{"id":1722,"date":"2018-01-07T11:00:58","date_gmt":"2018-01-07T16:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/?p=1722"},"modified":"2019-09-22T13:34:41","modified_gmt":"2019-09-22T17:34:41","slug":"by-water-and-the-spirit-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/2018\/01\/07\/by-water-and-the-spirit-3\/","title":{"rendered":"By Water and the Spirit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click here to listen to the full service<\/a><\/p>\n

Mark 1:4-11<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong>Click here to listen to the meditations only <\/a><\/p>\n

Good morning friends,<\/p>\n

It is indeed a good morning, even if a particularly cold, sub-zero one here on the banks of the Charles River today. Streets are mostly cleared, the T is running on a normal schedule, and even if the sidewalks are more like tunnels and valleys through snowy mountain peaks, we are slowly returning to going about our normal business. The bombcyclone has passed, the Snow Days are over, and the city has returned to winter normalcy. For many of us in greater Boston, we observed a snow day (or two) this week, a brief moment of pause, an interruption in our normal rhythms, a time to observe, to take stock of where we are, to wonder, and to think. In the liturgical calendar, today is also something of a snow day. Yes, the wise ones have returned to their homes in the east. (Yesterday was Epiphany, that day in our calendar when we remember the adoration of the Christ-child by learned ones from afar, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.) But as we move into a season of ordinary time, there is also a pause in the calendar (today) to remember Jesus\u2019 baptism that provides us with the opportunity to remember our own baptism and reflect on our relationship with the divine.<\/p>\n

Baptisms are often amusing events for a family and a whole church community.\u00a0 A wily aunt takes guesses from a host of cousins about whether their new baby cousin will squeal when the pastor pours water on her head.\u00a0 A congregation quietly wonders if the new pastor has the touch to hold a squirmy child and pour water at the same time.\u00a0 When the pastor\u2019s off-balance attempt to take the baby turns the squirming to a wail, congregants smile and whisper to one another that the young pastor will improve when he has children himself someday.\u00a0 And for that young pastor, the terror of attempting to hold a squirming infant, recite a prayer, and sprinkle water all at the same time soon gives way to shared smiles with the child\u2019s family when the fantastic juggling act is over.\u00a0 The sight of a child\u2019s baptism is sure to bring a smile or two, if only for the odd spectacle of the occasion.<\/p>\n

Do you remember your baptism?\u00a0 Do you remember being thrust underwater in an inflatable pool behind Marsh Chapel on a frosty Easter\u2019s Eve?\u00a0 Maybe you had water sprinkled on your head in the warmth of the church you grew up in?\u00a0 Perhaps all you remember is water.\u00a0 But that occasion was about a whole lot more than water.\u00a0 The place may or may not have been familiar, but certainly the people surrounding you on that special occasion were: a parent, god-parents, an aunt, a grandparent, close friends.<\/p>\n

However, for many of us, our memories of baptism are not our own.\u00a0 We were baptized as infants.\u00a0 Our parents or other special people in our lives made a commitment to God and to the church to nurture us.\u00a0 They promised that through their teaching and example in our lives we might be guided to accept God\u2019s grace for ourselves and profess our own faith openly.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the words of commitment in baptism are familiar to you as you shared in the joy of the baptism of a loved one.\u00a0 Your memories of baptism may come from hearing a crying infant alarmed by the surprising sprinkling of water on the forehead or through seeing a partner renew her baptismal vows on the nearly always balmy banks of the Jordan just a few miles north of the Dead Sea.\u00a0 Perhaps you, yourself, have committed to nurture a child in the church so that by your teaching and example they may be guided to accept God\u2019s grace for themselves and to profess their faith openly.<\/p>\n

Or perhaps you are able to recall your own baptism:\u00a0 You freely elected to accept a special relationship with God and the church universal.\u00a0 You entered into a covenant.\u00a0 Your baptism marked not only your commitment to God and to a community but also that community\u2019s commitment of thoughtful support and nurturing care to you.\u00a0You were submerged fully, in a swimming pool or a lake, and you confidently recited your own baptismal promises for yourself.<\/p>\n

