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Sunday, January 8, 2012 Denver, CO Rev. Dr. Dena Williams Genesis 1:1-5 Psalm 29 Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11 The Holy Gospel according to the community of St. Mark in the 1st Chapter Glory to you, O Lord John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, O Christ

Dear Amy, What finer day to be baptized?!

2 Today is the day when we celebrate the baptism of Our Lord. The writer of the Gospel of Mark tells the story for us this year. That seems especially right and good. For Mark, you see, like you Amy, is a reader and a writer. He has no degree in English, taken with highest honors, but he clearly has studied rhetoric. He knows how to inform and persuade and delight. He writes as I imagine you might write, in a very direct way, choosing his words carefully so as not to need too many. He wants to be clearly understood by everyone, so he writes in street Greek, as a young writer might. The writer of this Gospel and his Jesus remind me of you in other ways. The writer knows a sense of urgency and purpose. Marks favorite words, are immediately, and a word that translates, it is necessary for. Marks Jesus is brisk, strong, and determined. He is the kind of Messiah who might free the people from Roman oppression, one who might change the world, He is the kind of Messiah who might bring immediate relief to those who suffer, instant joy by his very presence to those who grieve, music and song and dance to those who need cheer. He is the kind of Messiah who might pour out holy waters of love and forgiveness for all people. So, it is, indeed right and salutary that on this day of your baptism, on this day we celebrate the baptism of Our Lord, it is Mark and Marks Jesus who bring us the story. And Marks John the Baptist . . . the one who proclaims a baptism of repentance

3 for the forgiveness of sins . . . a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Repentance theres a word we dont hear much any more. Its the sort of word that a modern day writer might use for special effect, a word chosen to arouse the interest and curiosity of readers repentance. For Marks John it is a word with a three-fold meaning. I didnt get to be your confirmation teacher Amy, and although you are no longer a youngster, let me start simply, let me explain this word as I might explain it to my confirmation students. So, my young friend, I say, you really like to tease your sister, dont you? Your mom tells me that, although you would defend her to the death if someone else teased her, you just cant resist teasing her yourself, can you? You snoop through her purse, hide her hair clips and stuffed animals, torture her with disgusting bodily noises. Do you really do those things? Well, yeah, sometimes. Well, you need to repent. Well, I always tell her Im sorry. Thats good! Thats great! Its the first step in repentance. You mean theres something else Im sposed to do? Yes, there is. After youve said youre sorry, you need to try to make things right. Do you ever do that? Well, sometimes, I do. Like I usually put all the stuff back in her purse for her,

4 but its hard to fix the lipstick after Ive written on the bathroom mirror with it. Yes, this second step of repentance, making things right, is often harder than just saying youre sorry, isnt it? Yeah, my mom made me use my own money and buy her a new lipstick. That was hard. Well, did it stop you from going through her purse? Well, sorta . . . well, not really. Then, young man, you need to learn about the third step in repentance. You mean theres something else I gotta do? Yes, the third step is to promise never to do it again, whatever the it might be. You mean I have to promise never to snoop through her purse again? Well, thats a start . . . Wait, you mean I have to promise never to tease her in a mean way ever again?! Yes, thats what I mean. So this third step part is the hardest of all. Now it is at this point in my lesson on repentance, that I fall silent, I let it lie, I give it time, hoping that this idea of repentance might sink in, might make a difference in a young persons life. A baptism of repentance . . . for the forgiveness of sins. We repent. When we say we are sorry, try to make things right, promise to do better, we repent. We repent, but the rest of Johns message, that business about forgiveness of sins,

5 that part, thank goodness, is not up to us. The forgiveness of sins part is up to God. It is the part we do not fully understand, the part we cannot fully know. It is the mystery and wonder of God. My young confirmation students, who rather appreciate the concreteness of the lesson on repentance, often resist the idea of the unknowable. Their lives are confusing enough in the real world. They need answers, not mystery, absolutes, not wonder. You remember those days, Amy, not so long ago when you would have been impatient, when you would have wanted a clear and concise explanation. Now it is possible for you, as a mature young woman, it is possible to live with the unknowing, the wonder, the mystery. It is not only possible, but somehow preferable to not understand completely, to rest in knowing that we dont have or need all the answers, we only need God. Lutherans have a word for that rest we find in God. We call it faith. Faith to trust, faith to trust with wonder and mystery that God comes to us in our baptism, comes to us through water and Word, brings love and forgiveness. We are not the actors in baptism, there is only one actor, and that is God, the one who forgives. Water is poured, the Word is spoken and we are made whole.

6 And, then, each morning, Martin Luther tells us, we are called to remember our baptism, to repent, to renew our trust, our faith in the God of our baptism, even as we acknowledge the unknowable quality of Gods love for us. A baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins . . . It is most often parents of the very young who come seeking baptism for their child. They come for a variety of reasons. Some want a guarantee that if the unspeakable happens their child will go to God. Then I explain that God loved their little one even before the child was knit together in mothers womb. I say that God knows this child, loves this child, and calls this child by name, and that nothing, not even baptism will ever change that. Why, then, they ask, the brave ones ask, Why do we baptize our children? And I confess! I dont know! I dont know, but thats OK, its OK, because baptism is not about knowing. Baptism is not to be known and understood. Baptism is to be celebrated in awe with gratitude and mystery and wonder, amazement at Gods love for us and for all people. It is a time when Gods grace is poured out with water and affirmed with word, and it is what Jesus did and what Jesus calls us to do as well. And that is all we need to know. We know that God saves us from drowning, snatches us up out of the water,

7 raises us to new life, forgiven and washed and clean and whole, a new creation. And, so, Amy it is with gratitude and awe that you come to the waters today. It is with gratitude and awe that the people of this congregation welcome you into this community of faith. It is with gratitude and awe that with you, we hear God speak these words from above, into our hearts, we hear God say: You are my daughter, and I love you, and I am pleased with you. Blessings and Love, Pastor Dena Amen