Be Bold In The Spirit
Sermon
Dancing The Sacraments
Sermons And Worship Services For Baptism And Communion
Call To Worship:
"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.' " Come, let us worship the Lord in this place.
Hymn: "God Of Grace And God Of Glory"
(words: Harry Emerson Fosdick; music: John Hughes)
Children's Time:
Once upon a time there was a princes named Princess Irene. Although she did not know it, she was soon to be in great danger. One day, wandering through the castle, she found herself on the top floor, and opening one of the doors, saw an old woman, wise and beautiful, spinning a ball of spider webs so thin it could only be felt, but so sturdy nothing could break it. Irene learned that the woman was her great--grandmother, the queen, who knew about the danger. The queen gave her the ball of thread and told her to hold it at one end while she would hold the other end. "You must not doubt the thread," she said. "Of one thing you may be sure, that while you hold it, I hold it, too."
Irene's friend, Curdie, could not see the thread, so he doubted. "I don't see anything," Curdie persisted. "Then you must believe without seeing," said Irene. But Curdie could not believe what he did not see, so Irene replied, "I will do it for the both of us." Because she trusted her grandmother, she was obedient to the guiding thread. Her grandmother said, "People must believe what they can, and those who believe more must not be hard on those who believe less. You must give Curdie time and be content not to be believed for a while." And she was right, for after all their dangerous adventures together, Curdie learned to believe.1
Talk Together:
Why did the grandmother give Irene the ball of thread? Have you ever believed in something without seeing it? What about love or prayer? Prayer is God holding one end of the thread while we hold the other end. (Invite the children to stay at the altar during the baptism.)
The Sacrament Of Baptism
Prayer Of Confession:
Creator God, as the pouring out of water makes plants grow and deserts bloom, we too need living water to live and grow abundantly. Forgive us when we are unfaithful to our baptismal vows, forgetting who we are and our need for living water and boldness in the Spirit, in Christ's name. Amen.
Words Of Assurance:
God says, "Through the gift of the Spirit of adoption you are my children." You are forgiven. Amen.
Affirmation Of Faith:
I believe in God, Creator of the deep waters, who through Jesus Christ teaches us how "to swim" there, and the Holy Spirit who enables us to be bold for God. Amen.
Psalter Reading: Psalm 122
Old Testament: Romans 6:1--4
Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 2:1--2
New Testament: Mark 1:4--11
Sermon:
Dag Hammarskj ld said, "I don't know Who - or what - put the question; I don't know when it was put. I don't even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer Yes to Someone - or Something - and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life, in self--surrender, had a goal."2
Baptism is Someone - or Something - that "puts the question," that calls for a Yes. Infant baptism puts the question to the infant's parents, godparents, and congregation of faith, "Will you nurture these children in Christ's holy church, that by your teaching and example they may be guided to accept God's grace for themselves, to profess their faith openly, and to lead a Christian life?" When we answer, "Yes!" we know existence is meaningful and has a goal.
In our children's sermon Irene's grandmother gave her a "thread" to assure Irene she was with her and would guide her. When Irene's thread disappeared into the rock cliff, she feared she had come to a dead end. We, too, from time to time feel we have come to a dead end, the "hard place." When we come upon the "rock" that must be removed or let go, we panic, doubt, and fear. But the thread holds, as the psalmist wrote out of his relationship with God, "(The Lord) leads me in right paths ... even though I walk through the darkest valley, you are with me."
With the thread Irene learned she was safe. I remember once driving from Pennsylvania to Texas during severe, frightening rainstorms, holding my "guiding thread," praying and trusting God's presence with me, the other end held in the "hand of God," for in baptism God gives us the promise, "You are my beloved child. I will be with you." Baptism is a sacred blessing, calling us into the deep waters of life, both triumph and catastrophe. Jesus said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Peter replied, "We have worked all night and caught nothing." But Peter did as Jesus said, and their nets were full to breaking.
When Hammarskj ld said, "Yes," to God, to Life, to self--surrender, he became certain that existence is meaningful. But like Curdie, sometimes we do not believe what we cannot see, and doubt the promises of baptism. Irene's grandmother told her, "People must believe what they can, and those who believe more must not be hard on those who believe less. You must give Curdie time and be content not to be believed for a while...." And she was right, for after all their dangerous adventures, Curdie learned to believe, to trust.
Peter may have doubted Jesus, when Jesus told him to put out to sea. But Peter did so because he trusted Jesus, and that is faith, boldness in the Spirit. I told you of my driving through the violent rainstorms with my "thread" in hand. Later I shared that experience and its meaning for me in a group and heard their doubt and rejection. Then I understood Irene's hurt by Curdie's disbelief, for she did not lie. Nor did I. Those who have experienced the power of prayer know, but give others "time, and be content not to be believed for a while."