Churches come in all shapes and sizes, and they have different ways of doing baptism. Chances are (if you are listening to this sermon) that you will encounter or be joined to a handful or more of Christian communities in your life.\u00a0 No matter what your experience or expectations about baptism, I know Marsh Chapel to be one of those places of thoughtful support and nurturing care.\u00a0 While the chapel is a community of support for a university community, we understand ourselves to be in relationship with the wider community and to anyone who is seeking authentic Christian community.\u00a0 I say this by way of invitation, especially to those listening on the radio or via the internet; we, at Marsh Chapel, are delighted to be in relationship with you. Whether you entered into the sacrament as an infant, a young person, or an adult, baptism binds you to God in love through mutual commitment.\u00a0We here at Marsh Chapel affirm that relationship and seek to support your spiritual journey.\u00a0And for those who wish to learn more about the sacrament and further cultivate their relationship with God, we are a community of support and love. If baptism is something you are interested in exploring, please speak with one of our staff after the service today or contact the chapel office by email at chapel@bu.edu<\/a> or give us a call at 617-353-3560. The next regular opportunity for adult baptism will be at the Easter Vigil service.<\/p>\n

In the liturgical calendar, much like the gospel of Mark, we fast forward through Jesus\u2019 childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and find him standing at the edge of the river Jordan about to begin a season of ministry teaching and healing.<\/p>\n

Jesus\u2019 childhood is largely absent from the Gospel accounts.\u00a0 We know very little about Jesus\u2019 first thirty years of life, and we know even less about the community which supported Jesus during those thirty years.\u00a0 But we know there were people who surrounded him, shared happy occasions with him, and who grieved with him.\u00a0 He was formed by a community, Mary, Joseph, and many, many others.\u00a0 And it was that community of support which helped prepare him to head to the Jordan.\u00a0 We too need a community of support to prepare us and form us for the journey of life.<\/p>\n

In Mark\u2019s account, John the Baptist serves as herald for Jesus, his ministry, and the great gift he offers humanity.\u00a0 John the Baptist, the wild man living in the desert, wearing animal skin and eating locusts, was proclaiming Good News to all of Israel, inviting them to repentance of sins and foretelling of the gift of God\u2019s real presence with us in the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Mark writes of John the Baptist\u2019s description of Jesus: \u201cThe 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.\u201d\u00a0 But soon the one about whom John was proclaiming appeared on the river\u2019s edge to greet John and to be baptized.<\/p>\n

This powerful prophet, divine healer, the one about whom John had been preaching was coming to John to be baptized.\u00a0 Jesus did not have any need to repent of anything and be baptized.\u00a0 Rather, he asked for baptism for the sake of others.\u00a0 Jesus took part in John\u2019s baptism by water to be united with all people who earnestly seek to be in relationship with God.<\/p>\n

In Jesus\u2019 baptism, God acted in a very powerful, very visible way.\u00a0 Mark tells us that the heavens were torn apart and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested on Jesus.\u00a0 This visible sign of the Spirit\u2019s presence with Jesus in his baptism is part of God\u2019s promise of the Spirit\u2019s presence with us in baptism.\u00a0 In the sacrament of baptism, we remember Jesus\u2019 own baptism.\u00a0 We are baptized by water for repentance of sins and baptized by the spirit in covenant relationship with God.\u00a0 In trust of God\u2019s continued covenant with all baptized persons we baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, acknowledging in the sacrament that the individual being baptized accepts a special relationship with the divine and desires God\u2019s already present grace.\u00a0 This joins us with Christians all over the world and welcomes us into God\u2019s family; we are not only children of God but we are adopted into a global family of sisters and brothers in Christ. While we may not see the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending in baptism, we know and trust that God is fully present in the sacrament and in the lives of all people. Baptism, like communion, is \u201can outward sign of inward grace, and a means whereby we receive the same.\u201d God pursues us for relationship relentlessly, and God loves us unceasingly.<\/p>\n

John Wesley taught that in baptism a person was cleansed of the guilt of original sin, initiated in to the covenant with God, admitted into the church, made an heir of the divine kingdom, and spiritually born anew.\u00a0 A lot is going on in the few moments of baptism.\u00a0 Sometimes we don\u2019t realize the full wonder and mystery of the moment.\u00a0 Perhaps that has been our own experience of baptism.\u00a0 Have we felt the full wonder of the miracle of the sacrament?\u00a0 Have we felt cleansed? Initiated into covenant with God?\u00a0 Received into the church?\u00a0 Made an heir of the divine kingdom?\u00a0 Born anew?<\/p>\n

