Tag Archives: Baptism

Baptism

Ordinary Time

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

January 7, 2023

Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:13-17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’

Water purification was practiced in Judaism before Jesus’s birth. Proselyte baptism was common. Beyond purification, it was also an act of dedicating one’s life to God. John, however, offered a baptism of repentance. He linked the rite to prepare for the coming Kingdom of God*. John’s hesitancy to baptize Jesus was also his recognition that Jesus was the source of the Kingdom of God. Purification and repentance carry the same connotation as we recognize we are not in alignment with God and need to correct our course.

For me, baptism was the beginning of my journey in service to God, which requires continuous self-examination and rededication to maintain my alignment with God.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for setting the example for our life with God and our commitment to fulfilling all righteousness. Amen.

*See The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible–Baptism

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Patience

Lent

February 18, 2021

Scripture Reading:
1 Peter 3:18-22
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the Ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

As a Child Welfare worker and then supervisor, necessity required our unit to have a good working relationship with the Sheriff and deputies. We were blessed with an excellent Sheriff, and he had a great staff. One year around Christmas, we had a particularly challenging time with abused/neglected children and wayward juveniles. I was exhausted. My team was too. The Sheriff with his crew were with us when needed every step of the way. Our jail had one holding cell that was used for various unique situations, including separating juveniles from adult prisoners. I walked with the Sheriff as he escorted a young, out-of-control teen to that cell so he could be in a safe place while his body recovered from drugs. The cell was padded with no furniture except the built-in toilet and water fountain. As the Sheriff and I walked back to the office area, I said, “I wish you had one of those cells for me. I could use some protection from the world for a while.” He laughed and said, “It has been a week.”

I found it interesting that Peter tells us that one of the first place the risen Christ visited was the spirits in prison identifying them as those who disobeyed God all the way back to Noah’s time. God is described as a patient waiter until Noah’s family was saved from the flood. Peter likens Noah’s salvation by water to baptism. It is a bit of a stretch. I do not recall Noah ever getting wet, but he did obey God in the building of the Ark. He, and his family was saved from drowning. In the Ark, he was lifted out of the water, eventually to dry ground.

Peter’s message to his readers both then and now is patience is essential in proclaiming Christ and God’s Kingdom’s formation.  Patience is a gift of the Spirit, and sometimes when we reach the point where a padded cell looks welcoming, we must withdraw from the world to rekindle our relationship with the Spirit and reclaim the gift of patience.

Prayer: God of Patience, fill us with the gifts of your Spirit so that we might serve you with our patience. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Starting with Baptism

Advent

December 6, 2020

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:1-8

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’ –Mark 1:4-8

I am not sure I fully understood what baptism was all about when I was baptized. The one thing of which I was sure was that I was making a lifetime commitment to follow Jesus Christ. To be honest, I followed Jesus from the womb because that was what one did in my home and in my community, or at least the part of it I knew. Growing up on a farm and attending a school in a town with a population of, say, 400, I knew almost everyone in one way or another. But Dr. Keller, my pastor, impressed on me that the decision to accept Christ had to be my decision, as was my commitment to serve him. I took that very seriously.

Advent observance based on Mark’s book skips the whole manger and shepherds and wise men scene and jumps right into Jesus’s ministry and mission on earth. John the baptizer did not beat around the bush. Change was needed and was coming in one more powerful than John.

Baptism was common in the Jewish tradition and was religious ablution signifying purification or consecration. John was using a well-known practice to introduce the change that was coming while maintaining the rite as a means of attaining a closer communion with God.

[Jewish] Baptism is not merely for the purpose of expiating a special transgression, as is the case chiefly in the violation of the so-called Levitical laws of purity; but it is to form a part of holy living and to prepare for the attainment of a closer communion with God*.

Let us remember that God was present at creation and will always be with us, which is a cause to celebrate and encourage us to seek closer communion with God as we grow in wisdom and truth through the example and love of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for coming to us in human form to help us grow closer to you. Amen.

*http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2456-baptism

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

One Body

Maundy Thursday

April 9, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Romans 6:3-11

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. –Romans 6:3-4

I was six when baptized. I remember it very well. A short, skinny, sickly little kid, the congregation could only see the top of my head when I took the last step to the floor of the baptistry in my small hometown church. Dr. Fred Keller did the honors. He was a history professor at Phillips University, located about 50 miles northwest of the church, and an ordained minister in the Christian Church now called the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Our church was too small to afford a fulltime pastor. Many of the small rural communities that surrounded Enid, Phillips’ location, were shepherded by both faculty and seminarians in parttime capacities.

