Date: January 11, 2009
Scriptures: Mark 1:4-11
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells
Over the winter break, our daughter, Angela, who is a fourth year student at New College in Sarasota, has been working on her graduate school applications. Her desire is to enroll in a dual masters program where she can get a master of divinity degree and a master of social work degree equipping her to serve as a pastor in a ministry incorporating social service. Angela hopes to be accepted into the joint degree program offered by Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University School of Social Work in New York City.
On the Columbia application, the first essay question is “Discuss why you want to be a social worker.” Angela begins her essay, “The main reason I want to be a social worker is because of the ideology of my family.” Since Angela asked for our suggestions, I pondered this word, “ideology.” The “ideology of my family.” This is not how I would say it. That is not the word that I would choose. “Ideology.” So what word would I choose in its place?
As a disclaimer, let me say that I thought Angela would be here this morning, but she ended up going back to Sarasota. I have read this sermon to her, and she has gladly given permission for me to share what she wrote in her essays.
As Angela’s essay about social work continues, she describes her commitment to the “just distribution of resources,” “the necessity of helping others,” [her father and I would like to see a little more of that around the house] and not taking her “privileged position as a white middle class person in America for granted.” She refers to her “responsibility to serve others.” She continues, “There is nothing as meaningful and important as serving others.” As I read this, I felt this is not ideology. This is the result of being formed and shaped by the church. This commitment stems from baptism into the community of Christ. This is gospel values instilled by the church of Jesus Christ. Angela’s commitment to service can be traced back not to ideology, but to a few drops of water, sprinkled on her head when she was baptized into the Christian church.
The story of the baptism of Jesus marking the beginning of his ministry, reveals the salient characteristics of the Christian church which nurtures and shapes us. First of all, the story tells us of the crowds that were being baptized. These were people who were already part of the Jewish community who were coming to John the Baptizer to repent, and re-turn their lives to God. This is a religious experience in the context of the faith community. Jesus has been nurtured in a Jewish home that was part of a wider religious tradition. And his baptism was in a communal context. As his ministry begins, he calls followers to join him. The Christian faith is not an individualistic or solitary spiritual path. Christianity is about being shaped by the faith community.
In Jesus’ baptism, we also see that John is offering a baptism of repentance. Christianity, like the Judaism, is God-centered. The focus, center, beginning, and end is God. It is about living in a way that is pleasing to God, as revealed to the faith community. So baptism is about community that is God-centered. It is not self-centered, doctrine-centered, market- centered, success-centered, achievement- centered, greed-centered, or any other kind of centered, but God-centered.
We also see in the baptism of Jesus that this is a baptism of forgiveness. People are being baptized for the forgiveness of sin. It is a way to be cleansed. To start anew. To reconcile with God and neighbor. The Christian community is to be grounded in reconciliation and forgiveness. With self, God, and neighbor. This is the community of second chances, tenth chances, ninety-third chances. We never give up on the power of forgiveness and transformation. We never give up hope. This is a core aspect of the Christian community into which we are baptized.
There were some who questioned why Jesus had to be baptized if baptism was for the forgiveness of sin and Jesus was sinless. He had never strayed from God, so why did he need to be baptized as a sign of his desire to return to God? So the baptism of Jesus can be seen as another example of Jesus’ solidarity with all kinds of people, especially sinners and outcasts, those who were suffering, those who were victims of injustice, those who were marginalized, or otherwise downtrodden. He was in solidarity with the common people. He was not above others, but with others.
When we are baptized, we become part of the faith community that shapes us and forms us in the ways that we see in Jesus’ baptism. We become part of a community. We are encouraged to be God-centered. Through baptism, we become part of a community committed to forgiveness and reconciliation. And we are committed to being in solidarity with others.
The baptism of Jesus shows us these salient features of the Christian faith community. If you want to hold on to a grudge, be ruled by greed, seek power, prestige and popularity, you are in the wrong place. Don’t come to church.
As I read the nine single-spaced typed pages of Angela’s essays, the influence of her baptism permeated every page. In one place she reflects, “I know that here is nothing as meaningful and important as serving others,” In this, I see not her family ideology at work, but the faith community into which she was baptized shaping and forming her. This perspective comes straight from this church.
In another part of the Columbia application, the question is posed, “What attributes might you change to strengthen your ability to be helpful to others.” Here Angela confesses wanting “to minimize her materialistic desires and indulgence in consumerism.” Again, I see the faith community into which she was baptized forming and shaping her. Not only in the values she espouses, but in her trust that she can change and be transformed. She has faith in what God will still do with her. She concludes, “I want to change my lifestyle because I know that true happiness does not come from expensive lotions and gourmet restaurants. I want to live more simply and be fulfilled through my work, my friends and my family. . . I want to be completely happy on a smaller paycheck and a simpler lifestyle. I want to live in solidarity with those who have less. I think that this change in lifestyle and in priorities will make me a more effective social worker. It will allow me to focus on my job and my education and be more satisfied with my life overall.”
Being part of a church that took in the homeless; opened a thrift store to help low income families; protested the war in Iraq; advocated for equal rights in marriage for all couples including same gender couples; sold t-shirts saying love thy neighbor, thy homeless neighbor, thy Muslim neighbor, thy black neighbor, thy gay neighbor, thy white neighbor, thy Jewish neighbor, thy transgendered neighbor, thy Christian neighbor, thy atheist neighbor, thy racist neighbor, thy addicted neighbor; being part of a church where you can be in relationship with all different kinds of people, with a vital worship life, these kinds of experiences and ministries have shaped Angela and are shaping all of us.
Being baptized and part of the church is being part of a community that will continually influence, form, and shape us, hopefully in ways that please and delight God.
Angela was not shaped by the “ideology of her family,” but by the gospel of Jesus Christ lived out in this faith community into which she was baptized. This church has had an incredible impact on Angela, and those of you who have known her for some time know that the word “incredible” is not overstating the case. We should feel proud of that. This is the community shaping each one of us and calling and leading us to serve God in every setting and context in life. Through baptism into the church we are each nurtured and formed for the ministry that God needs of us in the world.
We are not all called to be pastors or social workers. What kind of world would that be if that’s what we all were? But we are all called. God needs people in volunteer work and legal work, in teaching and in business (maybe especially in business), in medical care and in lawn care, in friendships and in families, embodying God-centered community, reconciliation and solidarity. The church does God’s work of forming and shaping us for compassionate service and ministry. We are all baptized for ministry in the church and in the world. God is at work transforming lives and transforming the world – through a few drops of water. Believe it. We are beloved. God is pleased with us. Amen.
A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.
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