In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." (From the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark)
We heard much of this reading just a few weeks ago at the Baptism of Christ. And here, less than 2 months later, we have it again. The authors of our lectionary point us to baptism, which is always a good thing. It's got me wondering about what baptism means in our lives today. What does it mean to be "buried with Christ in his death...[and to] share in his resurrection**"?
I don't remember my baptism, but I sometimes think of it when I meet Ed, my favorite pan handler. I struggle with what it means to live into Jesus' call to care for the poor and my own conflicting ideas about handing out cash on the street. I think about it when I watch the news and feel the simultaneous ache and callousness of my heart at the daily reportings of gun violence that lead to far too many deaths of children on the streets of Chicago. I think about it when I wonder how the conflict in the land I so love, Israel/Palestine, will ever come to a peaceful end. What does my baptism mean in these contexts? What am I called to do? How do I trust God, how do I trust the waters of baptism in the midst of conflict and struggle?
So my question, dear friends, this day is about baptism. What does your baptism mean to you? How do you (or do you) live out your baptism every day? And what, if anything, do you remember of your baptism?
**Book of Common Prayer p. 306
This is Sarah testing the comments section. Will it eat my comment?
ReplyDeleteThat's tough, Sarah.
ReplyDeleteI had a full immersion baptism in a huge Baptist church, dressed in a white robe, in front of hundreds of people when I was 16. I was alone. No one from my family was there. It was a choice I came to on my own. I honestly thought everything in my life would change from that moment on, that I would literally be "saved" from my terrible life. The Baptist church really stressed salvation with little focus on what is expected of us as Christians.
Now that I'm Catholic, I focus a lot on "good works" and try to think and act with compassion, try being the operative word. I never really thought about it so much in relation to my own baptism though as I think about it in relation to communion.
You've given me much to ponder, Rev. Sarah! Thanks!
Thank you for reminding us that Lent is about Baptism! It completely changes how one thinks about Lent if one remembers that the whole point is preparation for Baptism at the Easter Vigil-- be it our own, others in our community, and/or the reminder of our own baptismal vows. It's all about baptism.
ReplyDeleteI remember my baptism. I was 13. It was full immersion. I've only really considered my baptism in recent years. Lately I've been struck by the imagery that comes out of the Christian East, that in Baptism we "put on Christ." In my baptism I took on Christ. For me, that is a challenging image-- it gives me more responsibility than I think I would like, sometimes.