Sacraments 1
- Baptism
Basics of Faith 5 – July 23, 2017
A Sermon by
Rev. M. Gayle MacDonald
Lessons read on July 23, 2017: Responsive Reading: Wisdom 7, VU #891,
Gospel
1: Mark 1:4-8, Gospel 2: Matthew 28:16-20
‘Sacrament’ – ‘A sacred or a holy
action’. The sacraments are visible signs of God’s invisible grace.
The sacraments are visible actions pointing to the invisible action of
God. The word ‘sacrament’ has slipped into everyday language to
describe any ritual or action a person or group may consider to be a sacred
ritual or action; but the church reserves the word for those actions which
are sacred to the people of God within its denomination.
In the Reformed and Methodist
traditions, we celebrate two sacraments as gifts of Christ: baptism and
holy communion.
In these sacraments the ordinary things of life
–water, bread, wine—point beyond themselves to God and God’s love, teaching us
to be alert to the sacred in the midst of life. (A Song of Faith, UCC)
We celebrate these two because they
are instituted or instructed by Jesus in the Gospels. The instruction for
baptism, is found in Matthew 28 and is given to us by the risen Christ:
“Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything
that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end
of the age.“
The second sacrament, communion,
which will be the topic of the sermon on July 30, is instituted or instructed
in the story of the last supper. This story is repeated each time communion is
served as we repeat the story of the breaking of bread and the passing of the
cup, each part usually ending with the words “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Denominations differ in what they
designate as sacraments or sacred acts, but all denominations which belong to the
World Council of Churches recognize at least these two. And the sacrament
on which the Canadian Council of Churches has been able to come to the most
agreement is baptism. The member churches agreed to recognize each
other’s baptism, provided there is visible pouring of water, and the words in
the act of baptism include, “in the name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
So what happens in baptism?
That is a good question which cannot be fully answered because part of what
takes place is an inward thing. We believe that God is present at
baptism, whether as infants or as adults; and that the grace of God, by the
Spirit is at work in us.
In its infancy, in the very
beginning, baptism was often a family event. If the father of a household
was baptized, then his whole family was baptized. This was a matter of
declaring their faith in Christ and becoming part of the followers of
Christ. Whereas, the baptism Jesus received and that John performed had
to do with repentance, which meant turning around one’s life and going in a
different direction – renouncing the wrongs of the past and pledging to live a
new life.
Tying baptism to a new life was not a
unique idea. In the Jewish faith, religious proselytes, when they are
accepted fully in Judaism, are both circumcised and immersed in a ritual
bath. The act of immersion in water was a sign of beginning a new religious
identity.
As already stated, John’s baptism,
which we read about in the Gospels was specifically related to repentance – of
committing to turning one’s life around and living a new way. The washing
in water was a sign of an inner washing, a change from the old sinful ways to
the new ways of Godly living.
When it comes to the baptism of
Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew, John has a problem with baptising Jesus
and asks a question which has been asked by many through the ages. Why
should Jesus be baptized if Jesus has done no wrong? And yet Jesus
insists on it.
John’s question and Jesus’ answer
read like this:
3:14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I
need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
3:15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so
now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
Jesus does not set himself apart from
the rest of humanity and does not require of us anything that he himself has
not experienced -- and so he his baptized.
. . . . And then something
significant happens.
And when Jesus had been
baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened
to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on
him.
3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
Baptism in the
Christian tradition, as we understand it, is about two things: (1) a new
beginning and (2) belonging, being declared as one loved by God and who is now
recognized as part of the community of God’s people.
Now in the time of
Constantine (272-337 C.E.), when Christianity was moving from being a
marginalized religion to being accepted in the mainstream of that era, the
general feeling was that the worst sin that one could commit was to “go back on
their baptismal promises”. To abandon or go back on one’s faith was to be
an apostate; and apostasy was considered the gravest of sins.
Apostasy presented the emperor, Constantine a dilemma, since as emperor he was
also head of a pagan cult. His mother became a Christian early on, but
Constantine waited until his death bed to be baptized so that he could not be
accused of apostasy.
