Sermon Notes

First Sunday after the Epiphany: Feast of the Baptism of our Lord

The Rev. Anne Schnaare

January 8, 2012

 

Note:  A few people have asked me for copies of my sermons.  Since I don’t preach from a finished manuscript, I thought I would provide some written reflections instead.  This is not meant to supplant the finished product of my sermon or to be an authoritative commentary on the scriptures, but merely to give you a glimpse of my thought process on the way to the pulpit.  I hope you enjoy these notes, and feel free to share any questions or discussion that you may have.  Peace be with you.

                                                                                                                                  -Mother Anne

 

The Collect of the Day: Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (BCP 214)

 

            How interesting that this Collect focuses on keeping the Baptismal Covenant, which we will renew at both services today.  It really gets to the heart of the challenge of Christian life.  As our life changes, and our feelings about God have ups and downs, the Covenant remains.  It follows us through our daily life and our decisions, and should be a reminder not just of the promises God has made to us, but the promises we have made to God and to each other. 

 

Genesis 1:1-5

            Wow, we’re bringing it back to the very, very beginning!  Today is a day about baptism, the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the beginning of our life in Christ, and our first reading takes us to the beginning of creation itself.

            Why?  I think in part because we are newly created at our baptism.  Actually, it may be more accurate to say we are restored at our baptism.  We gain access to  relationship with God in a way that is not possible outside of baptism.  We become new, as creation itself was new in the very beginning.  Of course, the restoration is not complete – no one could argue that we are as new and innocent as the first man and woman were before The Fall, but the restoration process has begun.   Sure, we slip and we fall at times, and the world continues to be a fallen and sinful place, but we at least know who God is, and what our relationship ought to be.

 

Psalm 29

            A psalm of praise.  We hear the phrase, “The voice of the LORD” over and over as God’s mighty power is celebrated.  I think we are meant to recall that the voice of the LORD was also exercised at the Creation, when God spoke the world into being. 

            Yet, despite this incredible power, God still cares for us, and that is where the psalm ends.  God uses God’s strength, not only in terrifying ways (mountains skip, the wilderness shakes, trees writhe), but also gives strength and peace to God’s people. 

 

Acts 19:1-7

            Paul encounters believers whose knowledge is incomplete.  One may imagine that these people were baptized by John the Baptist and then went home to continue their lives.  Then, a few years later, Paul comes along with (as Paul Harvey would say) “The Rest of the Story.”  Paul explains that John’s baptism was a preparatory step on the way to a life in Jesus.  Paul baptizes them in Jesus’ name, the people receive the Holy Spirit, and begin to exercise gifts of the Spirit, particularly speaking in tongues and prophecy. 

            There are a few lessons that rise to the surface here.  The first is how we are to respond to different spiritual/conversion experiences in the Church.  There are times when we are more like Paul, and we encounter people that have had a glimpse of life in Christ, but are lacking depth and fullness.  In these situations, we can share our experiences (both in telling and in listening!) and we are all introduced to greater spiritual depth.  Relationships are formed, and the Body of Christ is built up. 

            On the other hand, sometimes we are more like the disciples at Ephesus.  We have taken steps toward the Truth, but our education is incomplete.  We may encounter a Pauline figure who invites us to go deeper.  In these situations, we can either push that person away or follow the Ephesians’ example and allow our faith to be encouraged to greater depths.  Again, when we do this, relationships are formed, and the Body of Christ is built up.

             

 

Mark 1:4-11

            Here we have Mark’s telling of Jesus being baptized by John.  In contrast to other Gospels, in Mark we avoid the conflict about who should be baptized by whom – it is simply told that John paved the way for Jesus, and then Jesus arrived and was baptized by John. John doesn’t argue, and God shows immediate approval: the heavens are torn apart, the Spirit descends, and a voice is heard.  There can be no doubt that this is the beginning of something new and extraordinary!

 

Putting it all together…

            The theme of New Beginnings is strong in our readings today, as is the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Today we see the Spirit joining God in creating, blessing, even announcing the approval of God at Jesus’ own baptism.  It is the same spirit that we can depend on encouraging and sustaining us as we try to live into our own baptism with sincerity and conviction.  Such promises as we make in our Baptismal Covenant cannot be kept without the power of the Spirit.  In fact, never promised to try to do it on our own!  The Spirit is the power by which we dare to make any promises “with God’s help.”