Sometimes, rather than share thoughts, I use these morning devotions to share resources. This morning, I am going to share with you a re-write of the Lord’s Prayer. It was shared with those of us who gathered last night for LCM-C.
Tuhina read it for us, but it was tough in one reading to catch the words. So, even those present last night might benefit from having it in print.
A familiar prayer in new language provides us the opportunity to hold on to that which has sustained us through the years while bringing it into the circumstances of our lives today.
The prayer was prepared and used by University Lutheran Chapel, Berkley, CA.
Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven.
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth!
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
From trails too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and forever. Amen.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Devotion - Wednesday, Sept 1
Acts 8:14-25 contains an interesting story. The apostles journey to Samaria in order pray with those who had received the word of God. They are described as such, though the following verses acknowledge that they had not yet received the Holy Spirit.
(Remember this is the early days of what would become the Christian Church. These initial followers are trying to get themselves organized and parts of the Christian experience we would take for granted is still to be worked out.)
Peter and John pray with these folks in Samaria lay their hands on them, “and they received the Holy Spirit.”
There is this onlooker, by the name of Simon, who upon seeing all this offers to pay the apostles if they would lay their hands on him, and give him “this power.” Obviously, they refuse.
Without getting fixated on all the differences in rites and ritual, this story draws attention to those who would look upon the gifts of God as a commodity, as something to be obtained. The opening verses remind us that the gifts of God are received, not obtained. God’s goodness toward us results in God’s seeking to give us the Holy Spirit – a guide for all of our days.
Some would want the benefits of such a guide, without having first surrendered themselves to the word and will of God. The gifts of God come to those who have embraced the call to discipleship.
The power of the Holy Spirit is not for sale. It cannot be purchased with silver or gold, it cannot be part of a bargain. It is God’s gift and God’s presence in the lives of those who have received into the depths of their inmost being the word of God.
(Remember this is the early days of what would become the Christian Church. These initial followers are trying to get themselves organized and parts of the Christian experience we would take for granted is still to be worked out.)
Peter and John pray with these folks in Samaria lay their hands on them, “and they received the Holy Spirit.”
There is this onlooker, by the name of Simon, who upon seeing all this offers to pay the apostles if they would lay their hands on him, and give him “this power.” Obviously, they refuse.
Without getting fixated on all the differences in rites and ritual, this story draws attention to those who would look upon the gifts of God as a commodity, as something to be obtained. The opening verses remind us that the gifts of God are received, not obtained. God’s goodness toward us results in God’s seeking to give us the Holy Spirit – a guide for all of our days.
Some would want the benefits of such a guide, without having first surrendered themselves to the word and will of God. The gifts of God come to those who have embraced the call to discipleship.
The power of the Holy Spirit is not for sale. It cannot be purchased with silver or gold, it cannot be part of a bargain. It is God’s gift and God’s presence in the lives of those who have received into the depths of their inmost being the word of God.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Devotion - Tuesday, August 31
In the cycle of appointed readings, Judges is the reading from the Old Testament. The Epistle readings are currently coming from Acts. This morning I was reading from Acts, chapter 8.
Stephen has just been murdered. He was stoned to death by an angry crowd. Appointed as one to “wait on tables,” in order to make sure that the daily meal was distributed equally among all the Believers, he also preached the Good News in words. He is brought before the authorities and pronounced guilty.
After the death of Stephen, there is a persecution among the followers of Jesus. In order to avoid the persecution, many flew Jerusalem. They are “scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria.” As they scatter, so also does the story of Jesus. Their intention was to avoid the authorities; the result was a broadening of the base of those who come to have trust in Jesus.
Earlier I wrote to you of Gamaliel, the Council member who advises the release of the apostles, rather than risk making martyrs of them. He said that if this movement was of God, there would be no stopping it.
The execution of Jesus leads to the events over which Gamaliel presided. The authorities had executed Jesus in an attempt to stop this movement. It had not worked. Now, in a similar effort, Stephen is put to death. Again, it only serves to further the message.
I want to remember this as I engage the world. I want to be reminded that God’s will will be done. Too often I don’t see God’s will being done; rather that which is the will of selfish and self-centered individuals. I want to hear Gamaliel’s wisdom and I pray to be patient enough to see the unfolding of God’s hope for the world.
Stephen has just been murdered. He was stoned to death by an angry crowd. Appointed as one to “wait on tables,” in order to make sure that the daily meal was distributed equally among all the Believers, he also preached the Good News in words. He is brought before the authorities and pronounced guilty.
After the death of Stephen, there is a persecution among the followers of Jesus. In order to avoid the persecution, many flew Jerusalem. They are “scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria.” As they scatter, so also does the story of Jesus. Their intention was to avoid the authorities; the result was a broadening of the base of those who come to have trust in Jesus.
Earlier I wrote to you of Gamaliel, the Council member who advises the release of the apostles, rather than risk making martyrs of them. He said that if this movement was of God, there would be no stopping it.
The execution of Jesus leads to the events over which Gamaliel presided. The authorities had executed Jesus in an attempt to stop this movement. It had not worked. Now, in a similar effort, Stephen is put to death. Again, it only serves to further the message.
I want to remember this as I engage the world. I want to be reminded that God’s will will be done. Too often I don’t see God’s will being done; rather that which is the will of selfish and self-centered individuals. I want to hear Gamaliel’s wisdom and I pray to be patient enough to see the unfolding of God’s hope for the world.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Devotion - Monday, August 30
My lectionary has me reading through the Book of Judges. Some of the stories from this book are familiar; others are a bit more obscure.
Most of us know the name Samson, whose mighty strength allowed him to topple the halls of the Philistines. Gideon we know - if only because of the annual distribution of Bibles. It has been interesting reading.
Reading these somewhat unfamiliar chapters reminds me of comments made by my professor of Old Testament. He would tell us, “The Bible is more honest about the lives of God’s chosen ones than we.” The Bible stories allow us to see the good that is done, even by individuals whose less well known actions are questionable.
Samson marries a Philistine woman, Delilah. She is the one who coaxes from Samson the answer to his riddle and the secret of his strength. We would expect a Biblical character to be stronger in his devotion to God, and not so easily deceived. But no.
One of these deceptions results in Samson losing a bet. In order to pay the bet, Samson goes into a neighboring village and kills 10 men, taking their possessions in order to honor his bet.
The Bible is more honest than we would tend to be.
We should strive to be more honest. Honesty would allow us to learn that doing the right thing is possible, even if the rest of our lives seem to be out of step. Honesty would allow us to expect the correct response, even if previous responses were not. Finally, honesty would prevent us from disavowing the contribution of one whom we had previously labeled as unredeemable.
There are unfamiliar names and many twists in the plot, but I encourage you to turn to the pages of The Book of Judges and discover the willingness of the Biblical writers to tell the whole story, not merely the parts one would choose to teach in Sunday Church School.
Most of us know the name Samson, whose mighty strength allowed him to topple the halls of the Philistines. Gideon we know - if only because of the annual distribution of Bibles. It has been interesting reading.
Reading these somewhat unfamiliar chapters reminds me of comments made by my professor of Old Testament. He would tell us, “The Bible is more honest about the lives of God’s chosen ones than we.” The Bible stories allow us to see the good that is done, even by individuals whose less well known actions are questionable.
Samson marries a Philistine woman, Delilah. She is the one who coaxes from Samson the answer to his riddle and the secret of his strength. We would expect a Biblical character to be stronger in his devotion to God, and not so easily deceived. But no.
One of these deceptions results in Samson losing a bet. In order to pay the bet, Samson goes into a neighboring village and kills 10 men, taking their possessions in order to honor his bet.
The Bible is more honest than we would tend to be.
We should strive to be more honest. Honesty would allow us to learn that doing the right thing is possible, even if the rest of our lives seem to be out of step. Honesty would allow us to expect the correct response, even if previous responses were not. Finally, honesty would prevent us from disavowing the contribution of one whom we had previously labeled as unredeemable.
There are unfamiliar names and many twists in the plot, but I encourage you to turn to the pages of The Book of Judges and discover the willingness of the Biblical writers to tell the whole story, not merely the parts one would choose to teach in Sunday Church School.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sermon - August 29. 2010
Pentecost 14 - Year C
Luke 14:1, 7-14
A Critique of Social Custom
How do you pick your seat, as you enter the sanctuary? For the majority of you, that is easy – you return to the same seat you sat in last week, and the week before that, and the week before that? But what happens when you arrive on Sunday morning and someone is in your seat? It does happen you know. Then what do you do? How do you pick another seat, a natural seat, a seat that won’t be the normal seat for someone else?