Jesus came to John the Baptist at the River Jordan to be baptized. Just as he was coming up out of the water, God, watching, split open the heaven, tore apart God's creation, and throwing aside all majesty and transcendence, shouted, "You are my Beloved; with you I am well pleased." And the Spirit descended on Jesus, like a dove, and the people rushed into the river with their needs and desires, their labels and illusions, seeking to crown him king. But because the dove was nesting there, there was no need for a golden crown. The words robed him in his mission and he rose from the waters of God's womb to bring God's being into a waiting world. "And the Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts" (Mark 1:12--14).
And Irene, bruised by stones and dirty from creeping through narrow places, trying to escape from her enemies, at last found her way back to her grandmother. Irene's grandmother lifted her and placed her in a large silver bath, and looking up, Irene saw stars shining miles away as she sank in the clear, cool water. In the water Irene was no longer afraid, listening to the voice of her grandmother, singing a sweet song. She could distinguish every word, but she had only a sense of feeling - no understanding. Then it vanished as a dream and she lay in the water not from weariness but from pleasure.
When we are bruised by hard stones, the difficult duties of the day and its temptations, God calls us to come to the cool, clear water and renew our covenant vows taken in baptism where we were given a boldness to be who we were meant to be, where "I can't do it. I am afraid" becomes "I can do all things through God."
Irene had a sense of peace, not understanding. The doctrine of baptism is an abstract concept witnessed in word and water. It is the experience, not the understanding that matters, for the gospel is not a set of logical facts but the story of God's acceptance and love.
Baptism is a gift of God, not dependent upon understanding, nor on the amount of water used. What matters is God's breathing into us God's Spirit, God's love and acceptance, a power deep within life that gives us the power to "swim" when we are drowning, sing when we are suffering, and participate in the life, death, and resurrection of our Christ, in whom we become bold in the Spirit, tasting life's meaning.
Thomas Troeger told his experience of baptism: When I felt a droplet, a trickle of water I saw flowing out of the altar, I heard, "Do you believe in Jesus Christ and will you trust, love, and serve him all the days of your life?" Troeger answered, "Yes, with my droplet of faith." Then that trickle became a stream, ankle deep, and his faith continued to grow. The waters grew too, into a river, a vast torrent no one could pass over, and on its shores green trees of life produced fruit for nurture and leaves for healing.3
After the pastoral prayer, the barefoot prisoner stepped into a wooden box that had been lined with a plastic sheet and filled with water. It looked like a large coffin, and rightly so. Pronouncing the Trinitarian formula, the pastor lowered the new Christian down into the liquid grave to be buried with Christ and then raised him up to life eternal. Though the water was cold, the man was not eager to get out. Instead, he stood there weeping for joy. When at last he left the baptismal box, the pastor thought he would hurry away to change into something dry, but he was mistaken. The prisoner said, "I want to wear these clothes as long as I can. In fact, I wish I never had to take a shower again. I'm now a free man. I'm not impatient to leave prison because this wire can't shackle my soul."4
Baptism breaks the bars of the prisons we have made that shackle our soul. Paul wrote to the Romans, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? So that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."
With Jesus and Paul, Thomas Troeger and Dag Hammarskj ld,
we add our own YES! and in that self--surrender find the meaning of our existence. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Hymn: "Spirit Of The Living God"
(words and music: Daniel Iverson)
Prayers Of The People
Pastoral Prayer:
Beyond the water in the font and the holy words in the book is a world that feeds and forgives, accepts and blesses. While others watched and waited, the wet child participated. Within the water appeared a reflection of the way leading home, the thirst quenched, the heart filled, for when the sacred words are still, the waters go on speaking. Lord, we thank you for water and your word.
The Lord's Prayer
Offering
Doxology
Hymn: "This Is The Least Of Victory"
(words trans.: John W. Arthur; music: Richard Hillert)
Benediction:
Go now in the name of God who is Love through Jesus, the Word that shows us how to love and the Holy Spirit who enables us to love. Amen.
____________
1. George MacDonald, The Princess and the Goblin (Elgin, Illinois: Chariot Books, 1872--1979), p. 104.
2. Dag Hammarskj ld, Markings (New York: Ballantine, 1964), p. 180.
3. Thomas H. Troeger, Ten Strategies for Preaching in a Multi--media Culture (Nashville: Abingdon, 1996).
4. Ralph C. Wood, "Baptism in a Coffin," The Christian Century, Oct. 21, 1992, p. 926.
"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.' " Come, let us worship the Lord in this place.