I “went forward” and made my confession of faith the week before my baptism, a surprise to everybody in the sanctuary, I think, including my parents and Dr. Keller. He and I had a friendly chat after church. I guess he was satisfied that I knew what I was doing as he scheduled the baptism.  Dr. Keller and I routinely had chats anyway because I was a history buff at a very early age. I think he enjoyed my curiosity. Before we entered the baptistry, Dr. Keller walked me through the procedure. After he said the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost,” placing his hand gently over my mouth and lowering me backward into the water, he just as gently raised me to a standing position. I felt different as I stood for a moment to get my balance. I cannot describe what that difference was, but I knew that I had made a lifelong commitment. I remember that.

Once again, the scripture above reminds me of my baptism and that commitment. Today we remember Jesus’s last supper when he took the bread and blessed it and gave it to all the disciples saying take and eat of this all of you for this is my body broken for you. In like manner, he took the cup blessed it and gave it to them, saying this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins drink of it all of you.

For the last few weeks, I have shared the reenactment of this supper at home via Facebook and my laptop as my congregation practices safe distances in response to the covid-19 pandemic. While I would prefer to be sharing the Lord’s table in our sanctuary, the fulfillment of Jesus’s instruction to do this in remembrance of him does not require a special place. We are one in Christ wherever we may be as we celebrate how large and how far-reaching the Lord’s Table is.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for being present with us whenever and however we come together One Body with you sharing your love throughout a troubled world. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Baptism

Epiphany

January 12, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’

Jesus’ baptism is reported in all four gospels. The description in Mark (Mark 1:9-11) and Luke (Luke 3:21-23) are similar, the voice speaks to Jesus. In Matthew (quoted above) the voice addresses all present. John (John 1:29–33) shares what John the Baptist reported particularly indicating seeing the dove.

Having worked in child welfare services and been involved in several court hearings, I learned early, primarily from the police involved, that it is rare for witnesses to see exactly the same thing so the differences should not be too concerning. Actually, the police get more suspicious when all present report exactly the same story. We also know that each gospel was written for differing audiences and the authors were trying to get the gist of the event as correct as the facts. Matthew and John both felt the need to share that there were witnesses present. Mark and Luke may have wanted to share that Jesus received and accepted his calling at this point.

As I order the coffee for our church fellowship time, the man that makes the coffee at my church on Sunday morning told me that we were almost out of coffee. I also forget things I am told in passing and I assured him that I would order the coffee as soon as I got home but would he please ask me on Sunday if I ordered the coffee. He laughingly said he would, if he remembered. Someone who overheard the conversation asked me why I had made the request and I told them that I have discovered I remember to do what I am asked to do if I know someone else is expecting me to complete the task. I have added the incentive of not letting the other down to fulfilling the responsibility I have accepted.

Baptism is just such an outward sign of a person’s commitment to follow Christ by making it a public experience even if the only witness is God and the Pastor.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for blessing us with a community of faith before whom we can hold ourselves accountable as we work to answer your call. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Peter and the Gentiles

Eastertide

May 14, 2019

Scripture Reading: Acts 11:1-18

At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, “Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.” And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?’ When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’ Acts 11:11-18

I witnessed the baptism of a 90-year-old man recently. He preferred a smaller group rather than a whole congregation. I am in a study group with him that has met for several years now and I was unaware he had not been baptized. I knew he was a Christian by the way he loves. The ritual was very important to him though and I was honored to be a part of the service.

I do not know how the Spirit’s presence manifested itself so clearly to Peter and his companions. The man from Caesarea had obviously encountered at least a sense of the Spirit before Peter’s visit or he would not have sent for Peter at all. Ours is not a solitary faith. With a foundation of love, sharing our love of God with others is paramount as is sharing our love for one another. So, Peter entered the house of a Gentile and witness his experience of the Holy Spirit and knew that the time had come for God’s love to be shared with all of God’s children.

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord;
We are one int he Spirit, we are one in the Lord;
And we pray that all unity will one day be restored.
Chorus: And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love*.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, flow through us so that your love is seen and felt by all we encounter. Amen.

First verse and Chorus of They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love by Peter Scholtes see at https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/7599366

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Being an Advocate

Ordinary Time
January 7, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:4-11

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ –Mark 1:9-11

Baptism has a history all its own. The Jewish faith practiced ritual cleansing thus baptism was not a new concept with Christianity. Baptism and its purposes were a source of debate from the early years of Christian theology and may still be today although most of us have taken our stanch in our chosen denomination. What does it mean to you? What do you suppose it meant to Jesus?

Many students of the Bible demarcate Jesus’ baptism as the beginning of his earthly ministry. There is not much if any information about his life from the age of 12 when he visited the temple with his parents and his baptism when he was speculated to be around 30 years old. Was he working as a carpenter with Joseph during that time? I read a book a few years ago that suggested he was a disciple of John the Baptist and had traveled and learned from John until it was time for him to take the leadership role. Perhaps John’s death thrust him into the spotlight.