I think about this when visiting another congregation. Particularly if I am with a group, as I usually am. When the participants in one of our week-end retreats show up at a local congregation, how many “regulars” have we displaced?
Perhaps we could write a guide book of etiquette, a Help-in-Selecting Your Appropriate Pew pamphlet. But it would quickly turn into a book, or a file cabinet. There is just no way to cover every possible detail regarding acceptable social behavior. And even if we could come up with just the right compliment to the writings of Emily Post, Jesus would still be there, telling us that conformity to any social etiquette runs contrary to the life of discipleship. That is really what he is doing in this passage. Jesus offers a critique to both the other guests and his host that "following the proper rules of social behavior" has deafened them to God's call to do the right thing.
Let's look at the story again. We need to understand what is going on here before we can understand what Jesus is telling us.
Jesus is invited to the home of a "ruler". This man was a ruler among the Jews, for he is also described as a member of the Pharisee party. The Pharisees were a religious group which took very seriously their obedience to God. In many ways, the movement started as a response to the condition of religious life in Israel. These individuals were disappointed that more of their fellow Jews weren't following, to the letter, the Law of Moses. Their frustration magnified at the realization that many of the priests also failed to keep the letter of the law.
We are talking hair splitting here. The Pharisees dedicated themselves to uncovering the most obscure instructions contained in the writings of Moses. These instructions were then obeyed with utmost severity.
It is one of these types who invite Jesus to his house. The first verse hints at why this ruler may have done so. The verse reads: “they were watching him.” They were waiting to see if he would do anything inappropriate. If you were following along in your bibles, or looked carefully at the listing of verses, you will see that five are omitted. In these verses, Jesus is confronted by a man with dropsy. He turns to these pious Pharisees and asks them. “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” When no one answers, he proceeds to provide a cure.
We get the first glimpse at rigid social customs in this "omitted" exchange. While the Pharisees would have condemned Jesus for "working" on the Sabbath, they are all silent in the home of their prominent host. While they would never have agreed that it was okay to perform work on the Sabbath, they are silent; out of social considerations.
But it doesn't work. After allowing them the opportunity to be on the offensive side of a debate, Jesus places them on the defense by commenting on their actions. If words are not forth coming, he will allow their actions to speak what is on their hearts. He “marked how they chose the places of honor.”
At a dinner of this type, there would typically be three couches, each with enough room for three people. The host would occupy the middle position of the center couch. The places of honor were either end of that same couch; at the right or the left of the host. I use the word "couch" intentionally. During the meal, the guests actually reclined.
Jesus observes how they scheme and position themselves so as to receive one of these places of honor. He sees in their actions an indication of what is inscribed on their hearts. Here are these pious individuals, inflating their ego with their obedience to the Law of Moses. While all along, all they really want is to be elevated to a place of honor.
Jesus isn't handing out advice to the readers of an etiquette column. He is exposing their self-serving schemes. He is trying to help them realize that as wonderful as their talk may sound, they are still corrupt in their hearts. What they seek is a step up on the social register. Jesus reminds them that any such movement is always made at the continued exploitation of the poor and the oppressed.
The nails are driven into the coffin as he turns his gaze on the host. He says, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid.
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you.”
Jesus knows that the accepted social practice is to position ourselves as close to the center of attention as possible. He understands that when one throws a party, social custom dictates who ought to be on the guest list. But he won't abide by "accepted social practice". Because "accepted social practice" carries with it the potential to exploit and isolate less fortunate members of society. Inherited social patterns can become barriers to responsible encounter.
How quickly we retreat into relationships that meet our own needs and satisfy our own interests. We quickly find ourselves caught up in 'now-we-owe-them' arrangements.
Knowing the right people, cultivation of those who may 'do one some good' -- these are the stepping stones to success. But such are stumbling blocks for those who would enter the Kingdom. Accepted social behavior is great for maintaining order in the society.
But it is disastrous to a community of faith.
I want to avoid the implication that there is something intrinsically good about being poor. Definitely we want to avoid the temptation to think that Christian discipleship is synonymous with "charity" toward the poor. What Jesus is talking about here is our ability to trust and to depend solely on God.
