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Proper 19A
September 14, 2014
Preached by The Rev. Scott B. Neal
St. James Episcopal Church
Arlington, VT

Exodus 14:19-31
Psalm 114
Romans 14:1-12
Matthew 18:21-35


This mornings epistle and gospel readings are about life in community, about judgment and
forgiveness. There is much in these readings that we need to hear as a community of faith and
as the world at large. However, again this week, I am going to focus on the reading from
Exodus.

It is a continuation of last weeks reading (Passover of the Lord), just a couple of chapters later.
You may remember that I told you that these readings always brings me back to the Great Vigil
of Easter, the Saturday night before Easter, when we gather to tell the salvation story of Gods
people.

This mornings reading from Exodus is one of the readings from that special liturgy. It is, in fact,
the only reading of the nine selections that is not optional. That is how important this story is to
the people of God.

It is a story of deliverance, the deliverance of Gods people. The people followed Moses into the
sea as the water stood up on either side of them like walls held back by God. The Israelites
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are saved they have just witnessed the Passover, the death of the firstborn in Egypt and now
they have witnessed the destruction of Pharaohs army. These events had to have affected
these people. They had to have wondered why they had survived all of the plagues; why they
had passed through the Red Sea unharmed while the Egyptians were destroyed.

In a way, the Israelites had died to an old life a life as slaves, a life in Egypt, a life almost not
worth living and walked into a new life, a new life in a new land. They had died to an old way
of living and were given a new life with God, a new life in God. This is a story of liberation.

While it is story about a specific people at a specific time in history, it has become, centuries
later, woven into the Christian narrative. For Christians, the rite of baptism symbolically portrays
this event. The candidate goes under the water and returns renewed. With time, this event will
be picked up in the great political events in the southern United States, South Africa and others
around the world. This image of liberation is one that energizes movements around our globe.

This idea of dying to an old life and being born into a new life with Christ, a new life in Christ is
what baptism is all about. Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christs
body the Church. The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble. (BCP, pg 298). It
is the first Sacrament given to us by Jesus and it is what we do first, to begin our journey with
Christ from this world to the next.

Once we are baptized we have access to all the other sacraments of the Church. Communion,
Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation can only occur after someone has been baptized.
Marriages and Holy Unions can only be performed once we know that at least one person in the
couple has been baptized. Ordination can only occur after baptism has taken place. Baptism is
the first thing we must do in order to have access to the other sacraments of the Church.

Here at St. James we observe what is known as open table fellowship. As a parish we do not
require Baptism as a prerequisite to receive communion. We state clearly that anyone present
for the liturgy of the Holy Communion is welcome at this altar.

We believe this is what Jesus himself would have done. This is not the case in all Episcopal
Churches. This is not what our canons as a Church state. But here at St. James we function in a
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pastoral way. Not haphazardly ignoring canons but weighing the canons and making decisions
based on discussion and reason. I, as a priest, will always function with the understanding that
to act pastorally far exceeds being canonically correct. Enough of that.

Each time we receive the Eucharist, each time we eat this bread and drink this wine, our life in
Christ, through baptism, is renewed. Something we talked about last week.

In this mornings reading from Exodus, water becomes the saving device of Gods people,
Israels deliverance at the Red Sea. Water is the life saver, it births a new nation. Israel walks
through the Red Sea on dry ground, surrounding the people in the waters of the sea keeping
them safe from harm. The Egyptians are following close behind. Israel burst forth on the
opposite shore and the water close in behind them. Israel is thrust out of the sea and given birth
in a new land.

Two other stories of birth and rebirth are familiar stories to us and are also part of the Vigil
readings. These two stories are the story of Creation and the story of the Flood. The story of
Creation opens with the Spirit moving over the waters; the waters covering the face of the deep.
From this water God gives birth to all life, including humankind. It tells of our very beginning, the
birth of the world and stresses the importance of water to all life.

In the story of the Flood, we hear of Gods frustration with the corruption that has taken over the
earth. All of creation is corrupt so God decides to start over, to wipe creation clean.
Noah builds an ark and gathers his household and two of all the animals on the earth into this
ark. God makes it rain for forty days. The ark became the life giving device for Noah and the
animals; keeping them safe, floating on top of the water, cradled by Gods love. With time the
waters dry up and the ark comes to rest on dry ground. Noah, his family and the animals burst
forth from the ark. They are reborn into a new creation. They are given a new birth.

Granted some of these images might be a little farfetched but I think if we let our minds rest in
these images for just a few minutes it can help us with the images of birth and baptism, rebirth
by water and the Spirit. All of these stories are stories that belong to us. All of these stories hold
nuggets of truths that we cannot argue with.

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God moved throughout history, water is deeply ingrained in our interactions with God. God
brought forth all life out of the water, water sustained life in a boat, the people of Israel walked
through the sea on dry land and were saved by water, we are born in the waters of creation, and
we are made up of water. We are made in and of water.

For me, these stories bring to mind birth and rebirth, and an image found in the third chapter of
Johns Gospel.

We hear, (John 3:1-3)

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus

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night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no
one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him,
"Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.

Our birth from above is baptism. Baptism is a second birth by water and the spirit; a birth that
began at creation and continues to this day. It is through water that the Holy Spirit moved in the
beginning of creation and led the children of Israel to the promise land.

It was in water that Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as
the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God.

It is in this water that we are buried in Christ's death and share in His resurrection.

We are reborn by the Holy Spirit; brought into new life in Christ and all creation.

Creation, deliverance, death and rebirth.

These vivid images reveal that we have died to our old life and are reborn a new person in
Christ through Baptism.


Amen.