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Dipping the Toe or Plunging In
January 8, 2023 – Isaiah 42:1-9, Matthew 3:13-17
New York City in the summer is hot and very muggy. Even in the suburbs, with grass and trees and a little wading pool, a trip to the beach was a real treat. Several times during July and August, my family would load up the car, and take off for the shore right after breakfast. It was a long drive, usually over an hour, lengthened by the traffic jams as we got closer to our destination. Finally, the parking lot, unloading the car, and trudging in flip flops over the hot sand, carrying the beach umbrella, two folding chairs, blankets, towels, picnic basket and the obligatory bucket and shovel for children.
We would pause, looking for a place to park our belongings. The beach was crowded. If you have ever seen a film of a penguin colony, you have some idea of what it could be like. Hundreds of people, mostly families, gathered in small groups with little space between them, mothers calling out to children, fathers trying to protect their young., and adventurous teens running to the water.
Eventually one of us would spot an empty space and shout “over there, I see a spot.” And we would run for it, trying not to step on blankets or kick sand. There is a beach etiquette, you know.
We would slam the umbrella into the sand, staking our claim to a piece of property for the day, and then set everything out. Only then, could the real fun begin. My father would settle down with a book, my mother would organize our play areas. Very small children had to sit on the blanket and play in the surrounding sand. School age children could go to the edge of the water to make sandcastles and collect shells,, but not go in without a parent present. She would point her finger and say “walk in a straight line, down to the edge, and stay where I can see you.” Every few minutes, we would have to check and wave at her.
Kids in high school had no such rules, they ran into the water, diving through the huge waves, spending much of the day out beyond the rough water swimming and shouting and free.
Older people would walk sedately to the edge of the water, and either dip their toes in, or go out just to their waist, and then come back to a blanket for the rest of the day. Everyone had their own style.
I was reminded of this childhood story as I read the Gospel passage for today. Of the many approaches to the refreshing waters, of the fears, the eagerness, the way in which individuals react to the call of life.
The baptism of Jesus is always celebrated on the Sunday after epiphany, and it brings us to a point in Jesus life and ministry that has more questions than answers. Just to reassure you: no penguins were injured during the writing of this sermon.
It’s a short passage, only five verses, but it brings us into a whole world of theological ideas, conflicts and considerations. It appears in various forms in all four Gospels, each with its own emphasis. Matthew wants to centre on John baptizing for the forgiveness of sin, and that raises the question of why Jesus needs to be baptized. In fact, John is reluctant to perform this holy act for Jesus, but he is told “”it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
And this makes us wonder: what is baptism for, anyway? (The Church of Scotland, (www.Church of Scotland.org.uk/worship/weekly-worship/monthly/January-2023/8January) in a prayer, offered some suggestions:
It’s a celebration of the beginning of life
It’s a symbol of hope and promise
It’s a rite of passage building on family tradition
It’s a response to faith that has grown slowly and surely
It’s a way for parents to confront anxiety about their new born’s hold on life
Lots of choices here. When we consider the history of baptism, we will find that being immersed in water for the purpose of cleansing the soul, is not a uniquely Christian rite. It was used as a ceremony of purification in the Jewish tradition, to be performed in “running water”, not only to expiate sin, but also “to form a part of holy living to prepare for the attainment of a closer relationship with God.” (Jewish Encyclopedia.com.) Other ancient societies also practiced immersion for this purpose.
Fun fact: There is an interesting tradition that holds that when Adam and Eve were driven from paradise for their disobedience, Adam was to stand in the Jordan River for 40 days, fasting and immersed up to his neck. Eve, on the other hand, only had to repent for 37 days, but she had to go to the Tigris River.
As we go through developments in the early centuries, the process for baptism is described in the Didache, a document written around the year 70, which recommends using running water that is cold, but if not, then warm, and if there is no running water, then some other source, and if there is no source in which to stand, then pouring water over the head 3 times, is sufficient. Start with the ideal, but be ready to adjust when necessary.
What we think of as the baptismal vows, of baptising in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, doesn’t come into being until the third or fourth century. In earliest days, baptising in the name of Jesus was sufficient.
