Baptismal of Our Lord
So much has happened since we were last together it seems. I want to begin today by thanking Tara and the choir for the lovely service of Lessons & Carols last week. It was a meaningful service and Patty Driskill had offered to officiate for me; and so I was able to sit in the congregation and enjoy the service.
Perspective is always a matter of opinion and as I sat there and observed our altar hangings, I wondered, “I wonder how many people know what that P and X stand for?” It is actually XP. The two letters look like P and X in the English alphabet, they are actually chi (looks like X) and rho (looks like P) from the Greek alphabet. They are the first two letters of “Christ” in Greek (Christos). So the chi-rho monogram is used as a symbol for Christ. So as you sit in the congregation each week and look at our altar hangings, contemplate the Greek letters before you, “Christ”. Christ.
(The word using the Greek alphabet is XPIETOE. You can see the first two letters in the word.)
Which is why we gather each week. Use the hangings as part of your meditation as you sit here and worship each week.
Friday was Epiphany. Epiphany is the day that is recognized by Christians as the day that Christ was revealed to the Gentiles by the visiting of the magi, or wise men from the East. It is thought that it took two weeks or 12 days after the birth of Christ for the magi to travel to Bethlehem, so Christian churches everywhere recognize Epiphany.
Today is the First Sunday after the Epiphany and it is the day that we set aside on our liturgical calendar to recognize The Baptism of Our Lord. In my mind and heart we have moved so quickly the past two weeks that my head is spinning a bit. In two weeks time we liturgically move from birth and Silent Night and Holy nights, to recognition of the Christ child being born, to His Baptism, which in many ways is just a confession, an acknowledgment, a proclamation by God that “THIS IS MY SON”~
We gather together each week because we all acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and we believe because He is the Son of God, he has taught us how to live and be in the world; we come together to worship, acknowledging that something greater than ourselves exists, and we orient our lives as Christians differently than the world around us, or should.
On this first Sunday of the season, we turn our thoughts to this epiphany, - this Epiphany of Jesus being declared the Son of God - of Jesus declaring his solidarity with suffering, his solidarity with sinful humanity, and his acceptance of baptism, not because he needed it, but for him to show his solidarity with us.
The baptism recorded here in Matthew, is a manifestation of the Trinity. Jesus is there in the river. The Spirit descends on him like a bird. The Father’s voice announces from heaven, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
I was baptized when I was around 11, I was not raised Episcopal so though I was christened Catholic upon my birth, I was baptized later, through the local Baptist church. I was aware when I was baptized of a choice I was making to follow Christ, to be committed to following Christ in my life.
Each of us in our own Baptism, should hear or understand the words that Jesus heard as well, if not audibly, than at least internally, understanding, “This is my child in whom I am well pleased”. God is pleased with each us and our Baptisms signify our belonging to God. In our baptism, God affirms us and commissions us and tells us to be fruitful. It is a commission to go forth into the world and minister, even as Jesus did.
The Old Testament reading is from Isaiah 42:1-9; these verses speak to the Servant role and describe the servant messenger. It is debated whether or not Isaiah is describing Jacob/Israel here, or Jesus; either way, the role the servant plays in history, and how our own baptismal call challenges us to join in the work of the Servant, is the contemplation.
We are told in Isaiah 42: 2-3, “I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations, He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break; and a dimly burning wick he will not quench…”
We are commissioned to go forth into the world and make a difference. It is through our lives and through our community that the glory of God is shown on the earth. We are told how to do this in our passages this morning. The servant in Isaiah is described as not crying or lifting up his voice; he doesn’t do it loudly, obnoxiously, “A bruised reed he will not break”, he doesn’t injure those along the way, he just gently, faithfully brings forth justice.
There is something else that I love about this passage - the recognition that God is aware when we are bruised, when we are hurting, when we are down. He will not quench a “dimly burning wick”. God is aware of our pain. God stands with us to strengthen us. He is aware of our vulnerability.
As we go forth into the world, fulfilling our baptismal vows, ministering as Jesus did the world around us, let us be careful not to quench dimly burning wicks or break bruised reeds among us.
The servant is not just a instrument of divine policy in Isaiah - the servant is chosen and upheld by God, and God delights in the servant. The task of the servant is to multiply justice beyond the boundaries of Israel. The servant is a covenant to the people, v. 5 and light to the other nations/gentiles.
Epiphany is about light and manifestation. Epiphanies are revelations. What has been revealed to us in the world, in the personhood of Christ, should change us. It moves us toward Baptism, where we make our commitment to God to be an instrument for proclaiming God’s glory among the nations and people of the world.
In this world where increasingly “do what is right in your own eyes”, “I can’t judge them for what they are doing”, “if it makes you feel good, then do it”, seems to be prevailing philosophy; it is time for the church - for us as the church to say - “Well, not exactly.” It is not always okay to do what is right in your own eyes if it contradicts what God is calling us to do and be. Just because something makes you feel good does not mean you should do it. It is time for the church to say, “Well, no, that is wrong - that is not how it is supposed to be.”
The chosen servant in Isaiah is to focus on “bringing prisoners out from the dungeon”, “to be a light to the nations”, “to open eyes that are blind.”
How are you doing with this? How am I doing with this?
