A Ship Without a Sail

Englewood UMC and Rust UMC January 9, 2011 The Baptism of the Lord Year A Isaiah 42:1-9 Matthew 3:13-17 “A Ship Without A Sail” The Baptismal Covenant I want to invite you to turn in the hymnal to page 36 – this is a part of the baptismal convenant – we are baptized with water, and the water needs to be blessed… The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us Pray… Eternal Father: when nothing existed but chaos, you swept across the dark waters and brought forth light. In the days of Noah you saved those in the ark through water. After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow. When you say your people as slaves in Egypt, you led them to freedom through the sea. Their children you brought through the Jordan to the land which you promised. Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Tell of God’s mercy each day. In the fullness of time you sent Jesus, nurtured in the water of a womb. He was baptized by John and anointed by your Spirit. He called his disciples to share in the baptism of his death and resurrection and to make disciples of all nations. Declare his works to the nations, his glory among all the people. Pour our your Holy Spirit, to bless this gift of water and those who receive it, to wash away their sin and clothe them in righteousness throughout their lives, that dying and being raised in Christ, they may share in his final victory. All praise to you, Eternal Father, through your son Jesus Christ, who with you and the holy Spirit lives and reigns forever. Amen. The importance of water Water is an important part of our lives. Most of our body is made of up of water. We can go for days without food, but we cant go for long without water. Our great lakes is the most significant source of fresh water in the entire world. It was Kenan who pointed out to me that the world is mostly made of water. He probably didn’t realize when he said that how important water is to God’s creation. Genesis and light and water If you go back to Genesis and the 8 words of creation- God’s first word was let their be light- our lesson last week was Arise and shine your light has come. The second word of creation was let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water. The third word let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear, fifth was let the waters team with living creatures. Genesis one says in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters…… Water was there before God spoke creation into being. God’s words of creation was not to create the water, it was to order the water that was already there, since the beginning of time. Water is an important part of our lives and our faith. Jesus and John the Baptist It was also an important part of Jesus’ faith. Every gospel, even John tells the story of Jesus baptism. Which is why we remember the story on the second Sunday of the year, every year. The first Sunday we remember the light, and the second Sunday we remember the importance of the water. Now I don’t know if you realize that baptism for John the Baptist was not the same as baptism for us. Purification ceremonies, cleansing ceremonies are actually a part of any religion. Before worshippers go to the mosque, they have to cleanse themselves. John the Baptist was carrying on a massive cleansing campaign, he seemed to want every Hebrew to participate. His baptism was not just a spiritual cleansing, it was also a cleansing of sins. People were coming to him to turn away from their sins, to repent and to turn to God. The Sadducees and the Pharisees were coming to him, and John, being a little rough around the edges and not always being civil with his words, says – you brood of vipers- what nerve you have to want to repent and be saved. Jesus too decides to come to him to be baptized. Each gospel writer records the story a little different. In Matthew John is surprised – why would Jesus come to him? It should be the other way around. He even refuses and Jesus insist that it must be so. Why did Jesus need to be baptized? If Jesus if the son of God, why does he need to be baptized by John? If he committed no sin, why would he need a baptism of repentance? Actually I think the real question is why is it so important for us to hear this story every year? Because from here, Jesus went out and started his ministry of salvation. In Isreal it rarely gets cold enough to snow, but there is a rainy season – from September to about April. And them the dry season is from about may to October. This baptism even had to have happen in April or May. When it was dry enough to come outside, but still wet enough for the rivers and wadis to have water in them. Before the next rainy season – Jesus was hanging on a cross according to Matthew. Some gospels say that jesus ministry lasted three years, but in matthew it was only a year. But it was the most important year of his life, because it was the year that he went out to save the world. He started to live as the servant of God. Matthew points us back to Isaiah 42 – which says here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delights. God is trying to do a new things and he needs someone to bring it to the rest of the world. God’s servant is the one who is totally obedient to God’s will. And fulfill gods mission to the world. Jesus tells John that he needs to be baptized so that he can fulfill all righteousness - in other words he can fulfill the scriptures, and God’s justice for he world. Why do we need to be baptized? If jesus was baptized to be obedient to God, then we are we baptized- In the United Methodist tradition – baptism means that we are cleansed of original sin, we are intiated in the family of God, we are assigned to finish Jesus’ work. Baptism gives us permission to be faithful, obedient followers of Christ. A beautiful thing happened the day Jesus was baptized, a voice came from above saying – this is my son, beloved with whom I am well pleased. Jesus was blessed, and told that he was accepted by God. He was on the right path for his life. Some of us spend a lifetime waiting for someone to tell us they love us, that they accept us, that what we are doing what God wants us to do. The importance of being blessed The bible says that Easau spent a lifetime wandering around the desert, because he father never told him that he loved him, and that he was special, and that he would