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Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, West Valley City, UT
The Reverend W. Lee Shaw
We have today one of my all time favorite portions of scripture. It is from the Book of Isaiah, understood to be “second Isaiah” written by someone other than Isaiah while Israel was still held captive in Babylon was looking to the future and being restored to their homeland. I often hear folks say that the God of the Hebrew Scriptures was angry and vengeful and not like the God of the Christian Scriptures. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here is a prime example of basically a love letter from God to the people of God.
Hear again what God is saying to Israel – and to us: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior….you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you…Do not fear for I am with you…” (Isaiah 43:1-5)
You are precious in my sight and honored and I love you. That is what God is saying to you today. You are precious. You are honored. You are loved. With all of that, what have you to fear?
Scripture can be read on many levels and understandings. These words are especially proper today as we look at baptism and renew our Baptismal Covenant. You were baptized in love: love of your parents and sponsors and the love of God. For me, baptism is a sacrament of love, even more so than marriage for it is a love seen in community not just in a couple. For in it is the love of parent to child as well as sponsor/godparent and the community to the one being baptized. This is done out of love for the person, love of you.
Today we recall our baptism. Today we renew our promises in baptism. Today we recommit ourselves as followers of Christ.
As we renew our Baptismal Covenant, we hear ourselves making commitments, promises that move us into a new way of seeing ourselves. We are making promises to do things, be different, act differently. Even our Gospel reading points to expectations for changed behavior. Now, I believe that some of this is exaggeration, hyperbole for the sake of teaching, but the message is clear: baptism makes a difference in your life.
One author notes the following regarding our readings for today in Epiphany: “We are urged to move quickly beyond the intimate scene of Jesus’ birth toward the more challenging vision of his baptism. In short, we are asked to move in the direction of life itself: from concern for intimacy to concern for community. A Christian parish becomes its best self when it accepts the challenge of community. The parish community, as the real expression of the local church, cannot limit its attention to the search for justice and intimacy among its own members; it must be prepared to take up the cross, standing against evil and injustice where they exist in the world.” (Nathan Mitchell)
Your baptism takes you from St. Stephen’s into the world. I know that each of you have a different experience of the world in your life. I ask you, invite you, challenge you, to take the promises of your Baptismal Covenant today into your world on Monday morning.
How does that look for you? How does that feel for you? How do you respond to jokes about certain groups of people? How do you respond to gossip about an individual? How do you respond to pressure? How do you respond to the daily grind of daily life in the work place? How do you respond to the daily pressures of home life and family, budgets and bills?
Your baptism, your taking up the cross of Christ is not limited to St. Stephen’s. It is part of you, wherever you are. OK. I know that can seem scary. Challenging. Even maybe unrealistic.
But, you will answer each of the questions of the Covenant with, “I will with God’s help.” You are not alone. I urge you to make your faith alive for you 24/7, not just from 11 to 12:15 on a Sunday.
Remember the words from Isaiah: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
I have called you by name. You are mine. You belong to God.