As we turn our hearts toward this new year, as we sit through the 7 Sundays of Epiphany before we enter into Lent, may we continue to reflect on our Baptismal covenant and what God has called us to and what it represents. Let us think about light.
Amen.
Perspective is always a matter of opinion and as I sat there and observed our altar hangings, I wondered, “I wonder how many people know what that P and X stand for?” It is actually XP. The two letters look like P and X in the English alphabet, they are actually chi (looks like X) and rho (looks like P) from the Greek alphabet. They are the first two letters of “Christ” in Greek (Christos). So the chi-rho monogram is used as a symbol for Christ. So as you sit in the congregation each week and look at our altar hangings, contemplate the Greek letters before you, “Christ”. Christ.
(The word using the Greek alphabet is XPIETOE. You can see the first two letters in the word.)
Which is why we gather each week. Use the hangings as part of your meditation as you sit here and worship each week.
Friday was Epiphany. Epiphany is the day that is recognized by Christians as the day that Christ was revealed to the Gentiles by the visiting of the magi, or wise men from the East. It is thought that it took two weeks or 12 days after the birth of Christ for the magi to travel to Bethlehem, so Christian churches everywhere recognize Epiphany.
Today is the First Sunday after the Epiphany and it is the day that we set aside on our liturgical calendar to recognize The Baptism of Our Lord. In my mind and heart we have moved so quickly the past two weeks that my head is spinning a bit. In two weeks time we liturgically move from birth and Silent Night and Holy nights, to recognition of the Christ child being born, to His Baptism, which in many ways is just a confession, an acknowledgment, a proclamation by God that “THIS IS MY SON”~
We gather together each week because we all acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and we believe because He is the Son of God, he has taught us how to live and be in the world; we come together to worship, acknowledging that something greater than ourselves exists, and we orient our lives as Christians differently than the world around us, or should.
On this first Sunday of the season, we turn our thoughts to this epiphany, - this Epiphany of Jesus being declared the Son of God - of Jesus declaring his solidarity with suffering, his solidarity with sinful humanity, and his acceptance of baptism, not because he needed it, but for him to show his solidarity with us.
The baptism recorded here in Matthew, is a manifestation of the Trinity. Jesus is there in the river. The Spirit descends on him like a bird. The Father’s voice announces from heaven, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
I was baptized when I was around 11, I was not raised Episcopal so though I was christened Catholic upon my birth, I was baptized later, through the local Baptist church. I was aware when I was baptized of a choice I was making to follow Christ, to be committed to following Christ in my life.
Each of us in our own Baptism, should hear or understand the words that Jesus heard as well, if not audibly, than at least internally, understanding, “This is my child in whom I am well pleased”. God is pleased with each us and our Baptisms signify our belonging to God. In our baptism, God affirms us and commissions us and tells us to be fruitful. It is a commission to go forth into the world and minister, even as Jesus did.
The Old Testament reading is from Isaiah 42:1-9; these verses speak to the Servant role and describe the servant messenger. It is debated whether or not Isaiah is describing Jacob/Israel here, or Jesus; either way, the role the servant plays in history, and how our own baptismal call challenges us to join in the work of the Servant, is the contemplation.
We are told in Isaiah 42: 2-3, “I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations, He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break; and a dimly burning wick he will not quench…”
We are commissioned to go forth into the world and make a difference. It is through our lives and through our community that the glory of God is shown on the earth. We are told how to do this in our passages this morning. The servant in Isaiah is described as not crying or lifting up his voice; he doesn’t do it loudly, obnoxiously, “A bruised reed he will not break”, he doesn’t injure those along the way, he just gently, faithfully brings forth justice.
There is something else that I love about this passage - the recognition that God is aware when we are bruised, when we are hurting, when we are down. He will not quench a “dimly burning wick”. God is aware of our pain. God stands with us to strengthen us. He is aware of our vulnerability.
As we go forth into the world, fulfilling our baptismal vows, ministering as Jesus did the world around us, let us be careful not to quench dimly burning wicks or break bruised reeds among us.
The servant is not just a instrument of divine policy in Isaiah - the servant is chosen and upheld by God, and God delights in the servant. The task of the servant is to multiply justice beyond the boundaries of Israel. The servant is a covenant to the people, v. 5 and light to the other nations/gentiles.
Epiphany is about light and manifestation. Epiphanies are revelations. What has been revealed to us in the world, in the personhood of Christ, should change us. It moves us toward Baptism, where we make our commitment to God to be an instrument for proclaiming God’s glory among the nations and people of the world.
In this world where increasingly “do what is right in your own eyes”, “I can’t judge them for what they are doing”, “if it makes you feel good, then do it”, seems to be prevailing philosophy; it is time for the church - for us as the church to say - “Well, not exactly.” It is not always okay to do what is right in your own eyes if it contradicts what God is calling us to do and be. Just because something makes you feel good does not mean you should do it. It is time for the church to say, “Well, no, that is wrong - that is not how it is supposed to be.”
The chosen servant in Isaiah is to focus on “bringing prisoners out from the dungeon”, “to be a light to the nations”, “to open eyes that are blind.”
How are you doing with this? How am I doing with this?
As we turn our hearts toward this new year, as we sit through the 7 Sundays of Epiphany before we enter into Lent, may we continue to reflect on our Baptismal covenant and what God has called us to and what it represents. Let us think about light.
Amen.