Epiphany 1 Baptism

The beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry is the theme of the gospel readings on the Sundays after Epiphany, first his baptism and then the call of the apostles and Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. We break for Lent and Easter and resume after Trinity Sunday. This morning for the Creed we will reaffirm our Baptismal Covenant (page 292). The Covenant has 8 questions: 3 expect the answer “I believe” and 5 expect “I will, with God’s help.” The 3 “I believe” questions repeat the Apostles’ Creed. The 5 “I will with God’s help” questions ask: (1) Will you continue, (2) Will you persevere, (3) Will you proclaim, (4) Will you seek and serve, and (5) Will you strive?  To all 5 questions we answer “I will with God’s help.”

God has made  many covenants with God’s people – Genesis 9 the rainbow covenant with Noah and his descendants, Genesis 12-17 the covenant with Abraham and his descendants, Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy the 10 Commandments covenant with Moses and Israel, 2 Samuel 7 the kingdom covenant with David. Jeremiah  31:30 tells of God’s promise of a new covenant. And Christians see the Lord’s Supper as the sign of the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood.  

Both the Prayer Book Catechism (pp 844-862) and Luther’s Shorter Catechism  (1160-1167 in ELW) teach about the Creed, the “I believe.” Today let’s look at the 5 questions to which the expected answer is, “I will with God’s help.”  

We all know from our experience with New Year’s resolutions that human will alone cannot accomplish many results. But God gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit first to know God’s Truth and second in the Power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s truth.

The first of the 5 “I will with God’s help” questions is about life in the church. “Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?” Four interrelated parts of church life: teaching and learning, fellowship, holy communion, prayer. All four are important. We both are and are not solitary Christians. We are born alone but we are born into a family, into a biological family and into a church family, born into shared life and heritage. We will die alone, and by Christ’s resurrection we will be born again into a family “with angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven.” So we pray with and for one another, we share in broken bread and wine, we share in chili and cornbread.

The first question is continue, the second is persevere. “Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?” The temptation to give up is ever with us. Being a Christian takes courage. Owning up to our failures takes courage and humility. In the 12 Step programs people speak of “the great river of Egypt” Denial. Denial is easy; confession is hard – and healing. God gives us people who love us who help us know when we have done wrong, people who receive us with God’s love when we “repent and return to the Lord.” Jesus taught us in a prayer to say, “forgive us our sins or trespasses or debts as we forgive those who sin or trespass against  or owe us.”

Continue, persevere, proclaim. “Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?”  “Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.” “God so loved the world,  that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” To St. Francis of Assisi is attributed, “Preach the gospel, when necessary use words.” There is no record he said that. The closest record is from the Franciscan Rule of 1221, Chapter 12, “All the Friars should preach by their deeds.” We need to be clear in our own minds what we are doing and for whom we are doing it, and why, and then be prepared to speak of God’s saving grace.

Continue, persevere, proclaim, seek and serve. “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?”  I’ve been told, “Jesus calls us to love our neighbors and our enemies, because frequently they are the same people.”  My mother used to say, “We are all examples to one another; some of us are good examples.” God made us all. It is easy to discount people; it is sometimes hard to recognize God’s love in other people, particularly when they are so wrong about so many things. But the love of God for us calls us to love one another, to love with his love.

Finally, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” We can agree on the goal of justice and peace. We are free to differ in conscience on the means by which justice and peace are to be accomplished. We may well strive for different political candidates, but we are all called to respect the dignity of every human being. I read the Washington Post on line, and have become aware recently of some of the differences of opinion  inside the Beltway. It is easier to respect the dignity of some people than others, but our covenant is to respect the dignity of all. As a society we have made some progress, some progress in respecting the dignity of people who look different from us, progress in respecting the dignity of gay people. In the last few months our society has become more aware how common is sexual misbehavior and how common rare attitudes that do not respect women’s dignity. We have a way to go in respecting the dignity of every human being.

By ourselves, in our own strength, we cannot, but with God’s help we can. So let us thank God for his grace, God’s grace shown us in Jesus’ baptism, God’s grace poured out on us in our own baptisms, the grace of God’s Holy Spirit who strengthens us in prayer, in Bible study, and in this sacrament of Christ’s body and blood. God’s grace in Jesus Christ is shown forth in his baptism, in our baptisms, and in the body of all baptized people. God’s grace sustains us in this life and the life to come. Amen.