Four country churches in a small Texas town were having a terrible problem with squirrel infestations. Predictably, they all had different ways of dealing with the problem.
The Presbyterians determined that the squirrels were predestined to be there, and they shouldn’t interfere with God’s divine will.
The Baptists, since the squirrels had taken up habitation in the baptistery, decided to put a cover on the baptistery and drown the squirrels in it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were twice as many there the next week.
The Methodists trapped the squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later, the squirrels were back.
The Episcopal Church came up with what they thought was the best and most effective solution: they baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter!
Over the past three days we have listened to an incredible amount of Holy Scripture: messianic prophecies concerning the suffering of Christ and reflections on the meaning of the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have been with Jesus at the Last Supper and when he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. We saw him beaten and sentenced to death on a cross; we walked with him as he carried his cross to Golgotha; saw him nailed to the cross, abandoned by his disciples except for John. And tonight, as we waited for the resurrection, we listened to scripture readings having to do with salvation history, sang psalms and canticles, and prayed.
As I have said throughout the Triduum, tonight’s liturgy is only part of the liturgy. It began on Maundy Thursday—and included everything that was done leading up to the wonderful proclamation that was made just a few moments ago. Alleluia! Christ is risen!
What we are experiencing during these three days is the meaning of the coming of Christ and the purpose for his earthly life, for it is to be seen in his passion, death, and resurrection. This is what is known as the Paschal Mystery and it is the Paschal Mystery into which we were baptized and which defines who we are as Christians. We celebrate it every time we gather together for Mass. It is the Paschal Mystery which informs how we view all of the teachings of Holy Scripture. We call it Paschal because it has to do with the Christian Passover, through which we pass over from slavery to freedom, from death to life. We call it a mystery because there is so much about it that we do not understand.
The early Church reserved baptisms for this one night alone, doing so because it is the Paschal Mystery which most fully discloses what baptism is about. That doesn’t mean that if we were to ask a sampling of persons in this room what the meaning of baptism is that we would come up with a unified answer. Some people don’t even call it baptism—they call it Christening and would not ever be found using the word baptism. Others wouldn’t think of using the word Christening. Some understand baptism simply as the rite through which one is saved. Others associate it simply with the forgiveness of sins, while others would associate it more with entrance into the Church. Baptism is all of these things and more.
While there are many aspects to baptism, it is certainly the means by which we are made Christian. Tonight God has made 13 new Christians through the rite of baptism. That does not mean that these new Christians have a full understanding of what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ; it would be ludicrous even to suggest that, since we baptize infants. Yet the baptism of infants especially is a strong sign that what makes a Christian is not the person, but God himself.
Baptism is a sacrament, and what we mean by that word is that it is primarily God’s doing. While our participation is important and expected, it is not the primary factor. Thirteen new Christians were made tonight by God’s action. Yet these baptisms were not a passive act. We all participated, especially Tony, the adult who was baptized, as well as some of the older children, and the parents and godparents of all of the children. Satan, all forms of evil, and sin were renounced and Jesus was accepted as Lord and Savior. Parents and godparents made solemn vows to God and to this assembly that the children they were presenting would indeed be brought up in the Christian faith and life and that they would help these children grow into the full stature of Christ. We all promised to do “all in our power to support them in their life in Christ.”
Promises are made by God in baptism and by the baptismal candidates or their sponsors. God promises that through baptism the person is made a full part of God’s family, the Church; given the Holy Spirit; made a participant in the death and resurrection of Christ; and given the forgiveness of sins. We promise, Jesus being our Lord and Savior, to believe the central tenets of the faith; to be faithful in going to church, saying our prayers, and reading and studying Holy Scripture; to resist evil; when we fall to repent; to bring others to Christ; to serve him in the needy; and to strive for justice and peace among all people.
God makes the Christian, but not without our willingness to participate in the process. When you come right down to it, baptism is the beginning of the Christian life just like conception is the beginning of human life.
What happens from then on is a partnership between the Christian and God. God gives us the grace to become loving, giving, self-offering, worshipping people and we either receive that grace and work with God in the process of becoming, or we reject it, turn our backs on him, and fall back into self-centered living. The reality is that most of us take a couple of steps forward, and then we take a step or two backward. The Christian life is not all progress, but God forgives and gives us a fresh start. In baptism he has made us a holy people. Our task is to become what we are.
To the newly baptized, I say to you welcome to the family of God. You and your sponsors have made some awesome promises before God and this assembly. By God’s grace and with the support of the Christian community, may you reflect in your life the very presence of Christ and so become the holy people he intends for you to be.
Sermon preached by The Very Rev. Fredrick A. Robinson
Church of the Redeemer
Sarasota, Florida
The Great Vigil of Easter
4 April 2015