"I will, with God's Help"
  On the Occasion of the Baptism of
  Blake Binford
  Matthew 22:34-46




Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them, take our minds and think with them, take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ's name, we ask it. Amen.

Tonight each of us has the honor and responsibility of participating in the baptism of Blake Binford. Following this sermon, Blake will be baptized into the Church of God and marked, as Christ's own forever. In the waters of baptism, we are buried with Christ in his death and we share with Christ in his resurrection to everlasting life. Through the waters of baptism, we enter into the eternal fellowship of the communion of saints. The communion of saints is simply all those people who have given their lives to God in Christ by faith. Those Christians who stand with us tonight in this church, those who follow Christ throughout the world, and all those Christians who have gone before us.

In the ancient world, water symbolized death and chaos. When the earth was a formless void, the Spirit of God moved over the chaotic waters to bring order to the universe, to create the earth, and eventually out of the primordial elements to create life. Perhaps some of you are aware that the central body of a church building, where you are sitting right now, is called a nave. The word nave is derived from the same Greek word from which we have the word navel-like a navel vessel. A ship that bears people and products across bodies of water. Without the assistance of sea-faring navel vessels, we could never cross an ocean or for that matter a body of water of any significant size. It goes with out saying that if we tried to cross an ocean under our own power our attempt would be futile and possibly deadly. Life is much the same. We all need something to bear us through the uncharted waters that we call life. Tonight you sit in the nave of a church. If you look up you will see that the term nave is most fitting. A church is intentionally shaped like an upside down boat. The church or more accurately the one whom we come here tonight to encounter, the living God, is the means, is the vessel, by which we are brought through the great voyage of life. And, make no mistake, the church and the living God we come here to worship is a strong ship, and though we will undoubtedly encounter storms along the way that will batter and bruise us our ship will not fail, it will hold together and faithfully deliver us to the promise land. In the waters of baptism, we get on board that ship. We become part of the household of God. We enter into a life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ the Savior of the world. Today you and I get a new brother, and for his life I say thanks be to God!

Baptism is a beginning. It is an entrance rite of sorts. In this sacrament, God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ's body, the Church, and we become inheritors of the kingdom of God. But, what does all this mean? What does it mean to be a Christian, a follower of Christ? How does being a Christian affect our lives? How does one live differently after renouncing evil and promising to follow Jesus as Lord?

One of the gifts Blake offers you and I tonight by sharing his baptism with us is the opportunity to renew our own baptismal vows. In just a moment, I will bid you to join with Blake on this profound occasion in renewing your own baptismal covenant. Following three statements of faith that God is creator, redeemer, and sanctifier, you will be asked five important questions, which offer rich, vibrant answers to the question: what does it mean to be a Christian? (If you would open your prayer books to page 304.) The first question is, "Will you continue in the apostle's teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?" What does it mean to be a Christian? Number one: As Christian's, the central act of our lives is to gather together weekly, like we are now, as a community of faith to reflect upon God's Holy and living word, the bible, as it is read and proclaimed in church. In addition, we gather together weekly to share a family meal. We call it Communion, or Eucharist, or Mass, or the Lord's Supper. Whatever language you prefer the sacrament of Christ's body and blood is the sacrament of unity. We all come forward to share one loaf and one cup because we are one body in Christ. As Christians, we are a worshipping community.

The second question, "Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?" Number 2: As Christians, we are not called to live semi-monastic, perfect, pious, ascetic, painfully boring lives. We are a church made up of broken people. It is okay to be Christians and make mistakes. However, we are called to speak out against evil in this world, and when we succumb to it ourselves, we are to ask the Lord and those we have hurt for forgiveness. Then we are to strive not to fall prey to that mistake a second time.

The third question, "Will you claim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?" Number 3: As Christians, we are all called to be evangelists. Evangelism is a word some Episcopalians are uncomfortable with, and for good reason. Many horrendous acts have been done in the name of bringing the light of the Gospel to those who sit in darkness. Nonetheless, we, you and I, have been entrusted with a Gospel message that has the power to transform lives for the better. We have been entrusted with Good News that can bring life where there is death. Why would we covet such a message? It is a gift and the whole purpose of a gift is for it to be shared with someone other than yourself. We are to always proclaim the Gospel in word and in deed. These words are attributed to St. Francis, "Preach the Gospel always, and, if necessary, use words!"

The fourth question, "Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?" Number four: As Christians, we are called to serve and be in fellowship with all people despite the categories we use to build walls between us-despite ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, or religious belief. By virtue of creation, every woman and every man is made in God's image. Therefore, as church, we are to be radically inclusive, being hospitable to the stranger, and reaching out to those in need. We are to remember always, that our Lord Jesus said it is when we reach out in love to the hungry, to the thirsty, to the stranger, to the naked, to the sick, to the imprisoned, that we meet Him face to face. My experience is that when I authentically reach out to those in need I am always enriched by the experience.

The fifth question, "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?" Number five: As Christians, we are political activists. However, our agenda is not shaped by blind patriotism or any other political ideology. We are to be participants in the building of God's kingdom here on earth. We are to use the social and political means available to us to make our world more just. We are to be agents of reconciliation and peacemakers. We are to demonstrate in our politics the same self-giving love Jesus demonstrated on the cross. We speak for those who have no voice the poor, the exploited, and the disenfranchised. The book of Revelation gives us a powerful image of God's kingdom. The author, John, writes, "After this I looked up and there was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages…they are before the throne of God and worship him day and night…and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more…for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be there shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Through the waters of Baptism, we become members of the household of God. As Christians, we are called to worship together through word and sacrament, we are to resist evil, we are to be evangelists, we are to be servants to one another, we are to be political activists seeking justice in this world.

Our response to each of these five questions is the same, "I will with God's help." Living into our baptisms is hard work and alone we are not capable of doing it, but, with God's help, all things are possible. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in the darkest days of the struggle to free blacks in apartheid South Africa, courageously and prophetically proclaimed, "The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior declares for all to know that life will triumph over death, that light will triumph over darkness, that good will triumph over evil, that justice will triumph over injustice, that freedom will triumph over tyranny"(58). With resurrection hope that all things are possible with God, we can proclaim with conviction, "I will live into my baptism, with God's help!" Amen.

© 2002 Episcopal Student Center at the University of Texas

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