LAKE JAMES

NORTH CAROLINA

Epiphany I + Baptism of Christ + St. Paul’s, Morganton, NC

+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

As we observe this Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, it seems appropriate to review what the Church teaches about the Sacrament of Baptism and why it teaches what it does.

In the Acts of the Apostles, there is a description of the first Christian Pentecost when some 3,000 people gathered. They had been converted through the preaching of St. Peter, but, although converted, they were not yet baptized. St. Luke, the author of the Book of the Acts, makes it clear that later, they did receive that sacrament and so became united to Christ as members of His Church. We know that baptism itself was instituted by Jesus after his resurrection and before his ascension. St. Matthew records Our Lord’s command to the Church through the ages with the unambiguous words “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The Church teaches that two things are generally necessary for those who are to be baptized, namely faith and repentance. “Faith,” meaning acceptance of the Christian religion as taught by the Church, and “repentance” meaning true contrition for one’s sins. Actually, both “faith” and “repentance” are needed not only when we receive baptism, but also when we receive Holy Communion, Confirmation, Penance, or any of the other sacraments. If that’s so, why do we baptize infants and young children who are not mature enough to have either faith or repentance?

Under the ancient covenant between God and the Jews, males were admitted to membership in the People of God through circumcision, a rite conducted when the child was 8 days old. The early Church believed that being admitted to the blessings of the new covenant should not be harder than under the old, remembering Christ’s own words “let the little children come to me – do not forbid them – for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” And, of course, in the Holy Gospel we learn that Jesus took little children into his arms and blessed them, showing that it is quite possible for God’s blessing to be given even when the one receiving that blessing may have little or no conscious understanding of what he or she is receiving.

From the writings of early theologians, we know that those very points were quite significant in the development of the Church’s practice of baptizing infants, but perhaps most importantly, infant baptism emphasizes that, as in all of God’s dealings with humans, the beginning is not with us, but with God! (And isn’t that fortunate!) If it were the other way around, we’d be in quite a mess!

Most of us, I think, have discovered that conversion may take place long after baptism. And sometimes, it’s not conversion, but conversions (plural). Sometimes, it may be that one was baptized as an infant but for various reasons, received little or no Christian formation while growing up and so, at best, had a tenuous relationship to the Church and an active faith. For others, it may be that childhood Sunday School and church-going gave way to adolescent rebellion or simply a drift into apathy or unbelief. Still others may have had the kind of crises or tragedies which called their faith into question or even made that faith seem more like wishful thinking than reality. Perhaps some here this morning may be thinking, “that sounds a lot like me!”

Some years ago, a fascinating book appeared entitled “Modern Canterbury Pilgrims.” It consisted of articles by converts to Anglicanism from such backgrounds as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Atheism, and Agnosticism. But to me, one of the most interesting was the piece by a world-famous poet describing his conversion from being a nominal Anglican to being an active, believing Anglican. He had been baptized as an infant in the Church of England, in his youth was moderately faithful as far as church-going was concerned, although he didn’t find much of real importance in doing so. He said that, at the time, it was “the appropriate thing to do – rather like brushing one’s teeth!” Then, in the midst of his adult years, he discovered that there was something to it after all!

He was overwhelmed by the sacramental life, especially receiving the Lord in Holy Communion and having his sins actually forgiven through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He wrote “the way of salvation stopped being just words and became experienced lived reality!” A theologian might say that the flame of grace he had received at baptism, long dormant like embers in a fireplace, had burst into life. The poet just said that he had come to know and love his Lord. But what happened after that conversion? The same poet was not known for living the most saintly of lives, even after that conversion experience. He struggled with sin and self for the rest of his life, and being such a famous person, his struggles were sometimes quite public! But he had become a believing Christian, one to whom Jesus really mattered, and whose grace kept him at it, even despite repeated lapses into sin.

For most of us, conversion is not a once-and-for-all event after which we can relax and enjoy our holiness, but rather, conversion is just the beginning of a new, exciting relationship with God and His creation, very much including other people and the world in which we live. It’s quite like falling in love with someone – and then having to work at the relationship which follows.

Whether God brings us into that special relationship with Him, and with others, through baptism as infants, youngsters, adolescents, or adults, we are never so ready, never so perfect in our faith, never so unmixed in our repentance for sin, that we earn a right to being Christians – that’s always God’s gift.

On this feast of the Baptism of Christ, may we reflect prayerfully on what happens in the Sacrament of Baptism, and especially on what happened to each one of us when we were baptized. But even more, may we be gratefully aware of the continuing love and mercy of God to us since our baptisms as, in the words of today’s Collect, we strive to keep the covenant we made, confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior.

In just a moment, we will have the opportunity to join in a reaffirmation of our baptismal vows. May the words we say be reflected in the way we live.

+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

This page last modified on Friday, April 11, 2008 09:39 PM