2nd

Baptism: A Community in Christ

Homilist: Dcn. Karen Reeman
St. James, Eatontown
Sunday after Pentecost (C), May 29, 2016

1. What day in the church year is the best day to be baptized? (trick
question) Every day!
The church recognizes certain days as being particularly appropriate:
Easter Vigil (or Easter Sunday), the Day of Pentecost, All Saint's Day
(or the following Sunday), and the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord
(the First Sunday after the Epiphany)1
Each of these days reveals a different aspect of the sacrament of
Baptism
2. Take for e.g., the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord (Jan. 10, 2016). In the
Gospel of Luke (Luke 3:15-17, 21-22):
John baptizes his followers with water, but says that Jesus is more
powerful and will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire.
After John baptizes Jesus with water, the Holy Spirit descends upon him
and a voice from heaven says, You are my Son, the Beloved, with you
I am well pleased.
Compare this with the ritual of baptism. During baptism the celebrant
pours water over the candidate, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and then places a hand on the candidates
head, marking the forehead of the newly baptized with the sign of the
cross pronouncing that they are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism
and marked at Christs own for ever. (BCP 308)
3. What does it mean sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christs
own? Lets look at some other Holy Days on which baptisms are frequently
performed. Today is the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost. Lets look at the Day of
Pentecost (May 15, 2016).
We know from Acts that on this day the disciples received the Holy
Spirit which allowed them to speak in other languages (Acts 2:1-21).
Many Christians consider the Day of Pentecost to be the beginning of
the Church
o Because Jesus promise of another advocate the Holy Spirit
had been fulfilled (Matt 3:11, John 14:15ff)
o And with the ability to speak in other languages, the human
family was no longer divided

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/baptism

Receipt of the Holy Spirit during baptism also results in group

membership. After every baptism the celebrant and people declare,
We receive you into the household of God. . . (BCP 308)

4. The idea of being baptized into a community is expressed most clearly on

All Saints Day (Nov. 1, 2016 or Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016), another Holy Day on
which baptisms are performed.
This is the day on which we particularly celebrate our connection with
Saints of the Church and with each other, joining Christians throughout
the ages in affirming our faith in the one God who created us,
redeemed us, and sanctifies us.
(http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/creeds)
In the Episcopal Church there are two foundational statements of faith
the Apostles Creed (BCP 96) used at baptism, and the Nicene Creed
(BCP 358-9) used at communion.
In the Apostles Creed, we confess our belief in the communion of
saints, the spiritual fellowship existing among all faithful Christians,
both living and dead (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/communion-ofsaints).
Our baptismal covenant is based on the Apostles Creed
(http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/creeds).
Thus we reaffirm our belief in the communion of saints when we renew
our own baptismal covenant during a baptism
5. What do we know about baptism so far by examining important Holy
Days?
Our ritual of baptism is based on Jesus own baptism by John the
Baptizer
Through baptism and the receipt of the Holy Spirit we become
members of the communion of saints
6. But what does it mean to be marked as Christs own? Lets look at the
Easter Vigil (March 26, 2016) or Easter Sunday (March 27, 2016; similar
scripture), probably the most popular Holy Day on which to perform
baptisms.
The Gospel of Luke recounts the discovery of the resurrection of our
Lord by the women of Galilee (inc. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary
the mother of James) (Luke 24:1-12; also option on Easter Sunday )
Pauls letter to the church in the city of Roman (Romans 6:3-11)
explains the theology of baptism:
o The death Christ died, he died to sin, once and for all (no further
sacrifices are necessary)
o When we are baptized, we are baptized into Christ Jesus

o Through baptism . . . we have died with Christ, we believe that

we will also live with him.
o Thus we can . . . consider [ourselves] dead to sin and alive to
God in Christ Jesus.
Which is summed up in the collect(s) (2 choices; also option on Easter
Sunday)
(http://www.lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Easter/CEasVigil_RCL.html):
o God gave up his only Son to death on the cross for our
redemption (#1)
o In baptism a Spirit of Adoption is given to us (#2)
o We ask for the grace to die daily to sin (on going) so that we may
continually live with Christ in the joy of his resurrection (#1)

7. So, what happens as a result of baptism?

Through baptism . . . we have died with Christ, we believe that we will
also live with him. (Romans 6:3-11)
We welcome the newly baptized into the household of God. (BCP
308)
As members we are entitled to participate in all the sacraments of the
church, the spiritual markers in our journey of faith. (i.e. outward
spiritual signs of inward spiritual grace BCP 857):
o Confirmation (the adult affirmation of our baptismal vows), pp.
413-419, Book of Common Prayer
o Reconciliation of a Penitent (private confession), pp. 447-452,
Book of Common Prayer
o Matrimony (Christian marriage), pp. 422-438, Book of Common
Prayer
o Orders (ordination to deacon, priest, or bishop), pp. 510-555,
Book of Common Prayer
o Unction (anointing with oil those who are sick or dying) pp. 453467, Book of Common Prayer
8. In a few moments, we will witness two baptisms and renew our own
baptismal covenant. Our baptismal covenant is a call to action. With
baptism we promise to:
o . . . seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving [our] neighbors
as [ourselves] (i.e. recognize the family of humanity)
o . . . strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect
the dignity of every human being. (i.e. equal opportunity and
access to resources for everyone)
9. Todays Epistle, Pauls letter to the churches of Galatia, reminds us how
easy it is to stray from God, i.e. to forget our baptismal covenant.
It was written by the Apostle Paul about 49 A.D. and is possibly his first
letter. Paul wrote this letter to address the problem of circumcision

and Jewish legalism toward Gentile believers.

(http://biblehub.com/summary/galatians/1.htm)
Paul wrote:
6
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one [i.e. Paul]
who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different
gospel7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some [i.e.
false teachers] who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel
of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-7)

10. Fortunately Lukes gospel today also gives us an example of devout faith.
In Capernaum Jesus is met by Jewish elders who implore him to heal
the slave of a centurion who truly loves his neighbors as himself.
According to the elders, He is worthy of having you do this for him,
5
for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.
(Luke 7:4-5).
Jesus agrees, but when he is close to the centurions house, the
centurion sends friends to meet Jesus because he feels he is unworthy.
The friends say to Jesus, Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I [the
Centurion] am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7 therefore
I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my
servant be healed. (Luke 7:6-7)
Jesus is amazed at the Centurions faith (love for the Jews and respect
for Jesus), Jesus turns to the crowd and says, I tell you, not even in
Israel have I found such faith. (Luke 7:9)
11. Baptism is not some sort of spiritual inoculation, with the remaining
sacraments functioning as spiritual booster shots.
A person cannot be a Christian in isolation, without community
o 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there
among them. (Matt 18:20)
o Through Baptism we become Gods adopted children (Collect:
Easter Vigil), full members of the household of God (BCP 308)
and heirs to the eternal Kingdom.

Everything we do, we do with Gods help

o Just as the body has several members, we are members of the
body of Christ (Roman 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12). Put another
way, Christ has no body but ours we are his hands and feet.
o Every promise we make in our baptismal covenant we make
knowing that God will help us (BCP 304)

12. What is the best way to continue to grow in Gods grace, to fulfill the
promises you make for the newly baptized and those that you reaffirm for
yourselves today?

o . . . proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in

Christ (i.e. witness to God and Christ in your lives)
o . . . continue in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in the
breaking of bread, and in the prayers. . . (i.e. come to church!)
AMEN