Baptism and the Holy Spirit. 31 May 2009

31 May 2009--Baptism and the Holy Spirit. 

 I cannot tellyou how grateful I am to be able to baptize on Pentecost and bring together oneof the two central sacraments in the church with one of the three holy days in the church year. Before I tell you how those come together, let me offer you three basic things about them separately, beginning with the Spirit
 
 First, that it is Scriptural. The second verse of thefirst chapter of the first book of Genesis says (in the King James Version)“The Spirit brooded over the face of the deep.” That Spirit is to be identified with the Spirit that guided Balaam (Numbers 24:02), Jephthah (Judges 11:29),Saul (1 Sam. 11:06), Elisha (2 Kings 2:16) and on through hundreds to references all the way to Revelation 22:17, where “The Spirit and the bride say “Come.” 
 
 Second that it is palpable. It is concrete in some of theways the incarnate Lord was concrete. Though most of us think of it as an invisible “force” akin to electricity, it manifests in physical ways. That aspect is built right into the language: in both Hebrew and Greek, the samewords can be translated either “breath” or “spirit” or “wind.” After the ascension, the Spirit came to the disciples with a sound “like wind.” The resurrected Jesus breathes the Spirit on the disciples by the Sea of Galilee(John 20:22). (One of its palpable characteristics, that gets more attention in other denomination is tongues.) 
 
 Third that it is productive. It DOES things. It gives things. Sometimes scripture calls these gifts, sometimes fruits.  In Isaiah 11:02, there are six of them.In the 12^th chapter of first Corinthians, there are nine. In the 5^thchapter of Galatians, there are nine; in the 12^th chapter of Romans ,I count seven. You can check my math. But more important, check the references.And live in the Spirit.
 
Now three basic things about Baptism. But first let me say something that Baptism is NOT. Baptism is not magic. Unless Jill and Misty and Tambri RESPOND to their Baptism, then all we have done here is wash their foreheads. As the Jerusalem Bible puts it, Baptism “confers power to grow in faith and good works.” It doesnot confer a condition; it confers a power.
 
Now let me say what Baptism IS.  First it is fundamental. Baptism, along with Eucharist, are the two rock-bottom sacraments agreed upon by nearly every denomination, and of the two, Baptism is probably the most basic. All four gospel accounts agree that Christ himself was baptized, and three of them agree that it was done by John the Baptist. (Luke omits John from his account.) All agree that it was an important event, accompanied by miraculous signs—a dove descending, the voice of God declaring “This is my son in whom I am well pleased.”
 
Baptism’s fundamental character has always consisted of two aspects: purification and renewal. In Baptism, something is said to pass away or to die, and something is said to renew or to be reborn. In the Middle Agesthe emphasis was often on the passing away. Baptism was said to wash away the effects of original sin. This led to the doctrine, never universally held, that un-baptized persons might be condemned to hell-fire through no fault of their own. Let me stress that the church no longer holds this doctrine, if it ever did. I know of no responsible theologian who would teach that un-baptized personsare condemned. We are condemned or saved by the grace of God and our response to it, not by decisions made by other people. 
 
Our emphasis is now on renewal, which brings me to my second basic fact about Baptism: That it is connected to Christ’s death and resurrection. Through that connection, renewal is so powerful that St. Paul, on at least two occasions compares it to a death. In Romans chapter 6 and again in Colossians chapter 2,  St. Paul says that are buried with Christ in baptism and in baptism we are also raised to life with him. 
 
The image of old things passing  and new things being born is stronger when we baptize by immersion. Most of you have witnessed baptisms by immersion, which is practiced universally by fundamental denominations but increasingly by mainline churches as well. If we were baptizing by immersion, Misty and Jill would disappear into the water, holding their nose, three times. During the time they were under water, they would be unable to breathe. In the darkness of the water, with their eyes closed, they would suffer a little death. They would, symbolically, be letting go of their old life, leaving itbehind in the water.  And as they rose out of the water, they would breathe in the new life in Christ.
 
Can I share with you one more thing that I have been sharingwith the candidates as we have been preparing them for baptism? We have beentalking about baptismal renewal as a “Will transplant.” Medical science hasgiven us ways to transplant many things: hearts, livers, bone marrow. But the really important transplant is the exchange of our will for God’s will. Our natural human tendency is to get up every morning as ask, What do I want? What these people are doing then is committing themselves to get up every morning and ask “What does God want?” For Jesus, this was a natural act. For us, it is an act of continual discipline.  It is the most fundamental shift of consciousness that anyone can undergo.
 
Finally, Baptism, at least in our tradition it is the gateway to the Eucharist. After we baptize Jill and Tambri and Misty, they will come to the rail and receive communion.They will hold out their hands to receive the wafer and the cup, symbolically the body and blood of Jesus. They will take Jesus’ very body into their bodies, to be nourished physically by him. Older people here know that baptism was not always the gateway to the Eucharist. When I was growing up in the church, confirmation played that role. Butin 1976, as we adopted the new prayer book, we resurrected the old understanding of Baptism as the central initiation rite of the church, and I am more thangrateful. There is no moment in ministry I enjoy more or believe in more than when a little child comes to the rail and takes the wafer and the cup.
 
So there you are: three things about the Holy Sprit; three things about Baptism. As those two things were brought together on the firstPentecost described in the book of Acts in chapters 2 and 8 and 10, so we arebringing them together here. And those ancient events were no more blessed or  holy than what we witnesstoday.