Mrs.JockEwing
01-12-2008, 03:34 PM
“The Sacred Voice of Affirmation”
Let’s start off by playing “You guess the Historic Figure!” History records that he was a great man. Yet he had humble beginnings. He grew up in small village, an ordinary boy who did nothing to draw attention to himself. Like most boys his age, he attended school. He also worked in the family business and did his best to grow up strong and healthy. Deep inside, however, he knew he had a special purpose, a destiny to fulfill. As he grew older people began to notice that there was something special about this young man. He had talent and charisma. He was gifted like no other. It wasn’t long before he started attracting crowds. Thousands came to see and listen to him. He chose a small band of loyal companions who traveled with him everywhere he went. Many of them had given up their jobs just to be with their idol and take care of his needs. As his fame spread, some grew jealous of him. Others thought he was leading people astray, and they plotted against him. But his popularity only increased. He touched the lives of young and old alike and brought joy and laughter to the weak and downhearted. Many hailed him as king. Toward the end of his short life, he suffered quite a bit. Some who had followed him fell away and turned to worshipping others. He died alone. Those closest to him were left discouraged and confused. They never expected his life to end that way. Soon after his death, there were rumors that he didn’t really die. His followers spread the news all around. “He lives!” they said. “He is not dead!” Some claimed they actually saw him. Even today, many believe he is still alive. By now, you’ve probably figured out who this great man was. His name was Elvis Presley!* Were some of you thinking I might be talking about another great person, like, maybe, Jesus? Well, this past Tuesday was the birth date of Elvis, who would have turned 67 if he were still among us, therefore I led you astray a bit with the reading of that true but slanted biography. Elvis was the “King” of Rock and Roll in the 1950’s but as we gather this morning we acknowledge, as Christians, that we attempt to let the spirit of Christ be “King” in our hearts. This is Baptism of the Lord Sunday on the church calendar. Our gospel text today records the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, among the crowds, as it tells the story of Jesus being baptized by John in the Jordan River.
Analysis of the Biblical Text
As we move through the gospel of Matthew in the early part of this year we need to develop or at least appreciate a first century Hebrew mind if we want to understand the meaning of the text. The gospel that is entitled Matthew was written around the year 85 in our common era (C.E.). Legend maintains that Matthew, a disciple of Jesus and former tax collector, was the author of this gospel. Most biblical scholars view this claim as legend and no more. But for sake of convenience I will refer to the author of this gospel by using the traditional name of Matthew. As I stated throughout our recent examination of Jesus’ birth narratives, what we find in the gospel of Matthew is the author interpreting the life of Jesus through images that emerge from scripture. Matthew poured over his scripture, our Old Testament, to find images that he could use to develop stories to explain the experiences and the theological affirmations of the early Christian community regarding Jesus, the Christ. In recent weeks we noted that the genealogy, birth story, and escape into Egypt serve as an outline for the gospel that the author of Matthew is going to present as the chapters unfold. In addition, I noted that the genealogy, birth narrative, and escape into Egypt foreshadow the manner in which Matthew is going to tell the story of the adult Jesus through the images of the biblical heroes Abraham, David, and most especially, Moses. References to these biblical heroes clued in the gospel’s original audience, those with Hebrew ears, to the fact that Jesus is:
-the one who is a “blessing to the nations” as Abraham was to be (Genesis 12:1-3);
-the long awaited messiah from the royal line of David (I Samuel 16); and
-the spiritual savior for humanity as Moses was the saving persona for the Hebrew slaves (Exodus 3f.).
The dominant image that Matthew uses to tell the story of Jesus is Moses. Two weeks ago I noted that Matthew’s account of the infant Jesus and the holy family fleeing to Egypt is a literary devise used by the author to project Jesus in the image of Moses in the introductory chapters of the gospel. Just as Moses, the saving persona of old, came forth from Egypt with the children of Israel, so Jesus, the saving persona for humanity, comes forth from Egypt as a child. Within our text today, the baptism of Jesus, one aspect of the imagery is clearly intended to compare the relative importance of Jesus to Moses. As we reference verse 16 we will see our biblical analysis insight for the day.
“And when Jesus had been baptized,
just as he came up from the water,
suddenly the heavens were opened to him…”
To understand this subtle comparison of Jesus to Moses we need to remember the 1st century mindset. In the 1st century, the earth and the universe were viewed as a dome, if you will; a flat earth with water below it that supplied the rivers and oceans and the sky above. The sky was understood to serve as a dome that held back the waters above that supply the rain, snow, and hail. Now see how all this fits in with Matthew’s comparison of Jesus and Moses in the baptism story. What did Moses separate as he started the Exodus? He parted the Red Sea, which is quite impressive. But what separated when Jesus started his ministry at the baptism? The heavens, that is, the waters above were parted. The Red Sea parting was impressive but the waters above in the heavens being parted is even more impressive. The Jewish Christian readers of Matthew’s gospel fully understood the symbolic statement the author was proclaiming as he compared Jesus, the Christ, to the most impressive figure in Hebrew history.
