St. John’s Episcopal Church
Suffolk, Virginia
The First Sunday after the Epiphany – The Baptism of Our Lord
The Rev. Leslie Ferguson, Rector
Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17

            A friend of a friend, call him Tim, spent most of his adult life associated with the church, he dutifully attended services, did outreach, was a faithful member giving from his bounty, and life as a church member– at least in the conventional sense – was full and complete. But my friend, call him Father Bill, sensed there was something missing from Tim’s life of faith. Bill asked Tim if he would consider becoming a licensed lay preacher in his church. Hesitantly Tim did the work necessary to become licensed and became more and more comfortable in the pulpit offering insightful sermons.

Without getting into too many details, Tim has continued to grow in his life of faith and ministry. So much so, his Parish has asked him to consider serving as their Pastor once their current Pastor retires. Tim has prayerfully considered their request and is faithfully discerning the path for his life as the years unfold.

Isn’t it amazing (or not) what happens when we learn to trust God’s call and the insights of others. If it hadn’t been for Father Bill, Tim would probably never have taken the chance to explore and expand his life of faith, not only in word but in his profession and way of life.

Just when we think we know what’s right in our relationship with God, with our community, and with those we encounter something happens to make us stop and pause. We know the right thing to do and what is right and proper. And yet…

It’s stories like this that remind me that even when a faithful person “knows” right from wrong there’s always a chance that God may have a different perspective than we do. Not that what we felt wasn’t right, just that God had something that was “more right” for us.

Today we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus. Think about that for a moment. We, as humans, celebrate the baptism of Jesus, God Incarnate. At so many levels to think that John the Baptist baptized Jesus should make us stop and pause. There is NO good reason that (1) Jesus needs to be baptized and (2) that any human might have the audacity to baptize God Incarnate. That’s really not right at so many levels.

And yet, the change of perspective brought about by Jesus’ interaction with John the Baptist is also echoed in the story of Peter in Cornelius we heard from the lesson from Acts. Peter has had a change of heart about his interaction with Cornelius and what is right and proper in the relationship between him and that gentile.

What we didn’t hear today, but stands stating for completeness, is Peter’s change of heart brought about by his interaction with the Spirit in a dream. Peter, who was designated as the Keeper of the Kingdom by Jesus, has just had his mind and belief reoriented. Not because he learned more, but because he listened to the voice of God calling him to a new understanding. The bold statement that God shows no partiality – there is a reason for all to be included in the kingdom of God and each person’s mission will continue to evolve over time and through interaction with God and God’s spokespeople.

We know what to expect in our life and in the life of faith we live. That’s what we’re told by our mentors and those who have formed us for a life of faith. We are told the truth about what is right and what is outside the norm of faith. But, as we heard in the story of Tim, sometimes our eyes are opened to a different path God is calling us to. Sometimes we are invited from what we know is right to a place, like Peter came to understand, was a place where God is as active as any other place in our world. What do we do when what we experience isn’t what we’re told is “the truth” of life and especially an orthodox life?

One thing I’ve come to understand in my life of faith is that God’s “audacity” sometimes is present to help us reset our life and practice. We sometimes need to be shaken up to take that step back to ponder God’s actual presence in our life and in the lives of others. Sometimes it takes us being asked to baptize God Incarnate; sometimes it takes someone pointing us in a new and different direction. And sometimes it simply takes us stopping and listening to the word of God and the direction of Jesus.

What does God demand of us? What is the calling we all receive in our (necessary) baptism? In a few moments, we will renew our baptismal covenant and today’s readings point to the demands made on us. I think two of the most important promises of our baptismal covenant are (1) to seek and serve Christ in all others, loving one’s neighbor as themselves, and (2) to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of all human beings.

Our ongoing mission as believers is to look for a deeper relationship with God and to help others live a full life in relationship with God. It is in that relationship that the amazing things in our life happen – we are invited to see possibility where none is expected. We continue to realize in our relationship with God that the possibilities for inclusion are unlimited – as long as there is a real relationship and the witness of Christ in our life.

I think, most importantly, if there is to be real change and real hope in our community the second part of our vow I highlighted, striving for justice and peace and respect each person’s dignity deserves our attention. Peter and the relationship between John and Jesus reinforce the respect for the other. Peter, at least in conventional wisdom, could exclude gentiles simply because they aren’t Jews. But excluding gentiles doesn’t honor a portion of God’s creation simply because “they don’t fit our understanding” of orthodox. As Peter finds out in his interaction with Cornelius, God has a plan that we can’t understand on our own – that all people are worthwhile in God’s kingdom, simply because they are.

This brings us back to the question of Jesus’ baptism. What purpose does Jesus’ baptism serve? His community? Those of us in this community? Those who will be impacted by the words we share and the life of faith we live in response to God and the movement of the Holy Spirit? Jesus’ baptism isn’t symbolic for ours; we need to be baptized because we are part of a community that stands together to bring about God’s reign on earth. Jesus’ baptism isn’t strictly necessary except for us – if God Incarnate is willing to be baptized into the same place we are baptized, what prevents us from living more fully into the life that God intends for us to live?

We are challenged, like Tim was by Father Bill, to reevaluate our relationship with God and to truly delve into the places that are “outside our box” where God will stand with us – because it is in those places where the real work of God takes places.