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“Love That Is a Force”
Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8:4-8, 14-17; Galatians 5:22-23;
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Rev. Sandy Nuernberg
Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, WI
Second Sunday After Christmas -
Baptism of the Lord Sunday
January 7, 2007
As the new year will do for many
of us, I was reflecting upon a number of this past year’s accomplishments. Back
in August, after being here only a few months, I was asked by a family to have
their child baptized; I remember feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and
responding that I would love to have a baptism, my first baptism as a pastor
here in Cambridge. And now we’ve had five baptisms since mid-September here at
our church, for which we can be grateful and thankful.
Today, we celebrate yet another,
perhaps the ultimate in blessings in the declaration of the Baptism of our Lord,
Jesus Christ. In baptism, whether dipping, pouring, sprinkling, or emersion,
given only once in our lifetime, we receive the promise of God’s love; a love
that is a force in which to reckon. God’s love anointed in the Spirit in our
baptism, is truly a steadfast love, God’s constant love in God’s presence with
us as we journey through life.
I’ll never forget in seminary my
professor, Cynthia Campbell, who was with us here in mid-September, had us
actually practice as pastors a baptism and communion service in our Sacraments
class. Now, remember, I, as a non-parent brought my dolly and a candle, the
water pitcher, dipping bowl, all the pieces used for my ‘practice’ time. We
could ask classmates to be with us in front of everyone as the parents,
sponsors, children, and so I did all of that.
But, when it came time to take the
baby from the Mom and go to the font and say the pastor’s words, “I baptize you,
in the Name of the Father.....” I couldn’t get the words out; I was in a time of
what we might call being ‘baptized with fire’, for I choked back the tears; but
I knew I had to say something. For me, the love I felt come over us at the time
was a force for me to reckon with, and this entire experience had a real impact
on me...and it was only a practice!
One of our church’s two
sacraments, baptism, has a history of symbols and signs that is shared by the
entire worshiping community; water as the symbol of life itself, presentation of
the child or person being baptized, the congregation’s promises of love and
care, the pastor’s words and prayers, and the welcoming of the person and
proclaiming of their membership in God’s family.
All this in celebration of faith,
but all of these are expressions of love that are a force that fosters spiritual
growth of those baptized. God’s Word relates this about God’s Son, Jesus
Christ!, “...with you I am well pleased.”; parents baptize their children as
they are pleased with their children. For me, baptism is a constant celebration
of receiving God’s grace and love for our children, a love that is a constant
force in our day to day life.
In pondering our texts for today,
the prophet Isaiah’s promise (Isaiah 43) was told of God’s presence in their
lives. God’s love was a promise and a force (v.
1-2) to the Israelites as they were called by name, chosen by God; they
passed through the waters of the Red Sea , really, the waters and fires of their
lives. God led and comforted them in their time of fear and need.
As then, God’s promise of love as
a force will be with us in our lives now. What happened in the River Jordan
(Luke 3) as John the Baptist blessed Jesus in baptism was the naming of Jesus as
God’s Son. Jesus’ ministry began with this important event. Power struggles were
many in this day (Tiberius, Herod, and Pontius Pilate) as in our day ( Hussein,
Bush, and Doyle), but this one special act by the prophet John the Baptist made
a difference.
The act of baptism symbolizes,
celebrates for us that Jesus, human as he was and chosen by God, recognized
God. God, and God’s anointing by the Spirit, makes a difference in our baptism.
The good news is that we are called by name, like Christ was; we are God’s own,
created, formed and made for God’s glory. There is a love that is a force to be
reckoned with in us! This love is a force of loyalty in the covenant
relationship that God. makes to/with us. God is in charge of history, our lives;
what matters in our lives does matter, does make a difference to God. In our
baptism we are submitting our selves, mind, body, and spirit to God.
This good news of the Gospels of
our Lord’s baptism is that who we are and what we do are precious in the Lord’s
sight. God loves us and we can trust that God will be with us. We make a
difference to God, and to others. We find in our church community a constant and
unfailing source of strength and faith as we celebrate baptism in all its joy.
We welcome new members into the
life of the church. We support one another during life’s trials and in our
spiritual struggles; we enrich the faith of other Christians as well. Baptism,
as it marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, marks the beginning of a new life
for us with/ in Jesus Christ; in our witnessing this special act of baptism you
and I are renewing our allegiance to God. The apostle Paul stated, “So if anyone
is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see,
everything has become new! (2 Cor. 5:17)”
Importantly, Paul adds, “All this is from God.”
As we come to the communion table,
you and I, let us prepare our hearts and minds in the promise of God’s love that
is a force within us; a force that is constant, communal, and connected with us
as God’s beloved children.
In its power and force, God’s
love in our baptism is a continuous source, a Spirit of love, a force of
strength each day that brings us faith in God, Christ, others, and in
ourselves. It brings us obedience to God’s will, assurance of
God’s forgiveness, joy in all of these gifts of the Holy Spirit of our
God, and hope for eternal fellowship with our God.
AMEN
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