Remember Your Baptism     (Return to Sermon Page)

January 13, 2008

Matthew 3: 13-17                                       

Isaiah 42: 1, 5-9

Look!  When we took down our Christmas tree there was one more present! 

I wonder what’s in it??

There’s body wash to ‘wash away your sins’; for liars, cheaters and wrong-doers. 

There is healing hand cream with the slogan ‘smooth on salvation’;

it apparently has an uplifting Easter lily scent. 

There are little packets of towelettes that are guaranteed to kill sins on contact. 

Breath spray so that I can ‘commune with confidence’.

It is a complete do-it yourself  “Salvation Kit.”       

If only we could bring out the holy Lysol to clean up our act or get out of trouble.

If only we could just put on a salve in order to bridge the gaps that open so suddenly in our relationships.

If I could, I’d pass out healing lotion to every one of you! 

If only we could save ourselves without having to face anybody else, even God.

If only we could start over.  We need opportunities to start fresh.

          Baptism and remembering our baptism is one of those times.

A little later today we’re going to renew our baptism; not because it needs to be done over.  Once is good enough for eternity in the UMC. 

We do it to remember that we have been received, forgiven and set free;

To remember that hope and grace abound; that God’s love is everywhere; 

and that we have a witness to make to that love and grace.

God holds the door open for us in so many ways: even in jokes!

God comes to us in Jesus Christ ands says there is a better way.

Today I ask you to remember your baptism for 3 reasons:

Baptism is an act of forgiveness, of cleansing;

we remember today that the grace that has been extended to us is ours forever.

No product, however much it promises, will take the place of forgiveness.

          You can’t bottle it; you can’t sell it; you can only receive it or share it.

Whether the disrepair is with God or with one another or even with ourselves,

we just have to ask for forgiveness, and grace is ours.

We baptize infants, not because their souls need to be cleansed, but because we hope to get them off to a good start.  Maybe they won’t fall so far off the track as some do, if they are raised from the beginning as a child of God, claimed by Christ.

Baptism is an act of claiming: 

When we are baptized symbolically God says: “This is my beloved child.”

When we remember our baptism we remember that we belong to God.

When we feel abandoned, when it feels like we don’t fit in anywhere,

when we aren’t sure we are appreciated, remember: 

You have been claimed by God and God never lets go of that covenant.

People sometimes turn away but God enters into that covenant forever. 

In fact it is always there; God just waits for us to be ready to enter into it. 

Baptism is a public declaration of our commitment to Jesus Christ. 

We become Christ’s witnesses, spreading the good news of God’s love for us.

By our baptism we are called to be in ministry for Jesus Christ.

It’s a kind of commissioning.

We too are called to be healers and reconcilers on behalf of God.

We live in a world that likes to divide up:  us vs them; 

a world that finds comfort in superiority:  we are better than them. 

When we remember our baptism, we are freed from false divisions,

We are freed from anxiety about our status or performance;

We are freed from seeing enemies everywhere and needless hurt.

By virtue of our baptism, we are all one in Jesus Christ.

This is the season of looking for signs of God. 

We’ve had seekers and star and light.  In our hearts we know that we are seekers after light, we long for direction and guidance and warmth.

Today I ask you to remember your baptism:

a symbolic act of acceptance, of forgiveness, of commissioning. 

On our altar are the symbols for the healing water of baptism,

an ever flowing stream of forgiveness, justice and grace.

sometimes it includes shells to remind us of water,

As you leave today, I invite you to take a symbol of that grace,

of that loving relationship in the form of a stone or a shell

from one of the bowls at the back or on the side. 

Put it were you can see it; let it remind you

that every day you start off as God’s child, Christ’s friend, God’s servant.