Dear Friends
There have been and will be in the future, special
pictures with my granddaughter. But the ones from Rosella’s baptism last
Sunday, will always be near the top. I’m still smiling.
We are so thankful for the church families
which nurtured Christopher, helped him along on
his lifelong journey to “grow into the full stature of Christ”---Trinity,
Redlands, where he was baptized, and where he “sang” in the choir every Sunday (he was
in the snuggly Kathleen wore every Sunday as she really was a member of the
choir) and of course St. John’s,
Corona which included everything from church school, vacation bible school,
youth group, acolyte and for many years, playing the piano and keyboard for our services which
led to being the accompanist for the Circle City Chorale.
Needless to say,
we were so glad Christopher and Raizah chose an Episcopal church to have their
daughter baptized (All Saint’s, Riverside, where he was confirmed
during a deanery service many years ago). While we wished all our beloved
Trinity and St. John’s church friends could have been there, we are thankful
for the 21st century technology that lets us share special events.
(You can watch the April 21st 10 am service on the All Saint’s
Riverside facebook page and I have also attached my sermon below).
We hope for and look forward to many other
special events in Rosella’s life, as all grandparents do.
But this one will be hard to beat. A special bonus was having Christopher and
my sister Susan each offer piano offerings and Emily taking pictures from the
balcony. And all this taking place on my sister Mary Bek’s birthday. Just five
days shy of her stroke one year ago, she continues to be an inspiration to us
all.
John
In the name of our
risen Christ and Good Shepherd. Amen.
Today is the 4th Sunday of
Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday because of the collect and gospel
appointed for this day. And today, according the the Gospel according to Google, April
21st is National Chocolate-covered Cashews Day, National Yellow Bat
Day, and National Kindergarten Day, among others. April 21st is
also, among others, the birthday of Charlotte Bronte, Tony Romo, Patti Lupone, Charles
Grodin, Queen Elizabeth and Mary Irvin Baker. Only my sister Mary could make it
today. Happy Birthday and here’s your birthday gift; a bag of chocolate covered
cashews!
But there is one more person who was born today. And some words spoken by this person will lead us to what we are celebrating on this Good Shepherd Sunday. This person said, “Heaven knows, that John the Baptist was not more eager to get all his fellow sinners into the Jordan, than I to baptize all of mine in the beauty of God’s mountains.”
Happy Birthday, John Muir, on this Earth Day Eve, from this congregation that cares about creation care!
Muir makes one more reference to the sacrament
we are going to administer to Rosella Elicia Kanita Saville in a few moments: “This
sudden plush into wilderness---baptism in nature’s warm heart---how utterly
happy it made us! (Speaking for all
of Rosella’s family who I want to welcome this morning, how happy this day is
making us). Muir continues: “Nature streaming into us, wooingly teaching,
preaching, her glorious living lessons…Here, without knowing we were in school,
every lesson a love lesson…”
Baptism
in nature’s warm heart. Those words greeted me on a signpost as I started one
of the most physically and mentally challenging backpacking trips of my life. The
hike felt like a baptism by immersion into one of the most beautiful parts of
Yosemite National Park. Today we are baptizing Rosella into the warm heart of
the Good Shepherd, by pouring water and marking with oil and lighting a candle.
Like we welcome all of God’s children of any age into the Body of Christ, we pray
that she may be immersed in a life full of God’s love and joy, grace and peace.
Martin Luther said “when you wash your face, remember your baptism”.
I like to simply say, “Rembember you are baptized”. So while much of the
rest of this sermon is directed to Rosella, I encourage you to eavesdrop. Remembering
you are baptized, each day you wake up, can make all the difference for that
day, for every day, for whatever any day may bring.
Rosella. I know your parents will help you learn your ABC’s. At your dad’s baptism 39 years ago, I preached about the three B’s of baptism: Belonging, Bearing Fruit and being Born Again. Since then, over the years, I have developed an outline for baptism instruction which I’d like to introduce to you today, and we’ll go over it as you grow up. Maybe over ice cream after we play all the miniature golf courses at Castle Park!
The title of the study guide is “Baptism: It’s a matter of death and
life.” Verses from Paul’s letters to the Romans and Galatians which inspired that
title are “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized in Christ
Jesus, were baptized into his death?” “I
have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but
Christ who lives in me.” I’ll share
more later, but that’s really good news.
Now, here are seven things happening today and in time, I’ll go over
each one with you and the bible verses which support them:
Today, Rosella, you are being adopted into
God’s family.
Today, you are being grafted into the vine.
Today, you are being admitted into the
hospital for sinners.
Today, you are being drafted into God’s
army.
Today, you are being ordained for
ministry.
Today, you are being elected to the
communion of saints.
Today you are being placed under the loving
care of the Good Shepherd.
And you thought, you were just
being baptized!
On this Good Shepherd Sunday, let me share a bit more about being
assigned to the Good Shepherd. I am reminded of the parable of the lost sheep
and the good news that no matter what, however lost we may become, our Good
Shepherd will always seek and find us, and bring us home. Today’s gospel
reminds us of the intimate relationship we have with Jesus: “I know my own
and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” And
from the 1940 hymnal, there is this hymn I grew up singing which begins:
“Jesus, tender Shepherd,
hear me,
Bless thy little
lamb tonight;
Through the
darkness, be thou near me,
Keep me safe till
morning light.”
We’ll learn that hymn plus one inspired by
the parable of the lost sheep called, “Once a sheep was in a pasture”, set to a
tune you’ll love by a guy named Beethoven named, “Ode to Joy”.
Rosella, the water I pour on you represents God’s washing, and cleansing and drowning, so you might be raised to a new life, every day of your life. The oil used to make a cross on your forehead represents God’s Spirit, sealing and marking you as Christ’s beloved child forever. The candle you receive represents the light of Christ that will lead and guide you through all the changes and chances and challenges of this life, and bring you through them and home, safe and sound.
Speaking of candles, I’m guessing there may be one this coming September
29th when you turn one. April 21st will be another day to
celebrate each year, the day you were welcomed into the Body of Christ by the
saints of All Saints Riverside, where we help each other to keep growing into
the full stature of Christ-----which will only take a lifetime.
Oh the places you’ll go, Rosella. Baptized into nature’s warm heart, you
will see animals and birds, (lots of birds), flowers and trees, mountains and
rivers. Oh the places you’ll go, Rosella. Baptized into the Good Shepherd’s
warm heart, you will hear stories and meet saints; you will hear music and sing songs;
you will feel Jesus’ love and forgiveness; you will taste and see that God is
good and always close by, as close as your breath, as close as your heartbeat.
In the meantime, here is a prayer for everyone; for all who have been or
will be baptized, at whatever age, and wherever they find themselves on this
journey we all share, together.
Loving Father, it is a precious thing to
see a life begin. I celebrate Rosella’s beginning this morning. And, I
celebrate that you have sought out and will continue to seek me out with your
love. I knew a man who was 76 years old, and he said he was just starting out
with you, just beginning to live. I want that, Lord. I want that freshness,
that sense of beginning with you. Thanks for unlimited chances to begin again.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment