WITH THIS WATER

by Reverend Deborah R. Fair
Associate Pastor
January 9, 2005
1st Sunday after the Epiphany

Dylan did not want to be baptized. He had been coming to church since before he was born and felt very comfortable in the sanctuary underneath the pews, running down the aisles, or downstairs in the nursery. But baptism was another thing. I should have known better, and in fact, I did. Most two-year-olds do not look kindly upon pastors who baptize them. However, Dylan’s mother decided it was time, so we chose a date and tried to get Dylan excited about it.

He wasn’t. Not quite big enough to kneel at the chancel rail, but too big to be picked up, Dylan presented a logistical challenge at a minimum. But somehow we managed to get through the ritual of baptism, just barely landing a few drops on Dylan’s head while he fussed and struggled through the entire thing. It was wonderful!

I noticed a couple of ladies in the back row whispering to each other during the baptism, and as they were leaving they commented to me, “That’s why you shouldn’t baptize babies.” They were wrong, of course.

All four gospels cite the encounter of Jesus and John at the Jordan. John was proclaiming a baptism without precedent in Judaism. Unlike the ritual cleansing practiced in places like the Qumran community near the Dead Sea that symbolized a continual washing away of sins, John’s baptism was a once-and-for-all repentance and sacramental sealing of those who desired to escape the wrath of judgment. John’s following was so strong and judgments so powerful that even the Jewish historian Josephus wrote of Herod’s fear of him.

By stepping into the Jordan and being baptized by John, Jesus identifies with the multitude of sinners in need of repentance. And as the heavens open and the Holy Spirit appears above him like a dove, he is identified by a voice from heaven, speaking words of identification: “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” Words which echo those of the prophet Isaiah.

At the very inception of his ministry Jesus humbles himself by stepping into the shared waters of baptism, is empowered for the temptations and responsibilities to come, and takes his first step toward the cross.

With this water all is set into motion.

Simple, complex, and amazing water. I was surfing around on the web the other day, just to see what I could learn about water and I discovered that there are forty-one anomalous properties of water. Unfortunately I can’t tell you much about them, because I really don’t understand most of them. I’m sure the scientists among us could explain some of the properties of water, but even scientists are baffled and amazed by some of the properties of water. For instance, a lot of us know that water has surface tension, but did you know that hot water freezes faster than cold water? Pretty amazing stuff.

What’s more, water can dissolve more substances than sulfuric acid. We have had no more graphic and literal illustration of the power of water than the tsunamis that hit South Asia just two weeks ago. As more pictures and films are shown, the more we are awed by the incredible power of those waves. Yet, even small slow drops of water beating slowly, inexorably upon its surface can eventually wear away even the toughest granite.

Water can rush forth overwhelming everything in its path, or it can search out the low places, seeping and slipping toward its destination.

The psalmist proclaims:

The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
the floods have lifted up their voice,
the floods lift up their roaring.

More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
more majestic than the waves of the sea,
majestic on high is the LORD. (Psalm 93:3-4)

Spring or tsunami, mist or flood, it is God who set creation and the life giving cycles of water into motion. It was through water that the covenant community called the church was formed. By baptism we are cleansed of sin, identified as children of God, and empowered for ministry.

Yesterday as I was in here preparing for today’s worship services I was joined by one of our children. He was doing a little exploring and he came to see what I was doing. I explained to him that I was putting out bowls for water so that we could remember our baptism. I asked him if he remembered his baptism and he said, “No.” I told him that’s why we were going to have a special ritual today to help us remember, because many of us do not remember our baptism.

I explained to him that we don’t do baptism over and over again—it only needs to be done once, but that sometimes we need reminders. We continued to have a great conversation about the things he found when he was exploring and how each person in the church is important because no one person knows how to do everything. He’s the one who made that comment, by the way. And that’s why we baptize infants.

Dylan came unwillingly to his baptism. I wouldn’t say he was kicking and screaming, but it was pretty close. He probably doesn’t remember it today, but I’m sure his two brothers and sister who were only slightly amused and more embarrassed continue to help him remember.

Most of us came willingly or were brought willingly to our baptisms by our parents. But I think we’re more like Dylan and less like Jesus than we might hope. We might not have made a fuss about baptism, but we do about taking on the responsibility that it implies.

When Jesus stepped into the Jordan he gave up his own will to follow the will of his Father. He chose to be obedient unto death. He stepped from the waters of baptism onto a path that led through severe temptation to the ministry for which God had prepared him from the beginning of creation. We, too, stepped from the waters of our baptism onto paths that led through temptation toward the ministry for which God has prepared and continues to prepare us. We, however, are not so good at staying on the path. We tend to veer off course and follow our own wills, instead of God’s.

One of our newest hymns says it well, speaking from God’s perspective:
I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized to see your life unfold.
I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well.
In a blaze of light you wandered off to find where demons dwell….

This morning, as we remember the baptism of the Lord, we are going to remember our own baptism as well. As I explained to my young friend, we’re not baptizing ourselves again, but we are remembering the covenant to which God called us and continually calls us. We are covenanting once again with God and each other to turn away from those things that cause us to move off course and turn our way back toward God and God’s purposes for us.

CONGREGATIONAL REAFFIRMATION OF THE BAPTISMAL COVENANT.