I was baptized at the age of six in a church that practices believers baptism. Apparently, some members thought I was too young. I understand our pastor, Dr. Fred Keller, was my advocate for accepting my confession of faith and baptizing me. I did not know about this issue until several years later. As innocent as I may have been at six, I probably never made a more sincere decision and commitment. I guess I was living the principle ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matthew 18:3)

What I learned at that early age is that God’s Spirit advocates for us at times through our brothers and sisters in Christ and we need to be aware of any call we receive to advocate for others.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, strengthen us in your service when you need us as advocates. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

 

Enabled as Peacemakers

peace-in-handEpiphany
January 10, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ –Luke 21-22

The Dove has been a symbol of peace and love for centuries, not only in Christianity, but across religions. The Dove has been a symbol of the presence of God’s work among God’s people since the story of Noah. A dove was released when the rains had subsided. It returned to the Ark with an olive branch in its beak telling Noah that the waters had receded and he could leave the Ark. It later denoted the presence of God described as the Holy Spirit in the story of the Baptism of Jesus.

The presence of the Dove at Jesus’ baptism is significant as it foretells the role of this One chosen by God to bring love and peace into a world. His task was to bring about peace without the violence of the Pax Romana, the reality that Rome defined as peaceful.

This Roman view of peace is still prevalent in the world today. It is the peace that ISIS pledges, but it is not far removed from the responses desired by some in the world who wish to defeat, by any means necessary, the ISISes that have arisen throughout history.

The peace of Christ is achieved one commitment at a time. This too is symbolized in and through our baptisms. As we each strive for the wholeness of God initiated at baptism, we experience the oneness of God as we work for the peace of God that surpasses understanding. It is the only peace that can and will conquer the world.

Prayer: Grant us your peace O Lord, renew our baptismal commitment. Holy Spirit, continue enabling us as peacemakers. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Sacraments

Holy SpiritEpiphany
January 7, 2016

Scripture Reading: Acts 8:14-17

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

One of the amazingly understated phenomenon of this scripture is the uneventful reporting of the need for apostles to visit the folks in Samaria. The Jews and the Samaritans had not seen eye-to-eye for many years. They were the unclean to each other. We know that Jesus was opened to the Samaritans as he used a Samaritan as a shining example of his way in one of his parables. (Luke 10: 25-37) He also asked a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. (John 4:4–26) Talking to an unrelated woman was bad enough, but a Samaritan. Teachers never really know what sticks until it plays out in real life.

The need for the trip itself may have been as much about reassuring the Samaritans of their welcome into the Body of Christ as it was about making sure they had received the right messages or actions. Or it could have meant that the apostles wanted to check out the new members themselves. My mother was one of the most devoted Christians I have ever known but she was ultimately baptized three times. Sprinkled at birth as an infant in the Methodist church, the Christian Church required that she be baptized again because at that time they only recognized immersion. Eventually, she and my dad joined another group that didn’t recognize any other baptism. My Mom probably consented to do this because she thought it would be of benefit to my Dad or the witnesses or both. I think she was confident in her relationship with God throughout her life.

We still struggle with the proper trappings of church. I do think sacraments are important. Humans seem to have a need to memorialize major life changes and situations. We must remember in these public acts of faith; it is our private relationship with God that really matters.

Prayer: Lord, as we celebrate you in our worship and in our sacraments, touch our hearts with the warmth of your love and renew us once again to our service for you. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.

Beginnings

BeginningsEpiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
January 11, 2015

 Scripture Reading: Mark 1:4-11
[John] proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

  In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ — Mark 1:7-11

 Baby dedications or christenings, baptisms, weddings, initiations, commissionings, ordinations all are rituals of beginnings. These are momentous occasions where something comes to fruition and starts something new. The baptism that John practiced acknowledged the end of slavery to sin and the beginning of living into forgiveness.

Now Jesus stands before John and asked for baptism. Why? He by all accounts is not in need of forgiveness. He had been dedicated appropriately at birth and made his trip to the temple at the age of 12, but we know little else about him until this moment as he asks to be baptized. In a very real sense, he is witnessing to his being fully human, fully capable of sin. In another sense he is setting an example for future followers of the need to turn around from their way of being and follow a new way, his way. But it also serves to mark the beginning of his ministry, transferring the mantle of leadership from John to Jesus.

I thank God for God’s plan of new beginnings because I have experienced them in my life sometimes by choice but other times due to situations beyond my control. I have mourned the loss of what was and feared the future of what was to be and I can attest that God can make all things new and clean and good.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the richness of your renewal to wholeness. Keep me ever in the palm of your hand in all my future beginnings. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.