Sermon Notes: Baptism of Jesus
Baptism of Jesus (Year A)
January 13, 2008
Regular diversion of reading history
Find compelling stories of individuals
who made a difference in the course of human events
• [Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch, on MLK]
• [His Excellency, Joseph Ellis, on Geo. Washington]
When I read stories like these my imagination is fired,
& I long to make a difference in history myself.
But the feeling quickly fades:
It is enough just to get through life,
making a living,
getting the kids through school.
It is difficult enough to balance our budget,
how could I possibly change the course of history?
I remember the prayer of the Breton fishermen:
“O God, my boat is so small
& the sea is so big.”
Now as a congregation
we can experience a similar range of responses
when we hear the biblical proclamation
of the role in history of Θ’s people:
We are to be the light to the world.
In us the kingdom work of the Lord is to be manifest.
In us
• Peace is known as we reconcile people to Θ and each other.
• Mercy is received as we go forth and practice. forgiveness in a world riven with injury and anger.
• Love is shared with others as XP loved us.
• The healing and hope of the Kingdom is lived out.
We are called to greatness
& our imaginations are fired.
But our zeal quickly fades.
It is difficult enough to maintain the most basic Xn life, how could we possibily change the world for Θ?
“O Θ, our parish is so small
& the world and its needs are so big.”
& yet it seems it is precisely in that place
where we are small and vulnerable
before the challenges before us
that Θ uses us to change the world.
We see this reflected in our reading from Isaiah
in the figure of the Servant of the LORD.
Isaiah sees a world of violence and injustice,
where Θ’s people are oppressed by hostile empires and led astray by the unfaithfulness
within their society.
Thru the Prophet Θ promises the Day of the LORD
that will redeem them, filled with glory and grace.
But how will Θ accomplish this?
Thru the Servant who
• Is small & insignificant by the world’s standards
• Will be despised and rejected
• Yet in his suffering the Day of the LORD will break into the this broken world
• & thus Θ will change history from w/in.
What sets this servant apart
is that the Spirit of the LORD will rest upon him,
& Θ will vest all that he does by the Spirit
with eternal glory and significance.
Great things, history changing things,
will be accomplished by one
who seems insignificant and small,
the one in whom Θ delights.
The baptism of Jesus is the story of the appearance of the Servant of the LORD.
The promise of Isaiah is fulfilled.
And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’
By some standards Jesus’ life was unremarkable:
• He conquered no empires
• He lived in a remote backwater of the Roman Empire
• & died a lonely death.
& yet everything he did
• healing the sick
• forgiving and reconciling the sinner
• proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom to the poor
was done in the power of the Spirit.
Everything he did,
no matter how small and insignificant it might seem delighted Θ.
& in the resurrection Θ made such small beginnings
into acts of eternal greatness.
Through our baptisms we too participate in Jesus' history changing ministry.
• We are joined w/XP
• We are filled w/the Spirit
• In us now Θ delights
Together we become the presence of the Servant of the LORD.
Therefore
everything we do by the Spirit’s power in Jesus' name
– no matter how small and insignificant it may seem – makes an eternal difference in the history of the world.
[Example: New Monasticism & Hospitality]
If our hearts are enflamed
to make a lasting impact on history
let us strive to live out our Baptismal Covenant,
& even the seemingly small things
will become the stuff from which eternity is fashioned:
• Feeding the homless
• Building classrooms in Mexico
• Raising funds for a tilapia pond in Haiti
• Visiting the sick and lonely
• Sharing XP w/others
Today we baptize Allison and Cameron.
& because they are so small thru them Θ renews in us the truth that Θ does big things with little people.
Today the LORD says to them, and to us,
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.
January 13, 2008
Regular diversion of reading history
Find compelling stories of individuals
who made a difference in the course of human events
• [Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch, on MLK]
• [His Excellency, Joseph Ellis, on Geo. Washington]
When I read stories like these my imagination is fired,
& I long to make a difference in history myself.
But the feeling quickly fades:
It is enough just to get through life,
making a living,
getting the kids through school.
It is difficult enough to balance our budget,
how could I possibly change the course of history?
I remember the prayer of the Breton fishermen:
“O God, my boat is so small
& the sea is so big.”
Now as a congregation
we can experience a similar range of responses
when we hear the biblical proclamation
of the role in history of Θ’s people:
We are to be the light to the world.
In us the kingdom work of the Lord is to be manifest.
In us
• Peace is known as we reconcile people to Θ and each other.
• Mercy is received as we go forth and practice. forgiveness in a world riven with injury and anger.
• Love is shared with others as XP loved us.
• The healing and hope of the Kingdom is lived out.
We are called to greatness
& our imaginations are fired.
But our zeal quickly fades.
It is difficult enough to maintain the most basic Xn life, how could we possibily change the world for Θ?
“O Θ, our parish is so small
& the world and its needs are so big.”
& yet it seems it is precisely in that place
where we are small and vulnerable
before the challenges before us
that Θ uses us to change the world.
We see this reflected in our reading from Isaiah
in the figure of the Servant of the LORD.
Isaiah sees a world of violence and injustice,
where Θ’s people are oppressed by hostile empires and led astray by the unfaithfulness
within their society.
Thru the Prophet Θ promises the Day of the LORD
that will redeem them, filled with glory and grace.
But how will Θ accomplish this?
Thru the Servant who
• Is small & insignificant by the world’s standards
• Will be despised and rejected
• Yet in his suffering the Day of the LORD will break into the this broken world
• & thus Θ will change history from w/in.
What sets this servant apart
is that the Spirit of the LORD will rest upon him,
& Θ will vest all that he does by the Spirit
with eternal glory and significance.
Great things, history changing things,
will be accomplished by one
who seems insignificant and small,
the one in whom Θ delights.
The baptism of Jesus is the story of the appearance of the Servant of the LORD.
The promise of Isaiah is fulfilled.
And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’
By some standards Jesus’ life was unremarkable:
• He conquered no empires
• He lived in a remote backwater of the Roman Empire
• & died a lonely death.
& yet everything he did
• healing the sick
• forgiving and reconciling the sinner
• proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom to the poor
was done in the power of the Spirit.
Everything he did,
no matter how small and insignificant it might seem delighted Θ.
& in the resurrection Θ made such small beginnings
into acts of eternal greatness.
Through our baptisms we too participate in Jesus' history changing ministry.
• We are joined w/XP
• We are filled w/the Spirit
• In us now Θ delights
Together we become the presence of the Servant of the LORD.
Therefore
everything we do by the Spirit’s power in Jesus' name
– no matter how small and insignificant it may seem – makes an eternal difference in the history of the world.
[Example: New Monasticism & Hospitality]
If our hearts are enflamed
to make a lasting impact on history
let us strive to live out our Baptismal Covenant,
& even the seemingly small things
will become the stuff from which eternity is fashioned:
• Feeding the homless
• Building classrooms in Mexico
• Raising funds for a tilapia pond in Haiti
• Visiting the sick and lonely
• Sharing XP w/others
Today we baptize Allison and Cameron.
& because they are so small thru them Θ renews in us the truth that Θ does big things with little people.
Today the LORD says to them, and to us,
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.
Labels: Baptism, Sermon Notes
posted by peregrinator at 11:24 PM
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