Sometimes as we go through life, we don\u2019t always recognize the gravity and magnitude of the events unfolding around us until after they have happened.\u00a0 For many, a college graduation may be one of those moments that we didn\u2019t fully comprehend as it unfolded. The Commencement ceremony might rush by in a blur \u2013 red robe, black hat, forgettable speeches, and then a 20 foot walk across a stage and a small piece of paper in hand. A small 20 foot walk doesn\u2019t take very long, but it means something, even if we don\u2019t recognize it in the moment.\u00a0 Receiving a diploma in May but not starting the new job until August 1st might mean we don\u2019t fully appreciate days of sleeping until 10:30 for class until we are up at 5:30 each day to beat the morning commuter rush to arrive on-time to the job we had longed for.<\/p>\n

Now baptism is certainly a more deeply transformational experience than a college graduation, but perhaps you are still contemplating its meaning in your life, whether you were baptized last Easter or decades ago as an infant.\u00a0 Baptism is more than our pledge and dedication to God and to the church; it is our acceptance of God\u2019s grace \u2013 the opportunity to be in communion with the divine, to experience forgiveness and reconciliation, to fellowship in and with the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

Through baptism we come to know the assurance of pardon offered in the gift of Christ\u2019s life.\u00a0 Here at Marsh we include in the liturgy an assurance of pardon as a reminder of the gift God freely gives and which we accepted in baptism.\u00a0 Most weeks, you hear a member of the ministry staff share this good news saying: \u201cIf we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.\u201d On Sundays when communion is celebrated we are reminded: \u201cHear the Good News: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, that proves God\u2019s love for us.\u00a0 In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!\u201d\u00a0 This is meant to be an ongoing reminder of the gift we receive through Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Indeed if we earnestly repent and accept God, we are forgiven.<\/p>\n

Accepting God\u2019s gift of love is at the heart of our passage from Acts today.\u00a0 The disciples that Paul encounters in Ephesus had repented of their sins but had not accepted the gift of the Spirit.\u00a0 Their baptism was incomplete because it was the baptism of repentance of John.\u00a0 They had not heard the totality of the Good News of Christ\u2019s baptism.\u00a0 Through it they could join in fellowship with the divine, be born anew, given a fresh start.\u00a0 And in the sacrament of baptism, we are joined in this fellowship, born anew, and given a fresh start.<\/p>\n

During the Christmas season, the hustle and bustle, the traveling, the visiting relatives, the special gift of God to us \u2013 that is forgiveness and fellowship \u2013 may not have been at the forefront of our minds.\u00a0 Perhaps we did not think of it at all.\u00a0\u00a0 Perhaps in quiet and lonesome moments, we longed for fellowship and did not experience what we had hoped for.\u00a0 I think that very often when we are journeying through advent in expectation of the celebration of the birth of the infant, we lose sight of the gift that the infant brings.\u00a0 In Christ\u2019s birth, life, and ministry, God does come to dwell among us to be with us.<\/p>\n

So often during the Christmas season we hear about Emanuel \u2013 \u201cGod with us\u201d \u2013 God born into the world as a babe in a stable and laid in a manger.\u00a0 Indeed, God was made flesh in Jesus and dwelt among us.\u00a0 And God continues to be with us through the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 In baptism, we invite God to be with us in a very special way.\u00a0 We commit ourselves to God and know that God will be with us during all of life\u2019s trials and toils.\u00a0 We trust that in the Spirit, whose presence we accept in baptism, God will be our constant companion and supporter.\u00a0 God does not abandon God\u2019s covenant with us, even if we wander from it.\u00a0 The Spirit remains steadfast, chasing after us as a tireless friend even when we turn away. Today is a moment in the life of the church in which we are invited to be reminded of God\u2019s real presence with us.<\/p>\n

In a moment this morning, we will observe an order of reaffirmation of the baptismal covenant. For those who have received baptism and who wish to renew their relationship with God, you will be invited to renew the promises made at your baptism, touch the water, and remember that you are a beloved child of God in covenant relationship with God and the church. As you renew your baptismal vows today, I invite you to recommit yourself to God and to accept the presence of the Spirit in your life anew. Amen.<\/p>\n

-The Reverend Soren Hessler, Chapel Associate for Leadership Development<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Click here to listen to the full service Mark 1:4-11 Click here to listen to the meditations only Good morning friends, It is indeed a good morning, even if a particularly cold, sub-zero one here on the banks of the Charles River today. Streets are mostly cleared, the T is running on a normal schedule, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2679,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[31],"tags":[5],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1722"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2679"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1722"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1805,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1722\/revisions\/1805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}