Category Archives: baptism

January 9, 2012

Nothing to Lose: The Baptism of our Lord

By Keith Anderson


Baptism of Jesus by Leonardo da Vinci

“You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” These are powerful, life-changing, live-saving words.

In our Gospel reading this morning, Jesus comes to baptized by John when he is around 30 years old. In Mark’s Gospel this is the first we see of him. From the other Gospels we know that he was born in Bethlehem, immediately fled to Egypt to escape Herod’s slaughter of the first born sons of Israel, and that, according to Jewish custom, when we was twelve years old he was presented at the Temple in Jerusalem, where he stayed late to school priests on the fine points of theology. That’s all we know about the first 30 years of Jesus’ life.

So, when Jesus comes to the Jordan, he is an unknown. He hasn’t done any teaching, healing, nothing else the Gospel writers thought it was necessarily to chronicle. This is his first public event and the inauguration of his public ministry.

Jesus wades into the water, is plunged down by John. When he emerges from the water, the heavens break open, the Holy Spirit descends and rests on him, and a voice, that voice, comes down from the sky,

“You are my Son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased.”

This one sentence, these twelve words are a big deal. God, Jesus’ Father, claims him – “this is my child,” in front of everyone declares his love for him – “my beloved,” and says how proud he is of Jesus, “with whom I am well pleased.”

God says, “Everyone, this is my child, whom I love more than anything in the world. I am so proud of him.”

How To Save A Life
These are powerful words. And you know that if you ever had someone say them to you. When you hear words like this, you know you are safe, loved, secure, that you belong. It is a foundation from which to dream dreams and pursue them. There are many of you who never heard those words from a parent – and you too know how powerful these words are (perhaps even more so) – because they are words you have longed to hear, but haven’t. You know how much it would mean to hear these words – and I hope you have heard them from an aunt or uncle, spouse or partner, sister or brother, friend. (And, if from no one else, hear them from God this morning. “You are my child. My beloved.”) Continue reading

Leave a comment | posted in baptism, baptism of jesus, epiphany, freedom

January 9, 2011

A New Story. A New Destiny.

By Keith Anderson

Five days before Christmas, I was struck down with the worst stomach flu I have ever experienced in my life.  I spent the better part of four days lying flat on my back and praying for it to be over.  My only comfort was chicken soup and movies – lots of movies.  I wound up watching a whole series of movies that are set here in Boston – Mystic River, The Departed, The Town, Good Will Hunting. And after Christmas, just to round it out, I saw the new movie The Fighter, which was filmed up in Lowell.

It’s neat to see places you know and hear people try to pull off the Boston accent.  But these movies had much more in common than just their location.  Each of them, in their own way, addressed the same question – and that is whether people can transcend their past, their tough neighborhoods, traumatic experiences, cycles of abuse and violence, family dysfunction, and all the stuff that life can throw at us.

The movies asked: Can a mediocre boxer from a dysfunctional family become a champion?  Can an abused kid find love and happiness?  Can childhood friends transcend terrible tragedy?  Can a drug addict turn his life around?  Can a community break a generations-long cycle of violence?  Can they realize a new destiny? Continue reading

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in baptism, baptism of jesus, choices, epiphany

November 8, 2010

All Saints

By Keith Anderson

Every year on the first Sunday of November, the Church pauses from its labors in order to fulfill one of her most solemn duties: to remember her saints.  This day is set apart on the church’s calendar, and in the church’s life, to remember those who died in the faith and now live forever in God.  Today, we remember those dearest to us who have died, whether recently or long ago.  As a congregation, we remember our members and friends who have died and gone on to eternal life – and claim that though we are separated for a time, we remain united in the communion of saints, in the one Body of Christ.

Ephesians

However, this is a day not just to reflect on death, but on life.  It is a  day not just reflect on the great and final resurrection to eternal life, but on the resurrection life that God invites us to live here and now.  Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and our Gospel from Luke both speak about living as saints (yes, as sinners and saints at the same time) – but saints nonetheless – people claimed and blessed by God, people given a holy calling.

In our reading from Ephesians, Paul expresses deep gratitude for the Ephesians’ faith and their living of the Gospel.  This was a congregation of new Christians.  As one commentator writes, “because of their response to the Gospel, [the Ephesians] were experiencing a radical transformation of their personal and social identity.  They were being resocialized into God’s purposes and family.  Their new identity was in formation, and the letter is designed to guide them from their baptism toward their presentation as the unblemished bride of Christ [at their death].”  Paul starts with God’s great cosmic plan and then locates within that plan the life of each believer: from baptism to resurrection.  And so, Paul is tracing the arc, the trajectory, of the Christian life for these new believers and this nascent church.

And Paul’s wishes for the Ephesians (and for us) as we journey between baptism and resurrection are these:

  • That we might have a spirit of wisdom and revelation (to be intelligent and discerning)
  • That the eyes of our hearts enlightened (to be focused and clear)
  • That we would know the hope to which God has called us (to see our calling)
  • That we would know the immeasurable greatness of God’s power – the power of the resurrection that raised Jesus from the dead (endless energy, boundless strength.)

It’s all summed up in verse 11 – and I like the version found in the Bible translation The Message best: “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.”  It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for – how we are to live and what we are to do in this life. The journey between baptism and resurrection is a journey of discovery – discovering who we are in Christ…and what we are living for (what we are here to do with the time and the gifts and the life we have been given.) Continue reading

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in all saints, baptism, resurrection

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.