live a blessed life. His brother Jacob had stolen his blessing, and for some reason his father felt that he only had one to give. And esau didn’t get it. How many other people are out there in the world who think that they are unblessed, unloved, that they are inferior, and cursed. And as a result they feel that they have to strike out and curse others? Just because no one told that they were special and that they had a place in the family? The good news is that Jesus had a mission to tell everyone in the world that they are children of God. God loves them, they have special gifts, and that they the acceptance and permission to use them. Jesus fulfilled that mission for a year of his life, and it is up to us to fulfill that mission on our lives today. Baptism is our assurance that we have been accepted, and that we are called to accept others. Being called means that we don’t have to be discouraged or afraid to fail, god is always with us and will never give up on us, even when we give up on ourselves. Advanced Search — (click to expand) ________________________________________ ________________________________________ Welcoming Mr. Forsythe Argile Smith Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:34-43 Mr. Forsythe made his work as an elementary school principal look easy. He had a knack for managing his swarm of teachers, coaches, administrators, students, and parents so that teaching and learning could happen every school day. Even though he didn't try to rule with an iron hand, everyone seemed to have tremendous respect for him. He certainly didn't look like a top-shelf administrator. Not a tall man at all, he had a few strands of unruly gray hair on the top of his head with a little more hanging on for dear life around his hat line. A portly fellow, he cut a heavy-in-the-middle figure that would remind you of Santa Claus, and he always looked like he had been dressed by committee. Nothing he wore seemed to match really well or fit quite right. His signature accessory to his garbled wardrobe happened to be a pair of thick glasses that perched precariously on the end of his nose all the time. Mr. Forsythe had incredible power over the school. Teachers lived with the reality that he could fire and replace each one of them as he deemed necessary. Students knew that the stroke of his pen could have them imprisoned to detention, Saturday school, or worse. Parents learned that he had the clout to make things happen. Every member of the school board understood his depth of his influence in the community. But power didn't matter to him very much. The children in his school, however, meant the world to him. He cared deeply about them -- each one of them. For instance, he liked to drop by the third-grade classes and quiz the students on their multiplication tables. All third-graders should have a firm grip on everything from "two times one" to "nine times nine" as far as he was concerned. That's why he would arrange "surprise" visits to each of the third-grade classes. On a typical surprise visit, he would say to the teacher, "I dropped by to see if these students were as smart as the other third-grade classes." Then he would ask, "Would you mind if I asked a few questions?" That's when the fun would begin. He would walk down the aisles, point to a student at random, and throw out a question like, "Two times seven?" A correct answer got a hearty, "Great!" Answering incorrectly got an encouraging "you'll get it next time" reply. Up and down the aisle he would go, hurling multiplication table questions left and right. Then he would leave, thanking the teacher for allowing him to interrupt and adding so everyone could hear, "They're really smart, aren't they?" One day he made a surprise visit to a class in which Charlie sat quietly trying to deal with a toothache. Charlie came from a poor family that couldn't afford dental care. He didn't wear nice clothes either, and he knew it. In fact, Charlie spent much of his time at school trying to be invisible. To make matters worse, his tooth hurt on the very day Mr. Forsythe made one of his surprise visits his class. In usual fashion, Mr. Forsythe made his way up and down the aisle and quizzed one student after another, getting closer to Charlie with each step he took. Then he flashed the question at Charlie, "Six times nine?" Forgetting his pain for a split second, Charlie spoke up, "Fifty-four." Then Mr. Forsythe launched a follow-up query, "Nine times eight?" "Seventy-two!" Charlie shot back. "You're good." Mr. Forsythe said. Then he turned to the teacher and confirmed, "He's really good." After Mr. Forsythe left the classroom, Charlie thought about Mr. Forsythe's visit. The most powerful person in his third-grade world had just said in public that he mattered. For a while, his tooth stopped hurting, and his self-esteem healed a little too. As far as he was concerned, Mr. Forsythe could visit his classroom anytime. Jesus came, powerful yet gentle and caring. People who know Him that way always welcome Him into their lives. A young girl treasures the times with her granddad, because everyday he prays with her and for her and makes her feel important in the eyes of God. She misses her grandfather deeply when he passes away, because no one else prays for her. One day she asks her mom why she doesn’t bless her the way her grandfather did. Her mom tells her that she blesses her daughter everyday, she prays to God everyday on her behalf, but she doesn’t have to wisdom to make sure that she knows. How many of the people in our lives know that we pray for them, that we accept them, that they are important to us. Being baptized, blessed by God is not only a gift, it is a responbility. Your responsibility is to be a blessing to other people. Blessing brings responsibility When Jesus was baptized, he was given an identity, a mission and a purpose. When we are baptized we are given a mission to fulfill also. When the church forgets to stay united in its mission, when we get so caught up on ourselves, that we forget that all that we do is for the good of others, we are like a ship without a sail. Jesus mission to feed the hungry, to help the blind to see, to set the prisoners free is our mission. Our assignment throught baptism, our call to be obedient servants. God is trying to do a new thing in the world, he calls you, he accepts you, because he needs you. Let us pray…