Fortunately, we do
not have any such dilemmas to deal with today, for we welcome all who have
turned away from their faith and have come back – we welcome them with joy and
acceptance as we imagine Christ would do. And we welcome all who are
curious, who are uncertain, who are simply looking for community. There
is no reason to turn anyone away.
When someone who
has turned away from their faith and returned again, it may be appropriate to
renew the vows made at baptism as a sign of their re-commitment, but we don’t
require it; trusting in the Spirit’s work and in God’s love. Though it is
not required, we know it can be a very meaningful thing to do.
In our tradition,
that is the United Church, once people are baptized they belong, whether as
infants or adults. But we do make a distinction and recognize the
importance of making one’s own choice and commitment of belonging.
Baptism is an entry into the universal Church of Christ.
Renewing those
vows for one’s self, when old enough to understand and make the choice, we call
confirmation or “renewal of baptismal vows”. Because the choice of adult
baptism or confirmation is a conscious one, this act then is made within a
particular denomination and, in the United Church, one then becomes a “full
member” of a Congregation and of the denomination. All activities of the
Church in the United Church of Canada are open to all people without any
questions asked, but a few privileges are reserved for full members.
Becoming a full
member through adult baptism or confirmation (if baptism occurred as an infant
or in a denomination radically different) is a declaration of a desire and
intent to participate fully in life of that particular community of
faith. The action is recorded in our Church Register and the ‘confirmed’
person is extended further privileges in the life of the Congregation. At the present, this includes voting on
spiritual matters, becoming an elder, becoming a representative to higher
courts of the church and voting on and participating in activities which lead
to the choosing of new clergy. A recent remit has given congregations the
right to allow, by motion, those who are present, whether full members or not,
to voting privileges on all matters concerning the Congregation. However, there may still be certain positions
within the Church structure which require the person holding them to be in full
membership.
In summary, at
baptism we are accepted as members of the whole body of Christ, the Holy
Catholic or universal church of Christ, and therefore are members of the
denomination – no matter our age. In adult baptism or at the renewal of
our baptismal vows (also known as confirmation), we accept the commitment and
expectations of living and growing in faith in the Christian church and we make
a conscience choice about how and where we want to live out that
commitment. It is a public profession of faith; a statement that acts out
an inner transformation.
Baptism is about
belonging and believing and is a visible sign of an invisible and inward act of
the Spirit.
A renewal of Baptismal Faith is always appropriate and from time to time, the
congregation as a whole may be invited to remember their baptismal faith.
Today is one such day. Those who are visiting with us today may choose to
participate with us, or merely to follow along. This is not a sacrament,
but a remembering. The words, which follow in content the general
questions in most denominations, are based on the New Creed which was repeated
just prior to our service.
Let us stand and
remember our baptism.
(The worship service continued
with a renewal of baptismal faith by the Congregation – insert for that part of
the service is printed below)
Remembering Our Baptism
Baptism celebrates God’s initiative and our response. It
is God’s “Yes” to us, and our “Yes” to God. It is a sign of the Divine-human
covenant. Baptism flows from God’s unmerited grace and pours out in lives of
gratitude and commitment. As initiation into the Church, the Body of Christ, it
is an act of welcoming, blessing, and belonging.
Our baptismal identity is both individual and communal.
Baptism honours the diversity of individuals and challenges us to be a
community of equals.
Baptism does not need to be repeated. However, it is
appropriate, both for individuals and congregations, to renew the faith
expressed in the baptismal covenant from time to time.
~excerpt from Celebrate God’s Presence (UCC
Service Book)
Scripture:
As many of you as were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ. There is
no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer
male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
~Galatians 3:27-28 NRSV
Let us stand
and remember our baptism:
Congregational Renewal of Baptismal Faith
One: Do you believe in God, who has created and is creating, who has
come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, and who works in
us and others by the Spirit?
All: I do, by
the grace of God.
One: Desiring the freedom of new life in Christ, do you seek to resist
evil, and to live in love and justice?