Hymn: "God Of Grace And God Of Glory"
(words: Harry Emerson Fosdick; music: John Hughes)
Children's Time:
Once upon a time there was a princes named Princess Irene. Although she did not know it, she was soon to be in great danger. One day, wandering through the castle, she found herself on the top floor, and opening one of the doors, saw an old woman, wise and beautiful, spinning a ball of spider webs so thin it could only be felt, but so sturdy nothing could break it. Irene learned that the woman was her great--grandmother, the queen, who knew about the danger. The queen gave her the ball of thread and told her to hold it at one end while she would hold the other end. "You must not doubt the thread," she said. "Of one thing you may be sure, that while you hold it, I hold it, too."
Irene's friend, Curdie, could not see the thread, so he doubted. "I don't see anything," Curdie persisted. "Then you must believe without seeing," said Irene. But Curdie could not believe what he did not see, so Irene replied, "I will do it for the both of us." Because she trusted her grandmother, she was obedient to the guiding thread. Her grandmother said, "People must believe what they can, and those who believe more must not be hard on those who believe less. You must give Curdie time and be content not to be believed for a while." And she was right, for after all their dangerous adventures together, Curdie learned to believe.1
Talk Together:
Why did the grandmother give Irene the ball of thread? Have you ever believed in something without seeing it? What about love or prayer? Prayer is God holding one end of the thread while we hold the other end. (Invite the children to stay at the altar during the baptism.)
The Sacrament Of Baptism
Prayer Of Confession:
Creator God, as the pouring out of water makes plants grow and deserts bloom, we too need living water to live and grow abundantly. Forgive us when we are unfaithful to our baptismal vows, forgetting who we are and our need for living water and boldness in the Spirit, in Christ's name. Amen.
Words Of Assurance:
God says, "Through the gift of the Spirit of adoption you are my children." You are forgiven. Amen.
Affirmation Of Faith:
I believe in God, Creator of the deep waters, who through Jesus Christ teaches us how "to swim" there, and the Holy Spirit who enables us to be bold for God. Amen.
Psalter Reading: Psalm 122
Old Testament: Romans 6:1--4
Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 2:1--2
New Testament: Mark 1:4--11
Sermon:
Dag Hammarskj ld said, "I don't know Who - or what - put the question; I don't know when it was put. I don't even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer Yes to Someone - or Something - and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life, in self--surrender, had a goal."2
Baptism is Someone - or Something - that "puts the question," that calls for a Yes. Infant baptism puts the question to the infant's parents, godparents, and congregation of faith, "Will you nurture these children in Christ's holy church, that by your teaching and example they may be guided to accept God's grace for themselves, to profess their faith openly, and to lead a Christian life?" When we answer, "Yes!" we know existence is meaningful and has a goal.
In our children's sermon Irene's grandmother gave her a "thread" to assure Irene she was with her and would guide her. When Irene's thread disappeared into the rock cliff, she feared she had come to a dead end. We, too, from time to time feel we have come to a dead end, the "hard place." When we come upon the "rock" that must be removed or let go, we panic, doubt, and fear. But the thread holds, as the psalmist wrote out of his relationship with God, "(The Lord) leads me in right paths ... even though I walk through the darkest valley, you are with me."
With the thread Irene learned she was safe. I remember once driving from Pennsylvania to Texas during severe, frightening rainstorms, holding my "guiding thread," praying and trusting God's presence with me, the other end held in the "hand of God," for in baptism God gives us the promise, "You are my beloved child. I will be with you." Baptism is a sacred blessing, calling us into the deep waters of life, both triumph and catastrophe. Jesus said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Peter replied, "We have worked all night and caught nothing." But Peter did as Jesus said, and their nets were full to breaking.
When Hammarskj ld said, "Yes," to God, to Life, to self--surrender, he became certain that existence is meaningful. But like Curdie, sometimes we do not believe what we cannot see, and doubt the promises of baptism. Irene's grandmother told her, "People must believe what they can, and those who believe more must not be hard on those who believe less. You must give Curdie time and be content not to be believed for a while...." And she was right, for after all their dangerous adventures, Curdie learned to believe, to trust.
Peter may have doubted Jesus, when Jesus told him to put out to sea. But Peter did so because he trusted Jesus, and that is faith, boldness in the Spirit. I told you of my driving through the violent rainstorms with my "thread" in hand. Later I shared that experience and its meaning for me in a group and heard their doubt and rejection. Then I understood Irene's hurt by Curdie's disbelief, for she did not lie. Nor did I. Those who have experienced the power of prayer know, but give others "time, and be content not to be believed for a while."
