Sermon Transcript: January 8, 2012 The First Sunday after the Epiphany and The Baptism of Our Lord
The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11
From Mark’s gospel, “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Do you hear voices? Not the voices of others, but rather, those voices in our heads that seem to clamor for our attention. I do. Sometimes my voices speak so loudly that I question my own sanity. (I know others question my sanity, too!) Often, those voices are simply the incessant chattering of our consciences, or perhaps they are none other than the voice of God while, at other times, the voices are clearly not of God. For some, speaking about voices in our heads conjures up that cartoonimage of an angel whispering into one ear, “Don’t do it,” while a devil is whispering into the other, “Go ahead. No one will know.” Yet, regardless of their source, I find that each one begs me to listen to their voice above any other. Learning to hear God’s voice in the midst of the daily noise around and within us, and tune out that which is not of God is what discernment is about. And discernment is something with which each of us struggle. For many, it is a daily struggle. We are constantly bombarded by noises and voices. How can we recognize God’s voice above the fray?
On this First Sunday after the Epiphany which celebrates the arrival of the Magi at Bethlehem and the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Light of the world, our scripture lessons turn our attention to God’s voice and how God empowered Jesus for ministry at his baptism. As much as I had hoped to preach about the role of baptism in our lives, my thoughts and prayers kept directing me back to these images of God speaking and those voices in our heads. How does God speak to us today and, perhaps even more important, why or for what purpose? And if God is speaking, how can we know God’s voice above all others?
The Psalmist describes God’s voice thundering as it splits flames of fire, shakes the land and causes trees to quake. At Christ’s baptism, a voice comes forth as the heavens are ripped open and in Genesis, God’s voice brings about the creation of the world. Those are pretty incredible images and certainly, if any of us experienced things like that, then we could easily recognize God’s voice. But, from my experience, the voices we hear are quieter: they nudge and gnaw at our conscience slowly urging us to listen and discern their message. But are they of God?
The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11
From Mark’s gospel, “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved.’” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Do you hear voices? Not the voices of others, but rather, those voices in our heads that seem to clamor for our attention. I do. Sometimes my voices speak so loudly that I question my own sanity. (I know others question my sanity, too!) Often, those voices are simply the incessant chattering of our consciences, or perhaps they are none other than the voice of God while, at other times, the voices are clearly not of God. For some, speaking about voices in our heads conjures up that cartoonimage of an angel whispering into one ear, “Don’t do it,” while a devil is whispering into the other, “Go ahead. No one will know.” Yet, regardless of their source, I find that each one begs me to listen to their voice above any other. Learning to hear God’s voice in the midst of the daily noise around and within us, and tune out that which is not of God is what discernment is about. And discernment is something with which each of us struggle. For many, it is a daily struggle. We are constantly bombarded by noises and voices. How can we recognize God’s voice above the fray?
On this First Sunday after the Epiphany which celebrates the arrival of the Magi at Bethlehem and the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Light of the world, our scripture lessons turn our attention to God’s voice and how God empowered Jesus for ministry at his baptism. As much as I had hoped to preach about the role of baptism in our lives, my thoughts and prayers kept directing me back to these images of God speaking and those voices in our heads. How does God speak to us today and, perhaps even more important, why or for what purpose? And if God is speaking, how can we know God’s voice above all others?
The Psalmist describes God’s voice thundering as it splits flames of fire, shakes the land and causes trees to quake. At Christ’s baptism, a voice comes forth as the heavens are ripped open and in Genesis, God’s voice brings about the creation of the world. Those are pretty incredible images and certainly, if any of us experienced things like that, then we could easily recognize God’s voice. But, from my experience, the voices we hear are quieter: they nudge and gnaw at our conscience slowly urging us to listen and discern their message. But are they of God?
The writer of Genesis describes the creation of the world saying that in the beginning … God’s spirit swept over the face of the waters like a wind. In the original Hebrew, this wind or the breath and spirit of God is described not just as a mere sweeping action, but rather, as moving, hovering, and brooding over the waters. Genesis is telling us that something is incubating here. Something incredible is about to happen. Then it does happen: God speaks, “Let-there-be-light”and suddenly there is light that splits the darkness; the universe is torn open. God speaks and it happens: the world comes into existence. But the story goes that much further: Yes, God speaks; it happens; and then God pronounces it good; separates it; and puts it into place. Everything God creates has a purpose and a specific role to undertake. Light is given so that we can see where we’ve been and where we are heading and everything else around us. But that is only part of God’s creative power. As Genesis says, this is only the beginning. When God speaks things change from what they were; something new begins.
