BAPTISM

Luke 16:19-31

The Gospel teaching from Luke (16:19-31) once again focuses on the evil of wealth and the lack of concern for the poor. In our time of glorification of extreme wealth, it is refreshing to be reminded of what Jesus had to say about money. What would Jesus think of the fact that 1% of America holds 30% of all the wealth? Well, we know what he would think because he explicitly tells us in the story of Lazarus and the wealthy man. The wealthy man who ignored the suffering of Lazarus at the gate of his estate goes to hell and burns for eternity in the flames of Hades. I don’t think Jesus can be much clearer about the subject. Yet Christians continue to idolize the wealthy. We continue to equate success with the size of a bank account. When will we turn the tables upside down and value the lowly?

But worshiping money wasn’t always the case. In the early days of house churches before there were grand churches in the cities, there was a great emphasis on who you were and how you conducted yourself. If someone wanted to be baptized into the faith it required careful consideration of their charitable acts, an exorcism, and possibly a new career choice. Candidates went through a vigorous examination and had years of instruction. The 2^nd century theologian Justin Martyr wrote that when we consecrate ourselves to God we are regenerated through Christ.

Regeneration means to have a complete moral reform, or to be re-created in a better condition. He said that if we pledge ourselves to live according to Christ’s teachings, ask God to forgive our past sins and receive the washing with water, that we will become illuminated.  Illuminated is a wonderful word, isn’t it? It means to be enlightened either spiritually or intellectually. I like to think of it as becoming the light in the world! We who have been baptized are the illuminated, so don’t hide your light under a bushel, let it shine on the top of the hill for all to see.

Being baptized was understood to be transformative. You not only believed in Jesus Christ, but your behavior was expected to change. You became what Justin Martyr called “Another Christ!” What might it mean to be another Christ? How would we behave if we really tried to live like Jesus? We would need to care for the least and stand up against hypocrites who said the right words but were oppressive. We would need to love our enemies and live humbly. And certainly, we would not hoard money.

Baptism was not only a dramatic transformation for the early church it was a dangerous endeavor as Christians were being persecuted and killed by the Romans, but all that changed in the 4^th century when Constantine, the Roman Emperor made Christianity the state religion. Soon there were too many baptisms to perform to expect people to go through years of education and moral transformation. The whole process had to be streamlined to address the demands of society. Baptisms became a big business for the church and aligned with the ruling class, no longer focused on the lowly.  My professor at seminary believes that this is the worst thing that ever happened to Christianity.

The words of the Episcopal Baptismal Covenant are based on our core beliefs which are found on page 845 of the Book of Common Prayer. That is where you will find our Outline of the Faith, and if you have never read these pages, I highly recommend that the next time you are sitting in silence at the beginning of church, you take a moment to read these foundational principles.  

Today at the 10 o’clock service we are celebrating the baptisms of two lovely sisters, Sila and Keeley.  We will welcome them into the Church, the Body of Christ.  We will pray for their hearts to be open for God’s Grace and Truth, and for them to be witnesses to God’s love in the world.

And this will give all of us the opportunity to renew our own baptismal covenant.  

We will once again state together our vow to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as our selves. We will have the opportunity to weigh this in our hearts. How are we doing with this core commitment? Are we living up to our agreement?  

How about this one: We commit to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? Are we leaving any people out of our circle of care? Can we do better at respecting the dignity of every human being?

The sacrament of baptism is an ancient ritual that is like a bridge. It is an invitation into the Body of Christ which is represented by the church.  

What a blessing to say these powerful words together and to recommit to the core principals of our walk with God. Let us all take to heart the profound teachings in our covenant and remember that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we are called to walk in love.  Amen.

The Reverend Sister Greta