Acts 2:1-21
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism
It doesn’t get better than this. We gather this Pentecost morning to baptize Charlotte, Sophie, Adelia, Scout, Andrew, Patrick, Angelina, and Abigail. We come together from near and far to share in the joy of family reunions and the gladness of witnessing God’s love for these children.
You and I are participating in a remarkable, even revolutionary, thing this morning. What is remarkable is that everyone is here on time! Everyone is up, dressed and ready by 10 a.m. What is revolutionary is that eight families come together in hope and gladness to have their children blessed by God through water and the spirit.
These children being baptized will not know for some time what is happening to them today. They will not know that on this day of May 31, 2009 that there were gathered scores of people whose hearts were filled with love and gladness for them. They will not know for some time that Christians call this festival day “the Birthday of the Church.”
It was the day when the Holy Spirit breathed on the huddled and dejected apostles and made them brave enough to go change the world. It was the day the Christian Church was born. They may not know for years that on this day they became “Christians” and were marked as Christ’s own forever.
It will be up to you – parents, godparents, grandparents, family and friends – to tell them what happened today. It will be up to you to share with them biblical stories of God’s people. It will be up to you, and all of us, to tell them about the peoples’ covenant with God that took them from slavery to liberation and of God’s redeeming love through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It will be up to you to walk with them on their life long spiritual journey reminding them that love is stronger than hate, that service is better than being served, and that faith casts out fear.
Someday in the future, if they so wish, each of the newly baptized today, will make the baptismal promises and vows on their own. Years from now, each of them will be old enough to ask the questions and honor the answers for themselves. But, in the meantime, as they stand under the shadow of your wings, I hope you will remind them of this day – the day we gathered as the Church with smiles on our faces. The moment we were filled with the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t get much better than this.
I have no doubt you will be asked questions about God. They might want to know where heaven is; or why bad things happen. Someday, they might ask you what is baptism; and you may want to say that baptism is not only a single event that happened once upon a time on May 31, 2009; but it is also a life long journey of blessing, promise and discovery.
The children’s baptisms today serve as a reminder of our own baptisms. We belong to a diverse world-wide communion that is African and Japanese, Indian and Hispanic, southern hemisphere and northern hemisphere, male and female, black and white, young and old, gay and straight, rich and poor. Many thousands upon thousands of Christians of many tongues and languages are celebrating today through baptism, Eucharist, scripture and song this great Christian festival of Pentecost.
May you enjoy and savor this day with gladness knowing that the Household of Faith called the Church needs and prays for you. Believe that the Holy Spirit will enable and empower you for the work of ministry to serve the least, the last, the lost and the lonely. Be of good cheer and remember who you are and whose you are continuing to live more deeply into your own baptismal vows with faith, hope and charity.
This is indeed that day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! It does not get better than this!
And now to God – Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer – may all honor and praise be given. Amen.
