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| BAPTISM OF JESUS 8 January, 2006 The Rev. Robert C. Granfeldt |
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On Thursday Evening, we had a very special service, here, for the first time. We’d
tried it last year but – ice storm! Cancelled! A Bust!
But this year we made it. It was the Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany – 12th Night! And
we had a wonderful evening. I wish more of you had been able to be with us!
We began with the Eucharist of the Epiphany, but for the music we blended the two
occasions, using both Christmas hymns and Epiphany Hymns, culminating with “We
three Kings of Orient Are” – a hymn most people think of as a Christmas Carol, but
that really represents the Epiphany Gospel!
From there we moved out the front door to the edge of the graveyard, where we
burned Christmas greens and sang Christmas Carols for the last time until next
Christmas Eve!
And, finally, it was on to the Rectory for a Twelfth Night Party with – as always –
wonderful food and drink!
Thus comes to an end our Christmas Celebration – our celebration of the Incarnation
of the living God in Jesus of Nazareth – almost!
Almost, because although the 12 Days of Christmas are now past, and the Feast of the
Epiphany, celebrating God’s “showing forth” of his glory to the world in his Christ,
there is one dramatic act yet to be honored: the humbling of that same Christ to the
tradition of the Patriarchs and Moses and King David and the Prophets by submitting
to the Baptism of John! It is that great event we remember, today!
‘Way back on the evening of December 24th, at the beginning of what is, this year, a
fifteen day celebration consisting of the Nativity, the Circumcision and Naming of
Jesus the Messiah, the showing forth of his Glory to all the world in the Epiphany,
and his Baptism, I preached a brief sermon about the cover art on our Christmas eve
bulletin! It was a Nativity Scene by a Korean Christian Artist. And I said that when we
strip away all of the cultural accretions, and all of the commercialism that have come
to surround Christmas, and even replace Christmas for many people, what is left is
what is represented by that lovely little scene – the followers of Christ worshipping
him!
And I said that Korean scene should stand as an even greater reminder to us – a
reminder that God did not come, enfleshed in the Christ, to just one tribe or one
people, to one color or race, or even to one creed or one faith; a reminder that he
came for all! For all humankind! For all, all, all, as the great Archbishop Tutu likes to
say!
No group, none of us has an exclusive claim on the love of God or on his Christ! And,
I said, we must believe that the inexorable love of God that brought Christ into the
world in the first place will inevitably win out, will inevitably win over all! All, all, all!
God’s love can’t be resisted – not forever!
And now we are at the other end of this wonderful season, remembering the Baptism
of our Lord as the completion of his full entry into the life of the world. And now we
are about to join two more people into the baptism of Christ and into his life – one an
adult, and one just 14 weeks old – joining him as have the followers of Christ joined
him for two thousand years!
Joining him, not as a ticket to heaven – Jesus of Nazareth has already won that for us
– but to something even more than that: joining them to lives of service to the God
and Father of us all that we declared at the beginning of the Service – and of service
also to his people!
And in a little while, we’ll also reaffirm our own Baptismal Covenant with them, as we
promise to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ by our word and example; to
seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves; and to strive
for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being!
Indeed, on this Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, our brothers and sisters at the 8:00
services have already joined us in that reaffirmation.
And those are huge promises and a huge reaffirmation!
Over most of the rest of this year, if we listen closely, we’ll hear just what they mean –
just how we are called to go about proclaiming, seeking and serving, and striving and
respecting!
The great celebration comes to a close, today! But it is, in reality, the prelude!
It’s the prelude to rehearsing, again, what it really means to be called by Christ to a
life of service in his name.
And we will, in just a few minutes, do both at the same time – closing the prelude by
following the example of Christ in his Baptism, and beginning, again, the work he
calls us to by bringing with us into His Body, the Church, two new workers in the
vineyard – two new incarnations of the living Lord to join us in proclaiming, seeking
and serving, striving and respecting! To join us in working together for the wellbeing
of all people – of all, all, all – in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and our Savior!
