An Honest Question

An Honest Question

A sermon delivered by Rev. Peter T. Atkinson

January 13, 2019

at Bethany Presbyterian Church, Zuni, Virginia

Psalm 29

Luke 3: 15-22

Let us pray,

Help us to see despite our eyes

Help us to think outside our minds

Help us to be more than our lives

            For your eyes show us the way

            Your mind knows the truth

            Your being is the life.

Amen. 

Baptism of the Lord Sunday

Tradition – Liturgical Calendar – not because we must but because we can learn

Rhythm = Christmas to Easter – Life of Christ – and our own

¹⁵ The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. ¹⁶ John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸ And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

¹⁹ But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done,²⁰ Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Coralee asked DeAnna a simple and honest Question

Why would Jesus need to be Baptized? Being perfect, without sin, God, etc.

Second honest question – which is John’s as well as are, why by John, and not the other way around?

These are good Questions ---

So I asked DeAnna what she told her – to be part of the family and so that we would be too, connection

Go ask your father. – I thought she had done fine

And I thought it was a good question from Coralee too. . . because I think she knows why she was baptized. . . maybe

Sign and seal of the grace of God – ordination exam questions

God doing it – nothing unnecessarily extra or added

No undue delay nor haste

Certainly important, but never our own doing. . . not superstitious – not just a ritual in that sense

Reformation vs. Catholics – babies, so not Hell if died as babies

No definitely not that, but no reason not to do it. . . and the vows are important

Parents promised to raise the child in the church. . . Church promises to help raise the child

But we waited, with Coralee until she was 4 --- and then liked it so did the same with Clara. . . and Susanna, being only 3 has also not been (no undue delay nor haste)

Why did we wait?

Why did we not wait and have it be her choice? (Believer’s baptism)

Gordonsville not ready to make that commitment – active memory – not choice but active memory

What about her question about Jesus?

Just so we would do it?

Just so we would do it just like him?

Must be river, must be water, must submerge, dunk, whole body

Deep Water Baptist – Jerry Clower

Uncle Versey calls him Jerry we must go talk to Newgene

Newgene Ledbedder had gone off and married a Methodist girl

And you know they sprinkle

She should be able to get baptized anyway she wants to

No them Methodist do either they sprinkle or they put em under

She’s my daughter in law

I’m having trouble receiving her into my house without her being baptized proper

So that sweet little Methodist girl sitting there

Newgene says, well father what if we compromise

What if me and her, and that Methodist preacher go our knee deep – NO

Well what if we went in hip deep – no you just as well stayed on the bank

What if we went up to our adams apple --- naw that’s just as sinfun

What if we was to go so as there won’t nothing sticking out the water but the top of her head. . .would that do?

Nooooo sir, that won’t do that top of the head is the most important part . . .

Well father I’ve been trying to tell you all the time that that little spot on the top was all that counted anyhow, and its done already been sprinkled. . .

Ha ha maybe that is why Jesus was Baptized so we would know proper from improper

Or maybe just so we’d do it at all

For these are the reformed sacraments --- Baptism and Lord’s supper

Why because Jesus instituted both himself.

If Jesus done em so must we. . .

But what about this. . . was it to give creedence to John’s ministry?

His message about Repentance for the Lord is near – does it tie it all in together

And what about that message

For the water represents the sins being washed away

You are washed clean

Delmar – piggly wiggly over in yazoo

Has its roots in Jewish sacramental washing and purity ritual

And that is what the water symbolizes. . . the washing away

Like the waters of the world at the beginning

And God separated the waters from the waters --- and the spirit was there upon the face of the deep

The firmament separated the water from the water. . . and the land

God separates them to make a space for us to live

Like the flood that washed away that land clean

Or the waters of the Red Sea – O mary don’t you weep don’t you moan Pharoahs army got drownded

And then the waters also are indicative of new life

Like the rain that falls

Like the dew turning into manna

Like the cup that runs over

Like the still waters we rest upon, where he leadeth us beside

Clease, renewal, growth

Beginning and the end of Jesus ministry

Baptize and make disciples of the nations

Is it a kindler and gentler circumcision – a sign of the covenant

Who is right? What answer do I give Coralee? What do I want her to take into her life about it all?

Why would Jesus need to be baptized? For us to see it. . .

WE experience Baptisms of others – Remember your baptism

Remember – Recurring daily minute to minute moment to moment

Your sins are washed away and so are others and each moment of your life is fresh and free

If you see it that way – God has made that true – baptism helps us remember who we are and whose we are, and what it means for our lives

Each moment we are standing on the precipice of all eternity

The fruit in the garden, the cross, the empty tomb, the coming of the kingdom of heaven

Your death and your life --- repeatedly forever

Refreshed and washed –

New chance – yesterday does not matter

Start again

That guilt – cut it  -ts been washed

That grudge you hold – forget it – washed

That anger – that doubt – that fear – that frustration – that worry – that anxiety – that feeling of stagnation – that regret – leave it all behind

In that world each moment is a fresh chance to live into grace!

Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
² Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

³ The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
⁴ The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷ The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
⁹ The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰ The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
¹¹ The Lord gives strength to his people;
    the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Whatever you do, ascribe it all to the Lord – there is no need for else.