Baptism of our Lord, Yr A (January 8, 2023) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
The Baptism of our Lord, Yr A (2023 STA) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Isaiah 42:1-9 St. Andrew’s on-the-Hill
Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 3:13-17
In the name of the one, holy, and living God:
in whom we live, and move, and have our being. Amen.
You are worthy.
I am going to pause here for a moment and let that sink in.
You are worthy.
I would wager that these words are difficult for us to hear,
and even more difficult for us to believe…
at least some of the time
if not most of the time.
You are worthy.
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan,
to be baptized by him.
John would have prevented him, saying,
“I need to be baptized by you,
and do you come to me?”
In other words John said, “I am not worthy.”
John had been preaching and teaching and baptizing, saying,
“One who is more powerful than I is coming after me;
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.”
So, when Jesus shows up as John is baptizing in the Jordan and asks John to baptize him,
John effectively says, “Who am I to baptize you?
I am not worthy.”
And Jesus replies…
Ah, but you are!
Let it be so.
John, you are worthy.
And John consented.
You see, our God is a God of abundance…
a God of generosity.
Our God is a God of new life…
a God of creation.
Our God is a God of radical welcome…
a God of wholly (holy) belonging.
Our God is a God who offers dignity and honor to all…
a God who names and claims our infinite worth
as we are claimed as God’s beloved.
This is who our God is,
and this is what we celebrate today as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord
and our own baptisms as well.
In today’s reading from Isaiah we hear of our God who creates and gives life.
Our God who created the heavens and the earth,
who gives breath and spirit to those who walk on the earth…
our God who holds our hand and walks with us.
In our reading from Acts we hear of our God who offers radical welcome and abundant life.
Our God who shows no partiality,
who accepts everyone who fears God
and follows in God’s ways of goodness and justice.
Our God, who, through the life and death of Jesus
offers us forgiveness and healing and peace.
What Good News this is indeed!
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.
And a voice from heaven said,
“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
In our own baptisms we are named and claimed as God’s beloved
and anointed with the power of the Spirit of God.
And then we are sent out.
As John was sent out to prepare the way for Jesus.
As Jesus was sent out to spread the abundant love and radical welcome of God,
claiming all who would follow as members of God’s family.
The name of this church is “St. Andrew’s on-the-hill.”
When I think of a church on a hill,
I immediately think of the passage in Matthew that says:
“You are the light of the world.
“A city built on a hill cannot be hid.
“No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket,
but on the lampstand,
and it gives light to all in the house.
“In the same way,
let your light shine before others,
so that they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Mt 5:14-16
John the Baptist,
Jesus,
Us…
this is our calling: to bear the Light of the glory of God to the world.
God calls us to be a light to the world,
to bring sight to the blind
and freedom to those who are bound.
This is what we promise in our baptismal covenant…
· To proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ
· To seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourself
· To strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being
Jesus shows us the way
and bids us to follow.
How do we do that?
How do we do that in real and tangible ways?
As individuals…
and as a community of faith.
This past week a woman called the church and marked her message as urgent.
When I called her back, she told me that she had received an eviction notice
and that her power was about to be shut off.
After talking for a few moments, I offered to pay her electric bill so that she could pay rent.
As she said, “What?! You would do that?”
I heard her voice crack with the “Thank you” that followed.
I could feel the tears burning in her eyes
and hear the renewed hope in her voice.
When she came to find the church to pick up the check to Duke Energy,
she could not find the church.
I got her to the parking lot at First Baptist across the street,
and she still couldn’t see the church!
I went out front to wave to her,
and she walked over.
We are a church on a hill,
and our light shines forth.
How can we become even more visible in our community?
Both literally and figuratively.
It dawned on me the next morning that I had not invited this woman to worship with us.
In our conversation it was clear to me that she is a woman of faith.
I presumed she had her own church,
but maybe she didn’t.
Even if she does,
it would have been nice for me to offer welcome to her here.
I failed.
Our God is a God of abundance…
a God of generosity.
Our God is a God of new life…
a God of creation.
Our God is a God of radical welcome…
a God of wholly (holy) belonging.
Our God is a God who offers dignity and honor to all…
a God who names and claims our infinite worth
as we are claimed as God’s beloved.
This is the Light that we are called to reflect in this world,
and in our baptisms we are given the power to do so.
Like Isaiah and Mary and Joseph
and John and Jesus and Peter,
will we, too, give our consent?
Amen.