In this chapter of Luke's Gospel, this is the single, important aspect of poverty. Those who cannot depend on social connections are forced to depend on God. Faith is the way of the Kingdom. The poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind: in our world there is a social safety net for such persons. In Jesus' world there was none. These, outcasts, lived day by day, through faith in God.
Social accepted behavior teaches us that those folks have nothing to offer. We can choose to be benevolent toward them, they can become the object of our charity, but accepted social practice would never allow us to value their contribution.
I like the society in which I live. I think it is an "okay" one. But we must never allow the practices and customs of this society to blind us to the call from God. Obeying all the rules of etiquette and socially appropriate behavior still won’t make us fit for the Kingdom of God. Attending that party begins with recognizing that the invitation list includes a whole lot of folks we might not have expected to see there. It may just mean seeing them enter first.
AMEN.
Luke 14:1, 7-14
A Critique of Social Custom
How do you pick your seat, as you enter the sanctuary? For the majority of you, that is easy – you return to the same seat you sat in last week, and the week before that, and the week before that? But what happens when you arrive on Sunday morning and someone is in your seat? It does happen you know. Then what do you do? How do you pick another seat, a natural seat, a seat that won’t be the normal seat for someone else?
I think about this when visiting another congregation. Particularly if I am with a group, as I usually am. When the participants in one of our week-end retreats show up at a local congregation, how many “regulars” have we displaced?
Perhaps we could write a guide book of etiquette, a Help-in-Selecting Your Appropriate Pew pamphlet. But it would quickly turn into a book, or a file cabinet. There is just no way to cover every possible detail regarding acceptable social behavior. And even if we could come up with just the right compliment to the writings of Emily Post, Jesus would still be there, telling us that conformity to any social etiquette runs contrary to the life of discipleship. That is really what he is doing in this passage. Jesus offers a critique to both the other guests and his host that "following the proper rules of social behavior" has deafened them to God's call to do the right thing.
Let's look at the story again. We need to understand what is going on here before we can understand what Jesus is telling us.
Jesus is invited to the home of a "ruler". This man was a ruler among the Jews, for he is also described as a member of the Pharisee party. The Pharisees were a religious group which took very seriously their obedience to God. In many ways, the movement started as a response to the condition of religious life in Israel. These individuals were disappointed that more of their fellow Jews weren't following, to the letter, the Law of Moses. Their frustration magnified at the realization that many of the priests also failed to keep the letter of the law.
We are talking hair splitting here. The Pharisees dedicated themselves to uncovering the most obscure instructions contained in the writings of Moses. These instructions were then obeyed with utmost severity.
It is one of these types who invite Jesus to his house. The first verse hints at why this ruler may have done so. The verse reads: “they were watching him.” They were waiting to see if he would do anything inappropriate. If you were following along in your bibles, or looked carefully at the listing of verses, you will see that five are omitted. In these verses, Jesus is confronted by a man with dropsy. He turns to these pious Pharisees and asks them. “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” When no one answers, he proceeds to provide a cure.
We get the first glimpse at rigid social customs in this "omitted" exchange. While the Pharisees would have condemned Jesus for "working" on the Sabbath, they are all silent in the home of their prominent host. While they would never have agreed that it was okay to perform work on the Sabbath, they are silent; out of social considerations.
But it doesn't work. After allowing them the opportunity to be on the offensive side of a debate, Jesus places them on the defense by commenting on their actions. If words are not forth coming, he will allow their actions to speak what is on their hearts. He “marked how they chose the places of honor.”
At a dinner of this type, there would typically be three couches, each with enough room for three people. The host would occupy the middle position of the center couch. The places of honor were either end of that same couch; at the right or the left of the host. I use the word "couch" intentionally. During the meal, the guests actually reclined.
Jesus observes how they scheme and position themselves so as to receive one of these places of honor. He sees in their actions an indication of what is inscribed on their hearts. Here are these pious individuals, inflating their ego with their obedience to the Law of Moses. While all along, all they really want is to be elevated to a place of honor.
Jesus isn't handing out advice to the readers of an etiquette column. He is exposing their self-serving schemes. He is trying to help them realize that as wonderful as their talk may sound, they are still corrupt in their hearts. What they seek is a step up on the social register. Jesus reminds them that any such movement is always made at the continued exploitation of the poor and the oppressed.