Within the whole of this gospel we will see that the story of Jesus is told through the imagery and in comparison to Moses. All I have said up to this point is helpful for understanding the content and construction of the gospel, but now I would like to move to the points of application of this text for our lives today? That is, how do the heavens open up for us, how does the voice of the sacred speak in our life, what is the particular call at this junction of life for you and me? All of these are baptismal questions and good questions for our reflection as we anticipate our focus and actions throughout this new year.
The heavens opening up and the voice of the sacred speaking occurs for us as we experience deep meaning in the midst of our activities that bring positive value to others. The heavens opening up or the voice of the sacred in our life is that internal experience of “Ah, this is what my life is to be about” that we sense in the midst of or at the conclusion of a particular occurrence in our life.
A high school teacher laments that the summer vacation is over because time with family has been so enjoyable. He has had many of those “Ah, this is what my life is to be about” throughout the summer in the midst of family activities and excursions. He remembers the unexpected conversation that he had with his grade school son during a wilderness trip in July. He and his wife decided the kids were old enough to join them in the backpacking trips that they enjoyed so much as a couple. They had taken the kids camping numerous times over the years, but not backpacking where each family member would have to carry part of the load as they ventured in the mountains for a few days. On the first day all seemed to be going well as Mom and Dad were carrying about 75 pounds of supplies on their backs. Ruth, 9, was carrying her lighter pack with ease and the same seemed to be true for Brian, 7, until he burst out crying in the midst of their mid-morning hike. Brian was the youngest and he was inclined to wear his emotions on his sleeves so this outburst was not totally unanticipated.
Dad went over to give him words of encouragement but Brain just responded by blurting out “I can’t do this just like I can’t play soccer, get good grades, or find friends at school.” Wow, Dad didn’t see that coming. He asked Mom and Ruth to resume walking and they would catch up later. After his outburst, Brian just continued to sob. Dad knew it had been a tough year on Brian. They moved the year before and Brian was having a tough time adjusting. Sports and studies did not come natural to Brian and in their new neighborhood everything seemed even more challenging for him. In retrospect, Dad forgot the exact words he said to Brian that morning but he just tried to let him know how proud both he and Mom were of him. Dad told him how much he believed that Brian could finish the hike that day, just like Brian would do well in soccer this summer, future studies in school, and finding new friends.
Whatever Dad said or how he said it, they were the right words at the right time. Brian hopped up and did great for the rest of the day and throughout their time on the mountain. He had a new conviction and oftentimes wanted to lead the family in hiking. He returned to soccer after vacation with a new sense of confidence. Dad could only think, “Wow, this is my calling in life, being a good parent.” That is why he lamented returning to his teaching duties at school. But as he returned to campus many of the students he taught or coached in the previous year greeted him with warmth and excitement, which reminded him of another calling in life that had great meaning and significance for him. He had wanted to be a teacher ever since Mr. Nelson, his sixth grade teacher, had made such a great difference in his life. Back in the classroom, as he was teaching and listening to the students, he understood that the heavens did open up in different parts of his life. He felt blessed.
Baptism is the recognition that God, the giver of life, loves us and sends us forth in service as parents, teachers, volunteers, and professionals. We are God’s children, beloved, with whom God is well pleased (Matthew 3:17). We are loved and send forth, not just to live for ourselves but also to live in community with others. God calls us into service with and for others, and as we respond to the divine voice, we find a depth of meaning and fulfillment that is meant for us. We can serve people in a variety of ways, even through administrative tasks like paper pushing and number crunching if they are done with a larger goal in mind. I have pushed a lot of paper and crunched a lot of numbers in the nearly three years that I have been at St. Luke. I do it with a larger goal in mind and, therefore, I feel fulfillment in it and that it is a response to the divine call in my life at this point in time. Let me share two examples.
In church finances I always want error on the side of caution because I take my responsibility for the stewardship of membership offerings quite seriously. However, the inquiring mind might want to know how I see my administrative duties as a response to the sacred voice moving through our midst. In this instance, it has an impact on the lives of children, which is certainly sacred, specifically the children of St. Luke and how they are nurtured. This summer we are going to be experiencing a transition in church staff. Nola and Marjorie, who oversee our children’s ministry, are concluding their capacity as staff members. They have each done a great job over the last two years and bring great warmth and love to their work. We look forward to them continuing as active members, but professionally, they each have other avenues they want to pursue. I hope to build upon the foundation they have provided by securing a full time staff person for our children’s ministry who might possess both theological training and past Christian education experience. I see that an experienced full time person in that position as enhancing our programming, which will further enrich the lives of the children currently in our midst and those who will come to us in the future. Crunching the numbers let’s me know if full time or part time staff can be pursued, how we can best provide for the needs of the children in our midst, and that is responding to the sacred voice in my life.