This little passage offers us so many blessings, so many ways to enlarge our view of God’s love, so many challenges as we gather here today. We come from different backgrounds, different family traditions, differed cultural expectations. And each time we celebrate a baptism, maybe it changes the way we see our entry into the Christian life, the way in which we offer ourselves in service in this congregation, the way we think about other churches and other faiths in our community. I hope so.
It seems so easy, to say that if a person is baptised, they are now guaranteed a place in heaven. For many centuries, that was a prevailing thought and rationale for this act. Since new life was so fragile, it became imperative to baptise a child soon after it was born. Immersing tiny babies in cold water, especially in northern climates, was a risky business, so the font, instead of a river or the ocean, became the place, with three tiny drops on the head being sufficient.
During the Reformation, there were new beliefs among some groups. One was that you should be baptised when you felt the call of God, usually at an older age. Some traditions like the Quakers and the Salvation Army, do not practice baptism, not because they are against it, but because they believe that holiness comes from within, not from outer acts.
Some traditions hold that the only valid wording is in the name of the father, son and Holy Spirit, and others are more flexible in their vows. Some groups insist that you cannot join the church if you are not baptised, others that you cannot receive communion, or that at least one parent must be baptised.
In a world that is so fragmented, what should draw us together and promote righteousness sadly becomes a holy act that separates us from friend and neighbour.
Let’s go back to this little passage and see if we can find the bigger picture. John doesn’t think Jesus needs to be baptised, because he is without sin, but Jesus is there to fulfill all righteousness, to stand in solidarity with all who are seeking to find God and transform their lives. There they are, standing on the shore, dipping their toes in the water and longing to go further, to feel God’s embrace. Should he not set the example? And look what happens when he does! The voice of God comes down in the form of a dove proclaiming that “this is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Are we not all children of God? Are not all people, whatever their beliefs and practices, part of God’s creation? If we open our hearts, can we try to understand that baptism is not a membership card into some exclusive club, but our own response to God’s call?
Bruce Epperly, (https://www.patheos.com/LivingaHolyAdventure/The Baptism of Jesus - January 8, 2017) a pastor in the Congregational church, puts it so eloquently:
“Baptism is referred to as a sacrament, an invisible sign of a visible grace. But God’s grace is manifest in a variety of ways and not just in the rites of the church.”
He goes on to say:
“We are all called to righteousness, to justice, to care for others, in our family, in our church and in our community. We are called to hospitality, to healing, to leadership. We are called to use our power for love rather than for domination, for unity rather than division.”
We are not called to judge others, but to form bonds of acceptance in the name of a loving and merciful God. For most people in the United Church, baptism is a time of rejoicing, a time to witness to a soul being offered to God in righteousness. A time to support parents in their Christian life as they bring children into a broken world. Sometimes, it is a time to remember our own vows, and to repeat them silently as we reconnect with our faith. It is also a time to stretch our hearts, and to remember that some people need more time to listen for the call of God, and that they are just as valued in a congregation or community. It is time to reach out in respect and acceptance to those who belong to other faith groups, for they are just as valued by God for their own beliefs. It is a time to honour all people, so that the world can come closer to peace and reconciliation.
Today as we enter into the second week of the secular New Year as well as the sacred time of epiphany, we are given the opportunity and the challenge to think about this holy rite as a way to enlarge our relationship with the wonders that God has set before us. To consider not the method of baptism – whether it should be done when a child is born, or later on when a person is able to affirm their belief in a personal way, whether to use tiny drops of water in the church, or a dramatic dunking in a river, what words to use to ensure God’s approval and so on and so on – but rather to search our souls to find the intent of this sacrament.
In this intimate scene we find a moment of blessing. Jesus guides us to the path we should follow: we are here to practice righteousness, to keep on transforming our lives and changing the world so that it comes closer to the Kingdom
Epperly ends his column “Holy Adventure” saying
“Today, the divine affirmation – you are my beloved – pertains to each and all of us. The ethic of baptism is aspirational and inclusive, inviting us to see all creation, including the non-human world as God’s beloved.”
In the next few months, as you keep alive the energy of this church family, as you work and rejoice in one another and the blessings that are to come, remember that you are God’s beloved people, supported by the prophetic call of Christ, given assurance by the constant presence of the Holy Spirit.
Every morning, as you wash your hands and face, listen for the voice of God saying “you are my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.” And then dip your toes, or plunge right in, to a new day of promise.
Amen