The nails are driven into the coffin as he turns his gaze on the host. He says, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid.
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you.”
Jesus knows that the accepted social practice is to position ourselves as close to the center of attention as possible. He understands that when one throws a party, social custom dictates who ought to be on the guest list. But he won't abide by "accepted social practice". Because "accepted social practice" carries with it the potential to exploit and isolate less fortunate members of society. Inherited social patterns can become barriers to responsible encounter.
How quickly we retreat into relationships that meet our own needs and satisfy our own interests. We quickly find ourselves caught up in 'now-we-owe-them' arrangements.
Knowing the right people, cultivation of those who may 'do one some good' -- these are the stepping stones to success. But such are stumbling blocks for those who would enter the Kingdom. Accepted social behavior is great for maintaining order in the society.
But it is disastrous to a community of faith.
I want to avoid the implication that there is something intrinsically good about being poor. Definitely we want to avoid the temptation to think that Christian discipleship is synonymous with "charity" toward the poor. What Jesus is talking about here is our ability to trust and to depend solely on God.
In this chapter of Luke's Gospel, this is the single, important aspect of poverty. Those who cannot depend on social connections are forced to depend on God. Faith is the way of the Kingdom. The poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind: in our world there is a social safety net for such persons. In Jesus' world there was none. These, outcasts, lived day by day, through faith in God.
Social accepted behavior teaches us that those folks have nothing to offer. We can choose to be benevolent toward them, they can become the object of our charity, but accepted social practice would never allow us to value their contribution.
I like the society in which I live. I think it is an "okay" one. But we must never allow the practices and customs of this society to blind us to the call from God. Obeying all the rules of etiquette and socially appropriate behavior still won’t make us fit for the Kingdom of God. Attending that party begins with recognizing that the invitation list includes a whole lot of folks we might not have expected to see there. It may just mean seeing them enter first.
AMEN.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Devotion - Thursday, August 26
In John, chapter 4, we find the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. There are so many facets to this story that we seldom have energy left when we get to the final verses. Having discussed the openness of Jesus (Jews did not associate with Samaritans), examining the forsaking of cultural constraints (men of that day would never have spoken to a woman in a public setting), and finally looking at the issues of Jesus admitting that he is Messiah, we stop before we discuss the effect all of this has on the people of the city.
The woman, after her encounter with Jesus, goes into the city to tell everyone, “Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done.” They go out of the city, to see Jesus.
There are a few more exchanges, a bit of instruction from Jesus, then we get this notation: The people of the city “said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’”
There is a progression here which is repeated many times over. There is a relationship between those who already believe and those who are coming along to see. Those who come along to see eventually believe on their own.
Most of us come to the house of God because of someone else’s beliefs. It may have been a parent or a grandparent or a school friend. We came because someone else had shared with us their excitement over what had happened to them, as they lived among God’s people. At some point, the reason for coming has to change. It has to shift from what someone else told us to that which we have come to know on our own.
This is not an easy shift. And, it often occurs as other things are changing in our lives, too. Like going off to college.
You are reading this humble offering. You have some sense of connection to the message of Jesus. Where is that message rooted? This is not a condemnation of those roots which stretch through the person or persons who first brought you to the places where God’s people assemble. It is encouragement to sit at the feet of Jesus, listen to a few exchanges, hear some instructions, so that you might come to say, “it is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.
The woman, after her encounter with Jesus, goes into the city to tell everyone, “Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done.” They go out of the city, to see Jesus.
There are a few more exchanges, a bit of instruction from Jesus, then we get this notation: The people of the city “said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’”
There is a progression here which is repeated many times over. There is a relationship between those who already believe and those who are coming along to see. Those who come along to see eventually believe on their own.
Most of us come to the house of God because of someone else’s beliefs. It may have been a parent or a grandparent or a school friend. We came because someone else had shared with us their excitement over what had happened to them, as they lived among God’s people. At some point, the reason for coming has to change. It has to shift from what someone else told us to that which we have come to know on our own.
This is not an easy shift. And, it often occurs as other things are changing in our lives, too. Like going off to college.