Jesus came to John the Baptist at the River Jordan to be baptized. Just as he was coming up out of the water, God, watching, split open the heaven, tore apart God's creation, and throwing aside all majesty and transcendence, shouted, "You are my Beloved; with you I am well pleased." And the Spirit descended on Jesus, like a dove, and the people rushed into the river with their needs and desires, their labels and illusions, seeking to crown him king. But because the dove was nesting there, there was no need for a golden crown. The words robed him in his mission and he rose from the waters of God's womb to bring God's being into a waiting world. "And the Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts" (Mark 1:12--14).
And Irene, bruised by stones and dirty from creeping through narrow places, trying to escape from her enemies, at last found her way back to her grandmother. Irene's grandmother lifted her and placed her in a large silver bath, and looking up, Irene saw stars shining miles away as she sank in the clear, cool water. In the water Irene was no longer afraid, listening to the voice of her grandmother, singing a sweet song. She could distinguish every word, but she had only a sense of feeling - no understanding. Then it vanished as a dream and she lay in the water not from weariness but from pleasure.
When we are bruised by hard stones, the difficult duties of the day and its temptations, God calls us to come to the cool, clear water and renew our covenant vows taken in baptism where we were given a boldness to be who we were meant to be, where "I can't do it. I am afraid" becomes "I can do all things through God."
Irene had a sense of peace, not understanding. The doctrine of baptism is an abstract concept witnessed in word and water. It is the experience, not the understanding that matters, for the gospel is not a set of logical facts but the story of God's acceptance and love.
Baptism is a gift of God, not dependent upon understanding, nor on the amount of water used. What matters is God's breathing into us God's Spirit, God's love and acceptance, a power deep within life that gives us the power to "swim" when we are drowning, sing when we are suffering, and participate in the life, death, and resurrection of our Christ, in whom we become bold in the Spirit, tasting life's meaning.
Thomas Troeger told his experience of baptism: When I felt a droplet, a trickle of water I saw flowing out of the altar, I heard, "Do you believe in Jesus Christ and will you trust, love, and serve him all the days of your life?" Troeger answered, "Yes, with my droplet of faith." Then that trickle became a stream, ankle deep, and his faith continued to grow. The waters grew too, into a river, a vast torrent no one could pass over, and on its shores green trees of life produced fruit for nurture and leaves for healing.3
After the pastoral prayer, the barefoot prisoner stepped into a wooden box that had been lined with a plastic sheet and filled with water. It looked like a large coffin, and rightly so. Pronouncing the Trinitarian formula, the pastor lowered the new Christian down into the liquid grave to be buried with Christ and then raised him up to life eternal. Though the water was cold, the man was not eager to get out. Instead, he stood there weeping for joy. When at last he left the baptismal box, the pastor thought he would hurry away to change into something dry, but he was mistaken. The prisoner said, "I want to wear these clothes as long as I can. In fact, I wish I never had to take a shower again. I'm now a free man. I'm not impatient to leave prison because this wire can't shackle my soul."4
Baptism breaks the bars of the prisons we have made that shackle our soul. Paul wrote to the Romans, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? So that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."
With Jesus and Paul, Thomas Troeger and Dag Hammarskj ld,
we add our own YES! and in that self--surrender find the meaning of our existence. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Hymn: "Spirit Of The Living God"
(words and music: Daniel Iverson)
Prayers Of The People
Pastoral Prayer:
Beyond the water in the font and the holy words in the book is a world that feeds and forgives, accepts and blesses. While others watched and waited, the wet child participated. Within the water appeared a reflection of the way leading home, the thirst quenched, the heart filled, for when the sacred words are still, the waters go on speaking. Lord, we thank you for water and your word.
The Lord's Prayer
Offering
Doxology
Hymn: "This Is The Least Of Victory"
(words trans.: John W. Arthur; music: Richard Hillert)
Benediction:
Go now in the name of God who is Love through Jesus, the Word that shows us how to love and the Holy Spirit who enables us to love. Amen.
____________
1. George MacDonald, The Princess and the Goblin (Elgin, Illinois: Chariot Books, 1872--1979), p. 104.
2. Dag Hammarskj ld, Markings (New York: Ballantine, 1964), p. 180.
3. Thomas H. Troeger, Ten Strategies for Preaching in a Multi--media Culture (Nashville: Abingdon, 1996).
4. Ralph C. Wood, "Baptism in a Coffin," The Christian Century, Oct. 21, 1992, p. 926.