All: I will,
God being my helper.
One: Will you proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, in your words and
actions?
All: I will,
God being my helper.
One: Will you join with your brothers and sisters in this community of
faith to celebrate God’s presence, live with respect in creation, and love and
serve others?
All: I will,
God being my helper.
One: As a baptized and baptizing church, will you continue to support
and nurture each other within a community which worships God, resists evil, and
seeks justice?
All: We will,
God being our helper.
A New Creed
(Pouring of Water)
One: Remember your baptism and be thankful.
All: Amen.
United Church
of Canada Statements and Creeds on Baptism
1925 – Basis of Union:
Article XVI. Of the
Sacraments.
We
acknowledge two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which were
instituted by Christ, to be of perpetual obligation as signs and seals of the
covenant ratified in His precious blood, as a means of grace, by which, working
in us, He doth not only quicken but also strengthen and comfort our faith in
Him, and as ordinances through the observance of which His Church is to confess
her Lord and be visibly distinguished from the rest of the world.
Baptism with water into the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is the sacrament by which are signified and
sealed our union to Christ and participation in the blessings of the new
covenant. The proper subjects of baptism are believers and infants presented by
their parents or guardians in the Christian faith. In the latter case the
parents or guardians should train up their children in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord and should expect that their children will, by the
operation of the Holy Spirit, receive the benefits which the sacrament is
designed and fitted to convey. The Church is under the most solemn obligation
to provide for their Christian instruction.
The Lord’s Supper is the
sacrament of communion with Christ and with His people, in which bread and wine
are given and received in thankful remembrance of Him and His sacrifice on the
Cross; and they who in faith receive the same do, after a spiritual manner,
partake of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to their comfort,
nourishment, and growth in grace. All may be admitted to the Lord’s Supper who
make a credible profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus and of obedience to
His law.
1940 – Statement of Faith:
X. The Sacraments.
We believe that the Sacraments of Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper are effectual means through which, by common things and simple
acts, the saving love of God is exhibited and communicated to His people, who
receive them in faith.
We believe that in Baptism
men are made members of the Christian society. Washing with water in the name
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit signifies God’s cleansing from sin
and an initial participation in the gifts and graces of the new life. The
children of believing parents are baptized and nurtured in the family of God so
that they may in due time take upon themselves the yoke of Christ.
We believe that the Lord’s Supper perpetuates
the fellowship between Christ and His disciples sealed in the upper room, that
at His table He is always present, and His people are nourished, confirmed, and
renewed. The giving and receiving of bread and wine accompanied by His own
words signifies the gracious self-giving of Christ as suffering and living Lord
in such wise that His faithful people live in Him and He in them.
So we acknowledge Baptism
as God’s appointed means of grace at initiation into the Christian fellowship;
and the Lord’s Supper as His appointed means of maintaining the fellowship in
health and strength, and as the act of worship in which the whole soul of man
goes out to God and God’s grace comes freely to man.
1968 (Rev. 1980, 1995) - A New Creed – baptism not specifically
mentioned
2013 – A Song of Faith
In grateful response to God’s abundant love,
we bear in mind our integral connection
to the earth and one another;
we participate in God’s work of healing and mending creation.
To point to the presence of the holy in the world,
the church receives, consecrates, and shares
visible signs of the grace of God.
In company with the churches
of the Reformed and Methodist traditions,
we celebrate two sacraments as gifts of Christ:
baptism and holy communion.
In these sacraments the ordinary things of life
—water, bread, wine—
point beyond themselves to God and God’s love,
teaching us to be alert
to the sacred in the midst of life.
Before conscious thought or action on our part,
we are born into the brokenness of this world.
Before conscious thought or action on our part,
we are surrounded by God’s redeeming love.
Baptism by water in the name of the Holy Trinity
is the means by which we are received, at any age,
into the covenanted community of the church.
It is the ritual that signifies our rebirth in faith
and cleansing by the power of God.
Baptism signifies the nurturing, sustaining,
and transforming power of God’s love
and our grateful response to that grace.
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