Remembering Our Baptism

Remembering Our Baptism The Dover Church
January 10, 2010 –1st Epiphany: the Baptism of our Lord
Scripture: Isaiah 43: 1-7, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

This morning I am going to begin with something you have probably never seen here before:
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
I know what all you old-time Yankee Congregationalists and you former Catholics are thinking to yourselves, “Oh, my God! What is he doing up there?”
While you may be shocked, did you ever wonder why the vast majority of Christians in the world cross themselves? I have to admit that for the longest time I never gave it a lot of thought. Like many of you, I grew up in Massachusetts where most people were Catholics who crossed themselves. I had no idea why. Catholics and Protestants never talked to each other about faith back then. We talked about each other behind each other’s back, but that’s not helpful. For me, making the sign of the cross was just another thing Catholics did, like praying on their knees, going to confession, taking communion in a line, and not singing hymn.
I started seminary at Boston University, which was a very diverse religious community. Suddenly there were people crossing themselves all around me, Catholics and Orthodox, but Episcopalians and Lutherans too, as well as others. Truth be told, when everyone was crossing themselves, I took the cue and crossed myself too. But why? What did it mean and why were we doing it?
So I asked one of my classmates and he told me, “we cross ourselves to remind ourselves of our baptism.” A Lutheran, he told me that people in his tradition felt the need to constantly remind themselves of the grace of God in their lives, the grace they received most tangibly in the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.
“So,” I said, the light dawning on me, “you cross yourselves to remind yourselves of the grace of God in your lives? What a great idea.”
“Yeah, well Max…it’s not like we just made it up yesterday. Remember? I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Yes, as a matter of fact I do remember. At least I think I do. I was born in Detroit, my dad’s hometown, but my mother wanted to wait until we moved back to Massachusetts and the Congregational Church, for me to be baptized. In the meantime my little sister started her journey into the world, so that put my baptism on the back burner. Eventually, we were settled in Shrewsbury, my sister was born, and my parents had joined the First Congregational Church, by which time I was walking, talking and even going a half day to nursery school. I know that I had to have been 3 at least, but that’s mathematics and not memory.
As I said, I think I remember the actual baptism. It might be more fantasy than memory, compilations of the stories my parents told me, the pictures I have seen, and the many years of watching baptisms at the First Congregational Church of Shrewsbury. In my mind I can see myself in my little shorts suit, white shirt and tie, and saddle shoes. I can see Mr. Myers, the minister, with steel gray hair and a black robe. I can see my family, my aunts in big hats and gloves, gathered around the font. Then comes the part that I know is story and not memory. By three I knew my prayers and, the story goes, that when we got to the Lord’s Prayer, the whole church could hear me praying, with a resounding Amen, at which point the church broke out in approving laughter. Already I was on my way to being a minister.
But that’s just a story. Most of the time when I remember my baptism, it is not so much the event as it’s the grace I have known in my life. There have been times that I have thought myself far from God, felt lost, adrift, stuck, hopeless, without direction, but always God draws me back. Which reminds me of another baptismal story.
When I was serving the church in Houghs Neck, Quincy, the congregation was quite elderly and had not had many baptisms in a lot of years. After a few months young families started to come and the baptisms began.
One Sunday after a baptism, Alpha Story, a lifelong member of the church and the choir, came up to me and said, “Max, I would like you to baptize me.” Alpha was a great lady in her 80’s, beautiful with striking blue eyes and a hint of the devil about her.
“You’ve never been baptized, Alpha?” And she told me her story.
She never complained, but she had had a tough life. Given up for adoption at birth, she never knew if she had been baptized as a child. She grew up to be a single mother who raised her children by waiting tables. In the fullness of time, she went on to raise her grandchildren and great grandson as her children and their children experienced the family breakup that she herself had known as a baby. She was tough as nails and soft as cashmere, if that makes any sense to you.
Once I heard her story, I wanted to baptize her right then and there, but Alpha wanted to stand up in front of her lifelong friends and church. What’s more, she wanted Michael, her great grandson, to be her sponsor. Michael was a boy upon whom the grace of baptism seemed to be having a marginal impact at best, but that was how grace worked in Alpha’s life.
And there we were, holding hands, Alpha, Michael, and I, and I started asking the questions: Alpha, do you desire to be baptized into the faith and family of Jesus Christ? I do.
Alpha, do you renounce the powers of evil and desire new life in Christ? I do.
Alpha, do you profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? I do.
Alpha, do you promise, by the grace of God, to be Christ's disciple, to follow in the way of our Savior, to resist oppression and evil, to show love and justice, and to witness to the work and word of Jesus Christ as best as you are able? I promise, with the help of God.
Alpha, do you promise, according to the grace given you, to grow in the Christian faith and to be a faithful member of the church of Jesus Christ, celebrating Christ's presence and furthering Christ's mission in all the world? I promise, with the help of God.
“Alpha, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Alpha, a child of God, a disciple of Christ, a member of the church, may the peace of Christ be upon from this day forward,” at which point I kissed her on her forehead, gave her a hug, tears of joy rolling down our faces, except for Michael, who didn't quite know what to do or say. So I told him to kiss his great grandmother, which he did, his cheeks bright red with embarrassment.
This was truly a sacramental moment for all of us. God's grace made visible in the water and the laying on of hands. Alpha knew what she was promising. She had known the grace of God in her life, grace which had given her the strength and courage to make it through a hard life, always trying to bring as many of those she loved along with her. She had lost a son to alcoholism and had a grandson in prison. But she knew God's grace, this gift from God of a new life and a new way of life we celebrate in baptism.
The words, laying on of hands and the water came on the front end for me and probably for most of you. They came on the back end for Alpha, but it is the lived grace in between that matters, all the new life, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, hope, mercy, love we have known and been drawn to.
Now you and I are still New England Congregationalists so we’re not about to start crossing ourselves. But today is the day every year when we remember Christ's baptism by John in the river Jordan. I invite you to look at the questions printed in your Orders of Worship. These are the questions baptismal candidates have been asked since the beginning of the church. They are enormous, mind boggling really, when you really think about what they ask. But this morning, it's just us, each of us as individuals and all of us together as the body of Christ in this place, before the Lord our God. Let us take some time to think about those promises made so long ago on our behalves, perhaps affirmed by ourselves as teenagers on Confirmation. Just let them enter into your hearts and minds, one at a time. There is no need to answer aloud, just be with God in the secret place of your heart. Is this the new life and the way of life you desire this day?
Brothers and sisters in Christ: Do you desire to affirm your baptism into the faith and family of Jesus Christ? I do.
Do you renounce the powers of evil and desire new life in Christ? I do.
Do you profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? I do.
Do you promise, by the grace of God, to be Christ's disciple, to follow in the way of our Savior, to resist oppression and evil, to show love and justice, and to witness to the work and word of Jesus Christ as best as you are able? I promise, with the help of God.
Do you promise, according to the grace given you, to grow in the Christian faith and to be a faithful member of the church of Jesus Christ, celebrating Christ's presence and furthering Christ's mission in all the world? I promise, with the help of God.

The blessing
Almighty and everliving God, let your fatherly hand ever be over us your servants; let your Holy Spirit ever be with us; and so lead us in the knowledge and obedience of you Word, that we may serve you in this life, and dwell with you in the life to come; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen