The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 15, 18 August 2019

Preaching at Saint Mark's Berkeley
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 15

“Perception”

Jeremiah 23:23-29

Psalm 82

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

St. Luke 12:49-56

INI

What a struggle it was this weekend. I jumped at the opportunity when Fr. Blake offered the possibility of preaching to you this Sunday. Whenever there is a baptism I become stirred up. Baptisms are a time for both remembrance and anticipation – a time for rejoicing and a time for thought. When I decided to accept the offer to preach to you, I immediately went and looked at the Lectionary for this morning anticipating a point in at least one of the readings that would accompany us through the Baptismal Rite and into the life of all who would surround Laurence in his life with Jessica, Bryan, and the whole people of God. And when I looked there there didn’t seem to be anything. Jeremiah decries his fellow prophets who don’t speak the truth. The psalm decries the unjust actions of those who lead. The reading from Hebrews decries how those who have brought the word have been badly treated, and finally in the Gospel Jesus describes how difficult it is for us to decide to abide in the Kingdom. Happy Baptismal Day, Laurence. Yet, the Word is the Word, and here are my gleanings. Let me address several groups.

To Bryan, Jessica, and the Sponsors - God is ubiquitous and yet we must find God.

Jeremiah is upset with his fellow practitioners. They seek God, and seek to communicate God’s word and yet they have failed. His words to them are: “Let the (prophet) who has my word speak my word faithfully.” You are the prophets for this young man. In his search for God, and in your own continuing search for God, your search will become meat for him, the milk of promise, and the fruit of salvation. That is why we will give him a candle at the end of the Rite. It will serve as a reminder to him, and it will serve as a reminder to you as well. Light it on his baptismal birthday so that both he and you can remember this day and these actions. But remember that you, his sponsors and his parents are that light as well. 

There is a wonderful passage in the Track One psalm for this morning. It speaks about God and God’s actions, but it hopes, I think, to speak of us as well, of you as well. “Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock (or in your case, leading Laurence like a flock) shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim. Yes, indeed, that is my word to you, Jessica, Bryan, the sponsor, indeed to all of us – shine forth! For it is we who will be witnesses to those who come to the Font.

To all of you here this morning - God is known to us in the great cloud of witnesses.

On Fridays, when I come here to celebrate the Holy Eucharist with you, Todd so kindly puts out my chalice, but on occasion I use the pewter chalice that has always appeared in the chapel. When I look down at the paten, I see her name, Dorothea Lange. I think that is what it is. I look at her name, and although I didn’t know her, I try to remember her as a saint. I recommend a tour to you. Walk around our building and notice all the names that appear on our chancel steps, windows, walls, and sacred vessels. The author to the Hebrews reminds us, “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” 

Those names represent to us all the women and men who were our prophets, our guides to the faith, pointing out to us the ubiquity of God, and how to find God. At baptisms, we need to give thanks for these voices and hands that accompanied us from the font and brought us out into life. I’m lucky. I have the vessel I was baptized in. I was a breach baby, and there was the real possibility that I wasn’t going to survive and so my father used a glass bowl as the font of my baptism. It’s an ordinary glass bowl – Arthur once saw it and asked if we could serve a fruit salad in it. I blanched. I had used it for my daughter’s baptism – it seemed set aside for holy purposes.

What are the things, the places, the people and the voices that connect you with your baptism? How will you be there to connect Laurence to his. We are all witnesses on this day but will continue to be witnesses every day. The ordinariness of our life will be a witness to him of our faith – of what we believe and trust in. It will make us stand out.

To the Church and to the Nation - God is a deciding point in life, requiring discernment.

Jesus doesn’t mince words in what he has to say in today’s Gospel. 

“Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided:

father against son
and son against father,

mother against daughter
and daughter against mother,

mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

These are difficult words on this joyful and gentle day. They do, however, get at the heart of the matter. We tend to think of baptismal days in a sentimental manner – gentle things: water, burning candles, healing oil. But they are dangerous as well. Water can drown, fire can burn, oil can sear. Baptism is a dangerous thing. It separates you from your fellows. It says something about your journey in life, your search for God, your concern for your fellow humanity. Jesus knew this about the kingdom that he was announcing. Some would refuse to see and perceive it and to accept entrance into it. Families would be divided over calling him Lord and Savior.

What we have answered for Laurence will set him apart as well, and all us, set apart in our own baptisms, must be ready for this difficult task. In the psalm for this morning, God renders judgment on his fellow gods.

"How long will you judge unjustly, *
and show favor to the wicked?

 Save the weak and the orphan; *
defend the humble and needy;

Rescue the weak and the poor; *
deliver them from the power of the wicked.

There are consequences in making this decision that baptism asks. There are responsibilities that roll over us as we are submerged in the waters. Old behaviors of forgetfulness and indifference to both God and other need to be washed away and we need to separate ourselves from them. When we answer the questions in the Baptismal Liturgy, we need to answer them mindful that we are witnesses not only of Laurence’s baptism, but that we are witnesses of the Gospel to both nation, world, and, would you believe it, to the church as well, as it forgets its way.

Will you proclaim by word and example the GoodNews of God in Christ? Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, lovingyour neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among allpeople, and respect the dignity of every humanbeing?

Important questions, and even more important answers on our part. So, let’s do the deed, baptize this child, and then let us go out into the world serving as witnesses of God’s goodness.

SDG