St. Thomas’s Episcopal Parish

Newark, DE

First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of our Lord – January 8, 2012/Year B

Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11

The Reverend Paul W. Gennett, Jr.

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May my words reveal the greater glory of God. AMEN

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Today we enter the next doorway of our faith story, the Season of Epiphany. The Three Kings have made their way to the manger of the Christ child in Bethlehem on Friday, thanks to God’s GPS of the star in the western sky – and just in time for us to take down all the beautiful greens that adorn our church through the Christmas season. We welcomed the kings, and then burned the greens on our Epiphany parking lot pyre! Now we return to the ordinary of our life and ministry … we return to the wilderness that life can seem to be after our Christmas joy … and here comes John the Baptist AGAIN!

In a reflection on John the Baptist for the Second Sunday in Advent, the Reverend Barbara Crafton noted that John the Baptist would probably not be invited to share his fashion sense on Project Runway, yet may be a worthy participant, because of his diet and life discipline, on the Biggest Loser or Survivor. However, she notes with the tinge of the truth that truth-tellers like the prophets bring, he would not last beyond the first round because of the things he had to say, because of his message. Crafton believes John the Baptist to be fierce AND humble. Unlike the parade of presidential hopefuls we will have to endure in 2012, John stayed true to his message … true to the Word of God. We do not like to hear the message of the prophet, so we often ignore them … dismiss them … ridicule them … kill them.

Fierce and humble. In our journey of faith, from the green of Christmas to the desolation of Epiphany, we get another dose of John the Baptist. And John brings the prophets message to live into the three R’s of faith – and no, they are not reading, writing, and arithmetic. On this day, Jesus joins John, and ALL the people, by his the baptism in the muddy Jordan River, and through this act, Jesus gives us the fourth R in his life.

So, I invite you to roll up your pants, or hitch up your skirt, and come for a wade in the water of our faith with John and Jesus this day.

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What might it be like for you and me to meet John the Baptist, right here, right now? If John was our preacher this day, standing by the Baptismal font in front of our altar, what do you think he would say to you and me on this First Sunday after the Epiphany?  

First, John would tell us that we need to repent – “There are things in your life that are wrong with you, wrong with God, and it is time to change!” How might we respond? Well, it may give rise to our quiet and orderly Episcopal hackles to begin – “What does this guy know about me and my life? I am fine just the way I am. I work hard, take care of my responsibilities, and I am sitting here in church right now, aren’t I? I may not be perfect, but I am certainly better than you think!” But deep down, in those dark places of our soul, we know that we are not whole in ALL our life, with God, we are not “perfect” as God ultimately desires for ALL our living. When we are honest to God in our need to repent, I believe John, true to his message, would invite us to a life in God  by his three R’s of faith.

The first R is recognize your character defects, or in John’s words, your sins. John’s mission and ministry are wrapped in the first verses of Mark’s Gospel – “John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the people … were going out to him … confessing their sins.” So the first R is clear and critical to move forward in faith. Where is your life and faith out of balance with God and with others? What have you done and left undone? In the Twelve Steps, this would be the work of Step 4 – Made a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves. Look at your conversations with others, the way you deal with and treat others. How is your relationship to God these days? How does this need to change for you to live life freely in God’s grace?

The second R is receiving the forgiveness of God. This is important because too often we confess, but make the decision FOR GOD that God could NEVER forgive me for this or that sin, so why even bother bringing it up? When we do this, we still bring up this part of our broken selves again, and again, and again, and never in helpful or healthy ways. So LET GO AND LET GOD FORGIVE YOU! God WILL forgive your sins when confessed fully and freely. The small “b” baptism of John soon will become the capital “B” Baptism through Jesus. This is the same baptism we all have experienced in our lives – and if you have not, let’s talk after the service! Every time you hear God’s forgiveness in the words of absolution, every time you see the Baptismal Font as you enter the church, or in front of the altar as it is this day, you can remember, with a grateful heart and soul, that GOD FORGIVES YOU … GOD LOVES YOU.

The third R makes all of them work for God and for you – reform your life. After you have asked God to forgive your impatience, then it is time to become patient. After you have asked God to free you from anger, then become gentle and humble before God and others. After you have been asked God to forgive your sins, then LIVE LIKE IT and obey God’s call and desire to live your faith life always and everywhere, not because you have to, but because you want to!

Then Jesus comes to be small “b” baptized by John with ALL the people. Rising from the water, he – and I believe this means Jesus AND John – “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.’”

The baptism of Jesus reveals how deeply he lives the life of us all, being with ALL the people at this moment, and how he crossed the Red Sea out of slavery and entered into the Promised Land with them as well. In his small “b” baptism, Jesus accepts this heritage and hope as his own.

By capitalizing Baptism when it is connected to Jesus’ experience, it begins to set apart this action initiated by John. Through the Baptism of Jesus, all who believe in him receive the fourth R – redemption. The power of Baptism becomes the living reality of our community of faith in our day and times. The question we must answer today is how is it transforming our life, our living, and the carrying forth the mission and ministry of our parish to our world?

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So now perhaps you can understand why the Baptismal Font is in front of the altar on this day.   It is our time, through the Renewal of our Baptismal Covenant, to wade in the waters of our faith with John and Jesus this day. By these words, and the invitation to touch the water upon your forehead again when you come forward for communion, you will remember …

• Remember the four “R’s” of our faith living – REPENT your sins … RECEIVE God’s forgiveness … REFORM your life … be REDEEMED in God through Jesus Christ.

• Remember that through our Baptism in our Triune God, we are called to transform our life and living, and carry forth the mission and ministry of our parish to our world through faith.

• Remember by Holy Baptism that we are “sealed by the Holy Spirit, and MARKED as Christ’s own forever” which tells us WHO we are because we know WHOSE we are … and to start LIVING LIKE THAT!

REMEMBER that Jesus rarely calls us to just know him, and Jesus never says to worship him.

Jesus calls us, through our Baptismal living, to FOLLOW HIM.

Come wade in the water of your faith with John and Jesus this day.

AMEN