This Is Not Tame Water!

The Baptism of Christ

8 January 2012

Saint Faith’s Anglican Church

Vancouver BC

&

Saint Alban’s Anglican Church

Burnaby BC

            Twice in my life I have come close to drowning.  The first time was when I was in grade nine.  A friend and I had gone to the local high school pool and were playing around on the deck.  I fell into the deep end and could not reach the side or the ladder.  It was only my friend’s long arms, reaching into the water, that pulled me to safety. 

The second time was on a white-water rafting trip on the Yampa and Green Rivers in northwestern Colorado when I was in grade eleven.  I was in a small raft with three other Scouts and a guide.  When we hit the rapids, a cargo box swung free of its tie-downs and struck the guide on the side of the head and stunned him.  Since our guide was at the tiller and the only one who had a clear view of the rapids ahead, we immediately fell into the power of the current and were swept into the most dangerous part of the river.  I remember us being overwhelmed by a powerful wave and driven under.  I remember thinking, ‘So, this is death.’  But the current that drove us under also drove us back to the surface and eventually we were able to make the river bank.  Our friends who had already made the run had been watching us from a high point nearby and quickly came to our assistance.

These two episodes in my life taught me the importance of skills and knowledge.  After the first close call I improved my swimming skills considerably and achieved my Scouting badges in swimming and life-saving.  The second close call taught me the importance of knowing how rivers work and how to navigate their currents safely.  I did my homework and my second white-water rafting trip, some years later, had less drama but no less excitement and joy.

Frederick Buechner, the American writer and theologian, likes to point out that Christianity makes use of symbols that can death as well as life.  Bread is an essential part of life, but overeating can contribute to premature aging and death.  Wine can be a source of joy and fellowship, but we all know the dangers of over-drinking and addiction.  Water is a necessity for life on this planet, but all of us are aware of water’s shadow side:  floods, tsunamis and rot.

So here we are on this first Sunday after Epiphany celebrating the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John.  John’s use of baptism emerged from the Jewish tradition of mikvah, the ritual bathing that cleansed a person from anything that might inhibit her or him from participating in the religious life of the community.  Its origins are practical, but soon Jews attributed a spiritual dimension to the practice.

What John adds to the picture is this washing as a sign of the coming kingdom of God.  Although, in English, John’s message is translated as ‘repent’, the Greek word, metanoia, has a more complex meaning.  Metanoia means ‘changing one’s mind’ or ‘changing one’s perspective’.  One way of translating John’s message would be this:  ‘Change the way you look at the world.  Look at the world as God sees it, for that world is coming soon.’

My friends, when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, we remember that we have been plunged into waters of the mission that God began in the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.  These are not quiet or placid waters; they have strong currents and hidden obstacles that can overturn our rafts.  It is for this reason that our Anglican tradition has always emphasized the life-long nature of growing into faith rather than a moment here or an experience there.  If you and I want to navigate these waters of God’s mission, then we need to develop our skills and our knowledge.

            Developing our skills and our knowledge is not easy because it demands that we consciously devote ourselves to this task.  Our society has become so complex that many people have simply given up trying to understanding politics or economics or social policy, but navigating the baptismal waters of mission requires ‘all hands on deck’.  This means a personal commitment to prayer, study and action on the part of every one who bears the cross of Christ on her or his forehead.

            This is vital during a time when mature Christian faith is being pressed by fundamentalisms born of religious and non-religious  movements in society.  The future of communities such as Saint Faith’s and Saint Alban’s will not be decided by diocesan programmes or big-box religious hype.  Our future will be shaped by people like you and me who are able to share our faith with our neighbours, a faith that has room for questions and those who ask them, a faith that works for justice locally as well as globally, a faith that honours diversity because God loves infinite variety.

            But this future will not happen unless you and I develop those skills and knowledge that will make more able ministers of God in Christ.  It is good to hear the Scriptures proclaimed on Sunday and hear a sermon, but it is perhaps better to commit to reading and studying the Scriptures in the company of others or a good study guide.  It is good to participate in the prayers of the people, but it is perhaps better to learn more about prayer and to set aside time each day to listen for God.  It is good to pledge a portion of our financial resources to the ministry of the parish and diocese, but it is perhaps better to pledge a portion of our time and the use of our skills to initiatives and programmes, whether church-related or not, that work for the common good of our neighbourhoods and communities.

            So, my friends, welcome to the river!  Just as Jesus embarked on his public mission after his baptism by John in the Jordan, so too have we been sent on a public mission after our own encounter with the living God in the waters of baptism.  We’re going to need each other’s skills and knowledge to navigate these waters so that we can accomplish the mission we’ve been given:  to do justice, to manifest God’s steadfast love for us and for all creation, to walk humbly as God’s beloved. 

This is the mission that began when the Spirit hovered over the waters of creation.  This is the mission that continued when the Spirit descended upon Jesus in the waters of the Jordan.  This is the mission that continues when the Spirit descends upon those who enter the waters of baptism.  Thanks be to God.