You are reading this humble offering. You have some sense of connection to the message of Jesus. Where is that message rooted? This is not a condemnation of those roots which stretch through the person or persons who first brought you to the places where God’s people assemble. It is encouragement to sit at the feet of Jesus, listen to a few exchanges, hear some instructions, so that you might come to say, “it is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Devotion - Wednesday, August 25
A student was passing me in the hallway, outside the LCM Lounge, when he said, “I have a question for you. Why did Jesus need to be baptized?” Good question, and like most good questions it wasn’t asked in Sunday School or Bible Study. It was asked during the course of a normal day as we were going about normal tasks.
A teacher once said that preachers have it easy. We talk for twelve minutes on a Sunday morning. We spend hours thinking over every word. It is the lay members of the church who have it rough. They are asked the good questions, while passing someone in the hallway. Coming up with an answer, on the spot, when you least expect to be asked a significant question – now that is tough.
Back to the question. It arose for me again this morning as I was reading from opening verses of John, chapter 4. The verse reads, “When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples.)” That last phrase is not my insertion; it is the way the verse appears in scripture.
Jesus is baptized by John. Jesus’ disciples begin to baptize as others begin to follow Jesus. The baptism being practiced here differs from the baptism we would see on a Sunday morning at our local congregation. Differs, in that a Christian baptism is a baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ. We baptize into the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The baptism offered by John (accepted by Jesus) and the baptisms being carried out by the disciples of Jesus would have been connected to the Jewish rites associated with repentance. John tells his hears to repent and be baptized. That baptism is a ritual washing, participated in by those who wished to embody the turn they were making in their lives.
Now, Christians have not stopped talking about repentance. And certainly, when we baptize, there are traces of repentance language and thought. However, when we baptize, ours is making real in our lives the immersion and rising of our Savior.
Jesus was baptized (some have come to believe) as a way of joining his fellow seekers. He, like others who came out to hear John, was devoted to living as God would have them live. They were committed to turn away from all that would detract them from their Lord. It was a way of living out what they believed. He may have been one who “knew no sin,” but he was a human, walking the earth and desirous of walking the path of God with others.
The baptism offered by the Christian Church differs. It is an acknowledgment that our inability to perfectly walk that path will not stand between us and God. God has solved that dilemma. God has taken that task onto Himself.
Jesus could not be baptized in a Christian Church. Our baptism is a baptism into his death and resurrection. His baptism was to incorporate him into the group of believers who were coming to understand that God was doing an amazing thing. Realizing the Truth of John’s message, they wanted to get on board and be a part of what God would do next.
A teacher once said that preachers have it easy. We talk for twelve minutes on a Sunday morning. We spend hours thinking over every word. It is the lay members of the church who have it rough. They are asked the good questions, while passing someone in the hallway. Coming up with an answer, on the spot, when you least expect to be asked a significant question – now that is tough.
Back to the question. It arose for me again this morning as I was reading from opening verses of John, chapter 4. The verse reads, “When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples.)” That last phrase is not my insertion; it is the way the verse appears in scripture.
Jesus is baptized by John. Jesus’ disciples begin to baptize as others begin to follow Jesus. The baptism being practiced here differs from the baptism we would see on a Sunday morning at our local congregation. Differs, in that a Christian baptism is a baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ. We baptize into the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The baptism offered by John (accepted by Jesus) and the baptisms being carried out by the disciples of Jesus would have been connected to the Jewish rites associated with repentance. John tells his hears to repent and be baptized. That baptism is a ritual washing, participated in by those who wished to embody the turn they were making in their lives.
Now, Christians have not stopped talking about repentance. And certainly, when we baptize, there are traces of repentance language and thought. However, when we baptize, ours is making real in our lives the immersion and rising of our Savior.
Jesus was baptized (some have come to believe) as a way of joining his fellow seekers. He, like others who came out to hear John, was devoted to living as God would have them live. They were committed to turn away from all that would detract them from their Lord. It was a way of living out what they believed. He may have been one who “knew no sin,” but he was a human, walking the earth and desirous of walking the path of God with others.
The baptism offered by the Christian Church differs. It is an acknowledgment that our inability to perfectly walk that path will not stand between us and God. God has solved that dilemma. God has taken that task onto Himself.
Jesus could not be baptized in a Christian Church. Our baptism is a baptism into his death and resurrection. His baptism was to incorporate him into the group of believers who were coming to understand that God was doing an amazing thing. Realizing the Truth of John’s message, they wanted to get on board and be a part of what God would do next.
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