Fast forward to today’s gospel reading where Mark tells us that this brooding, hovering, incubating spirit of God descends like a dove upon our Lord as he emerges from the waters of baptism. Once again, something is about to happen: God’s creative power is being let loose in a new way. Mark describes this scene with a violent image: as Jesus emerges from the waters, the heavens don’t simply part, but rather, they are torn open. I understand that in the ancient Temple of Israel, the thick curtain that separated the people from the holiest part of the temple, the place where they could never enter, that place where the Ark of the Covenant stood and where God’s presence hovered, the curtain was embroidered with an image of the heavens. We might remember that at the moment of Christ’s death at Calvary this curtain with its heavenly symbols was torn open. Mark says that there was a sudden change in the appearance of the heavens at Jesus’ baptism as God’s creating, hovering and brooding spirit descends upon our Lord and God speaks, “You are my Son, the Beloved.” Just like in Genesis, God speaks and something happens: our re-creation and redemption is suddenly here. The world has changed forever.
Much has been said about Jesus’ own baptism. We wonder if Jesus was truly without sin, why he needed to be baptized at all. But, Mark’s gospel is very clear about the purpose of John’s baptism and that purpose is affirmed in today’s reading from Acts. John offered a baptism of repentance for, or to prepare for, the forgiveness of sins. John’s baptism was about preparing ourselves for the coming forgiveness and redemption offered through Christ. (Remember, John said, “I come to prepare the way of the Lord.”) But, in order to get to forgiveness and redemption, we have to understand repentance. Repentance is about turning around, about choosing to live differently. Repentance is more than feeling badly about something or feeling remorse for being caught. It is a conscious decision to change, to turn around and live differently. Having made such a choice, we are now ready to receive forgiveness. Our Lord, in choosing to be baptized, is not confessing sin or seeking redemption, but rather, he is identifying himself with the faithful people of Israel whom he has come to redeem. In baptism, Jesus is becoming one with them just as he is one with God. In Jesus’ baptism, the way is opened for our repentance to become a real and true remission of sin and God responds to this act in a most unique way. God speaks saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved.”
Those hearing those words would immediately be reminded of Israel’s great patriarch Isaac. Genesis 22 tells the story of Abraham taking his son Isaac, binding him and placing him on an altar to be sacrificed. God refers to Isaac as Abraham’s “only begotten son, your Beloved.” (Note: This is a literal translation of the Hebrew text.) This is the only time in the Old Testament where anyone is called the beloved and begotten son. Mark’s gospel tells us that Jesus is God’s Isaac. And just as Isaac was willing to be bound upon an altar for Israel’s sake, Jesus was willing to be bound upon the altar of a cross for the sake of the whole world. God speaks and something happens: life as we know it is forever changed. And my beloved, it is into this same Jesus Christ that we are baptized, marked as Christ’s own forever, and in this baptism, God speaks to us saying, “You are my daughter, you are my son; the beloved.”
Our scripture lessons this morning tell us that when God speaks to us something changes. Something new happens around us and within us. God’s regenerating and recreating power takes hold. That’s why we call baptism a sacrament. In the ritual of washing, we have an outward and visible sign of a spiritual grace within us and yet, while we become a new creation and are born again in baptism, how God’s grace within us grows and flourishes is up to us. It is tied to our ability and willingness to listen to, and heed, God’s voice: to follow where God leads; to answer God’s call. With God’s brooding and recreating Spirit at work within us, we, like our Genesis story and our Lord in Mark’s gospel, are set apart with a purpose and role in society and our communities. And that purpose is summed up in our Baptismal promises: to be like Christ and to see and seek Christ in everyone we meet; to act like beloved sons and daughters of God and, thereby, allow God’s creative power to continue to change our world through the witness and action of God’s people.
This is all rather wonderful, but as I said earlier, none of it makes any sense unless we are able to recognize God’s voice in the midst of the noise within and around us. Beloved, just as we have learned that God continues God’s work in and through ordinary people, more often than not, God speaks to us through ordinary everyday people of God. For some, we hear God’s voice through the words of encouragement spoken by another or through stern words spoken in love to someone in error so that we might change our path. For others, God’s voice is heard in the words of a handwritten note. Still, for many, God’s voice is often our own voice and yet, we are slow to hear what that voice is saying: That voice that tells us we need to step forward and live more fully into our baptismal promises. God speaks and things change but change within us will only happen when we choose to hear and listen as beloved sons or daughters of God called to be Christ’s on-going and ever-growing light in this community.Do you hear voices? Well, maybe it’s time we answered them. Amen.