Amen.
tried it last year but – ice storm! Cancelled! A Bust!
But this year we made it. It was the Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany – 12th Night! And
we had a wonderful evening. I wish more of you had been able to be with us!
We began with the Eucharist of the Epiphany, but for the music we blended the two
occasions, using both Christmas hymns and Epiphany Hymns, culminating with “We
three Kings of Orient Are” – a hymn most people think of as a Christmas Carol, but
that really represents the Epiphany Gospel!
From there we moved out the front door to the edge of the graveyard, where we
burned Christmas greens and sang Christmas Carols for the last time until next
Christmas Eve!
And, finally, it was on to the Rectory for a Twelfth Night Party with – as always –
wonderful food and drink!
Thus comes to an end our Christmas Celebration – our celebration of the Incarnation
of the living God in Jesus of Nazareth – almost!
Almost, because although the 12 Days of Christmas are now past, and the Feast of the
Epiphany, celebrating God’s “showing forth” of his glory to the world in his Christ,
there is one dramatic act yet to be honored: the humbling of that same Christ to the
tradition of the Patriarchs and Moses and King David and the Prophets by submitting
to the Baptism of John! It is that great event we remember, today!
‘Way back on the evening of December 24th, at the beginning of what is, this year, a
fifteen day celebration consisting of the Nativity, the Circumcision and Naming of
Jesus the Messiah, the showing forth of his Glory to all the world in the Epiphany,
and his Baptism, I preached a brief sermon about the cover art on our Christmas eve
bulletin! It was a Nativity Scene by a Korean Christian Artist. And I said that when we
strip away all of the cultural accretions, and all of the commercialism that have come
to surround Christmas, and even replace Christmas for many people, what is left is
what is represented by that lovely little scene – the followers of Christ worshipping
him!
And I said that Korean scene should stand as an even greater reminder to us – a
reminder that God did not come, enfleshed in the Christ, to just one tribe or one
people, to one color or race, or even to one creed or one faith; a reminder that he
came for all! For all humankind! For all, all, all, as the great Archbishop Tutu likes to
say!
No group, none of us has an exclusive claim on the love of God or on his Christ! And,
I said, we must believe that the inexorable love of God that brought Christ into the
world in the first place will inevitably win out, will inevitably win over all! All, all, all!
God’s love can’t be resisted – not forever!
And now we are at the other end of this wonderful season, remembering the Baptism
of our Lord as the completion of his full entry into the life of the world. And now we
are about to join two more people into the baptism of Christ and into his life – one an
adult, and one just 14 weeks old – joining him as have the followers of Christ joined
him for two thousand years!
Joining him, not as a ticket to heaven – Jesus of Nazareth has already won that for us
– but to something even more than that: joining them to lives of service to the God
and Father of us all that we declared at the beginning of the Service – and of service
also to his people!
And in a little while, we’ll also reaffirm our own Baptismal Covenant with them, as we
promise to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ by our word and example; to
seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves; and to strive
for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being!
Indeed, on this Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, our brothers and sisters at the 8:00
services have already joined us in that reaffirmation.
And those are huge promises and a huge reaffirmation!
Over most of the rest of this year, if we listen closely, we’ll hear just what they mean –
just how we are called to go about proclaiming, seeking and serving, and striving and
respecting!
The great celebration comes to a close, today! But it is, in reality, the prelude!
It’s the prelude to rehearsing, again, what it really means to be called by Christ to a
life of service in his name.
And we will, in just a few minutes, do both at the same time – closing the prelude by
following the example of Christ in his Baptism, and beginning, again, the work he
calls us to by bringing with us into His Body, the Church, two new workers in the
vineyard – two new incarnations of the living Lord to join us in proclaiming, seeking
and serving, striving and respecting! To join us in working together for the wellbeing
of all people – of all, all, all – in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and our Savior!
Amen.
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| Calvary Episcopal Church, Rockdale |
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