improvement, it can hardly be
considered winning the war on poverty.
Unfortunately, things are dire in our community. In 1969, Lane County had a poverty rate of
11%, which translated to about 23,000 people living in poverty.
In 2012 the number of people living in poverty has more than
tripled, to 76,000, and our poverty rate has increased to 22%, well above the
national rate 14%.
And that poverty level?
The poverty level is about $24,000 per year.
For a family of 4.
True, there are programs to help families in poverty. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program, or SNAP is a program that provides food, formerly known as food stamps. A whopping 40% of people in Lane County are
eligible for Food Stamps because of their low income. That would be good news,
except what is offered as assistance is very low. If you are eligible for SNAP, the per person
weekly allotment for food is about $27.
It’s hard to even imagine how difficult that must be, to buy
and prepare food a family would eat for $27 per person per week. To help better internalize that, an
interfaith group from around Eugene and Springfield are participating in
something called the Food Stamp Challenge.
Beginning today, anyone who wants to participate is invited
to eat for the week on $27 per person. For a family of four, you’d have a budget of
$108.
Even thinking about eating on a budget of $27 seems
daunting. Grocery shopping, preparing
food that kids would eat, and eliminating the impulse food purchases that would
blow that meager budget would be also a challenge. Participating in something like this will provide
me real experiences and emotions resulting from poverty, and influence many
decisions for the week. It would affect how much time I take for food
preparation, food choice, the ability to eat out socially with friends,
compromises to buy cheaper processed food, and shop at cheaper less beautified
stores.
I’m participating in the SNAP challenge because that is where
God is calling me, and where I feel I need to respond.
As our Baptismal Covenant asks, “Will you seek and serve
Christ in all people?” My
response? I will, with God’s help.
If, when you respond to this amazing indissoluble
relationship, you feel called to respond in a similar way, join me.
If you are called in another way, maybe to proclaim the
Gospel in word and action, respond in another way.
If you don’t know how you are to respond, spend some time
discerning how you are called to respond.
As we renew the covenant we made with God, as we consider
God’s indissoluble bond and our response, I pray we all hear God’s call and
respond. While I will not be able hear,
understand or respond to God’s call on my own, as we will say shortly, I will,
with God’s help.
Amen.