Fast forward to today’s gospel reading where Mark tells us that this brooding, hovering, incubating spirit of God descends like a dove upon our Lord as he emerges from the waters of baptism. Once again, something is about to happen: God’s creative power is being let loose in a new way. Mark describes this scene with a violent image: as Jesus emerges from the waters, the heavens don’t simply part, but rather, they are torn open. I understand that in the ancient Temple of Israel, the thick curtain that separated the people from the holiest part of the temple, the place where they could never enter, that place where the Ark of the Covenant stood and where God’s presence hovered, the curtain was embroidered with an image of the heavens. We might remember that at the moment of Christ’s death at Calvary this curtain with its heavenly symbols was torn open. Mark says that there was a sudden change in the appearance of the heavens at Jesus’ baptism as God’s creating, hovering and brooding spirit descends upon our Lord and God speaks, “You are my Son, the Beloved.” Just like in Genesis, God speaks and something happens: our re-creation and redemption is suddenly here. The world has changed forever.
Much has been said about Jesus’ own baptism. We wonder if Jesus was truly without sin, why he needed to be baptized at all. But, Mark’s gospel is very clear about the purpose of John’s baptism and that purpose is affirmed in today’s reading from Acts. John offered a baptism of repentance for, or to prepare for, the forgiveness of sins. John’s baptism was about preparing ourselves for the coming forgiveness and redemption offered through Christ. (Remember, John said, “I come to prepare the way of the Lord.”) But, in order to get to forgiveness and redemption, we have to understand repentance. Repentance is about turning around, about choosing to live differently. Repentance is more than feeling badly about something or feeling remorse for being caught. It is a conscious decision to change, to turn around and live differently. Having made such a choice, we are now ready to receive forgiveness. Our Lord, in choosing to be baptized, is not confessing sin or seeking redemption, but rather, he is identifying himself with the faithful people of Israel whom he has come to redeem. In baptism, Jesus is becoming one with them just as he is one with God. In Jesus’ baptism, the way is opened for our repentance to become a real and true remission of sin and God responds to this act in a most unique way. God speaks saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved.”
Those hearing those words would immediately be reminded of Israel’s great patriarch Isaac. Genesis 22 tells the story of Abraham taking his son Isaac, binding him and placing him on an altar to be sacrificed. God refers to Isaac as Abraham’s “only begotten son, your Beloved.” (Note: This is a literal translation of the Hebrew text.) This is the only time in the Old Testament where anyone is called the beloved and begotten son. Mark’s gospel tells us that Jesus is God’s Isaac. And just as Isaac was willing to be bound upon an altar for Israel’s sake, Jesus was willing to be bound upon the altar of a cross for the sake of the whole world. God speaks and something happens: life as we know it is forever changed. And my beloved, it is into this same Jesus Christ that we are baptized, marked as Christ’s own forever, and in this baptism, God speaks to us saying, “You are my daughter, you are my son; the beloved.”
Our scripture lessons this morning tell us that when God speaks to us something changes. Something new happens around us and within us. God’s regenerating and recreating power takes hold. That’s why we call baptism a sacrament. In the ritual of washing, we have an outward and visible sign of a spiritual grace within us and yet, while we become a new creation and are born again in baptism, how God’s grace within us grows and flourishes is up to us. It is tied to our ability and willingness to listen to, and heed, God’s voice: to follow where God leads; to answer God’s call. With God’s brooding and recreating Spirit at work within us, we, like our Genesis story and our Lord in Mark’s gospel, are set apart with a purpose and role in society and our communities. And that purpose is summed up in our Baptismal promises: to be like Christ and to see and seek Christ in everyone we meet; to act like beloved sons and daughters of God and, thereby, allow God’s creative power to continue to change our world through the witness and action of God’s people.
This is all rather wonderful, but as I said earlier, none of it makes any sense unless we are able to recognize God’s voice in the midst of the noise within and around us. Beloved, just as we have learned that God continues God’s work in and through ordinary people, more often than not, God speaks to us through ordinary everyday people of God. For some, we hear God’s voice through the words of encouragement spoken by another or through stern words spoken in love to someone in error so that we might change our path. For others, God’s voice is heard in the words of a handwritten note. Still, for many, God’s voice is often our own voice and yet, we are slow to hear what that voice is saying: That voice that tells us we need to step forward and live more fully into our baptismal promises. God speaks and things change but change within us will only happen when we choose to hear and listen as beloved sons or daughters of God called to be Christ’s on-going and ever-growing light in this community.Do you hear voices? Well, maybe it’s time we answered them. Amen.
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