Epiphany 1

 

The Epiphany season is a time of new beginnings.  In the secular world, the New Year is full of resolves, desires to do things differently, develop or change that part of ourselves that needs work.  Health organizations such as Weight Watchers or Curves prepare themselves for the influx of people who always show up after the first of the year.  This seems to be when people try to deal with stewardship of the body. Some will achieve their goals and some won’t, but it is a good time to make this kind of resolution.

 

 In the church calendar, it is no accident that the feast of the Baptism of Jesus always falls on the second Sunday of the New Year.  On this feast day Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. For many people, the fact that Jesus was baptized strikes them as very strange. If Jesus was the Son of God, why would he need to be baptized? From a theological perspective, Jesus did not need baptism.  But Jesus chose baptism to be fully identified with us.  Through his baptism, Jesus became one of us. 

 

The kind of baptism that John offered the people of his day was clearly a baptism of repentance.  John preached repentance but he also proclaimed that someone greater than himself would offer a different kind of baptism. John proclaimed that the one who came after him would baptize with something greater than water.  He would baptize with the Spirit of God.

 

 In our contemporary understanding of baptism, both aspects are essential.  In the section of our Baptismal service in which  candidates are questioned, they are asked to renounce spiritual forces of wickedness, sinful desires and the evil powers of this world.  These are the things that we turn against.  This is the kind of baptism of repentance that John the Baptist offered.  But John recognized that this would not be enough. The other half, being baptized by the Holy Spirit, is what will carry us through our lives.  We are asked to put our whole trust in Jesus Christ, to accept him as our savior, to follow and obey him as our Lord.  In the prayers for the baptismal candidates, we ask for the candidates to be filled with God’s holy and life giving spirit. 

 

These two aspects of baptism are reflected in the actions we do during baptism.  The baptism of repentance is done with water.  That is the cleansing part of baptism.  Then the candidates receive a cross on their foreheads made with oil while the following words are recited: “You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever”.  That is the second part of baptism. From a practical standpoint, we can repent or make all the resolutions we want.  But it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit, that we will be able to do them.

 

The Spirit of God represents something more powerful than human resolve.  It is God’s spirit that moved over creation at the beginning of time.  It is God’s spirit that spoke to Moses. It is God’s spirit that saved Isaac from Abraham’s knife. It is God’s Spirit that gave voice to the prophets.  When Jesus rose up from the waters of the river Jordan, it was God’s spirit that descended upon Jesus like a dove.  For many theologians, this is the moment in which Jesus’ ministry was crystallized.  It was at this moment, that Jesus began to live out his calling.

 

For contemporary people of faith, both John’s message of repentance and the empowering work of the Holy Spirit are essential.  In fact, we need all the help that we can get!  Our resolve to turn our lives around will never be enough.  Something greater is needed. We can never change on our own.  It is only through God’s help that our lives can change. This is the gift of God that makes spiritual repentance so much more meaningful than resolution.    When we recite the affirmations contained in the baptism service, we always say the following words: “I will with God’s help”.  How else can we do anything? 

 

As we enter into the year 2006, I look around at the threats to our society and wonder how we have arrived at such a troubled place.  I rarely watch commercial television because there is nothing there for me.  I did however make myself watch the premiere of this sorry show “The Book of Daniel”.  I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.  Stupid, morally bankrupt, off the wall or a few other choice words that I will not say in public are what came to mind as I watched this show.  If we want to be entertained with regard to the life of Anglican or Episcopal clergy, we are much better off watching the Vicar of Dibly.  I really hope this show dies a swift death.

 

In our day to day lives, we need to be careful about how we spend our discretionary time.  Do we engage ourselves in things that will lift our spirits, things that will encourage our souls?  We can’t just avoid the evil that is so prevalent in our culture, though I think we do need to do that, we also have to embrace what is good.  It’s not that I believe evil lurks behind every door.  But I do find myself being propelled back to basic desires when confronted with some of what is considered standard fare especially with regard to the entertainment industry.  I do not believe that people who are truly centered in their faith can be shaken by anything, but I also know that the desire to be centered is challenged on a regular basis. 

 

We as a Christian community have a tremendous responsibility to each other especially with regard to our young people.  Who else is going to show them the way, who else is going to help shape their  hearts and souls.  Parents cannot do this alone.  The more time we spend together, the better it will be, the more we talk about the difficult issues of life, the better it will be, the more we embrace the love of Jesus, the more we will be able to spread the love of Jesus. 

 

God has given me a vision of a church that will shape and form the souls of people of all ages.  God has given me a vision of a church that will be strong despite continuous attacks from the media and popular culture.  We have so many people within our congregation who lead inspiring lives filled with faith and grace.  Together we can reflect the baptism of John the Baptist by walking away from what is keeping us from God.  Together we can be empowered by the Holy Spirit and embrace what will bring us closer to God.  May 2006 be a year in which we become ever stronger in faith and in love.