I lift up this illustration for a couple of reasons. I think it is helpful for the congregation to know some of the dynamics, financial and staffing, that are currently happening. But more importantly, I share this administrative aspect of my job to affirm the administrative duties that many of you carry out in your daily work. Within capitalism there is the goal of making money for oneself but within that context, successful businesses, that many of you are apart of, can create jobs that bring meaning, value and sustenance to the lives of others. Job creation and employment enhancement is certainly a way that business people can respond to the call of God in their lives. Providing the right job for the right person or being able to provide a bonus or increased salary because business is good can be like having the heavens open up for the employer and the employee. What we do as business people, parents, volunteers, in ministry, and in human service professions can be a response to the call of God in our life through the use of our particular gifts, talents, and personalities. Baptism is the recognition that God, the giver of life, loves us and sends us forth in service.
The greatest satisfaction as well as the greatest frustration I have had in my work here is the compensation we provide the staff in our Child Development Center, which presently numbers 48 full or part-time employees. According to industry standards, the rate we pay our staff is near the top. But even top pay in the Child Care Industry is modest compensation. My greatest satisfaction is that the stipend we provide our care givers, beyond their salary, has increased $750 per employee in the last two and half years. That is good progress for a small non-profit, but my frustration is that $750 is not much in the great scheme of costs like health insurance. Yet, the freed up funds that become available as St. Luke reduces its’ debt load and manages its’ resources in increasingly better fashions can, among other things, be re-routed into an enhanced compensation package for the staff in the Child Development Center in the future. The Child Development staff that are entrusted with our precious infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers deserve to have good benefits packages as well as respectable salaries. I find that as I pursue this administrative goal that I am doing God’s work! As we allow the sacred to move through us, we see what effect it can have on the spirit, mind, and the livelihood others and ourselves.
Baptism is an affirmation that we are children of God, beloved, pleasing and sacred. Additionally, baptism is recognition that God calls us into service with others. We see these aspects in the baptism of Jesus. Yet our calling from God does not happen just once, like the sacrament of baptism, but the divine voice is dynamic and speaks to us in different ways at different points of our life. What did Jesus do before he was thirty? We assume that he was about God’s business in some fashion before he started his public ministry. Legend tells us he was a carpenter. That may be true. Yet, the first people he calls to join his ministry might point to another possibility. He initially calls the fishermen, Andrew, Peter, James, and John to join him in his ministry (Matthew 4:18-22). Maybe he knew them because he spent some of his teenage years and time when he was in his twenties as a fisherman himself. Another possibility is hinted at in the gospel of Luke as it notes that he possessed intellect and wisdom beyond his years as a youngster (Luke 3:41-52). Maybe he was adopted by one the leading schools of his day and given an “academic scholarship” to study the Hebrew law and religion through his maturing years. Before his public ministry, Jesus did something else and in his baptism he felt called beyond whatever that might have been. The sacred voice in our life calls our gifts and talents to be used in a variety of ways and in a variety of settings throughout our lives. This is a word of good news for those in the midst of job transitions, in retirement, or young people who hear reports that the emerging economy will have them working for 5 to 10 companies throughout professional career. Jesus made some sort of career move when he turned 30 and that same sacred presence is with us in the midst of our changes, no matter the age we find ourselves to be.
The baptism of the Jesus announced him as child of God, beloved, pleasing in God’s presence and called him into public ministry. Likewise, this morning we celebrated the baptism of Trenton David, acknowledge him as a child of God, beloved, pleasing in God’s presence and we eagerly anticipate how his gifts and talents will be called forth as he grows through the years. Let us go forth, remembering our baptism, knowing that we are children of God, beloved, pleasing in God’s presence, and called in special ways by God. If you have never been baptized but desire to be baptized, let me know because any age is a good age for baptism.
http://www.stlukeumc.com/sermons.asp?year=02&serm=011302
Let’s start off by playing “You guess the Historic Figure!” History records that he was a great man. Yet he had humble beginnings. He grew up in small village, an ordinary boy who did nothing to draw attention to himself. Like most boys his age, he attended school. He also worked in the family business and did his best to grow up strong and healthy. Deep inside, however, he knew he had a special purpose, a destiny to fulfill. As he grew older people began to notice that there was something special about this young man. He had talent and charisma. He was gifted like no other. It wasn’t long before he started attracting crowds. Thousands came to see and listen to him. He chose a small band of loyal companions who traveled with him everywhere he went. Many of them had given up their jobs just to be with their idol and take care of his needs. As his fame spread, some grew jealous of him. Others thought he was leading people astray, and they plotted against him. But his popularity only increased. He touched the lives of young and old alike and brought joy and laughter to the weak and downhearted. Many hailed him as king. Toward the end of his short life, he suffered quite a bit. Some who had followed him fell away and turned to worshipping others. He died alone. Those closest to him were left discouraged and confused. They never expected his life to end that way. Soon after his death, there were rumors that he didn’t really die. His followers spread the news all around. “He lives!” they said. “He is not dead!” Some claimed they actually saw him. Even today, many believe he is still alive. By now, you’ve probably figured out who this great man was. His name was Elvis Presley!* Were some of you thinking I might be talking about another great person, like, maybe, Jesus? Well, this past Tuesday was the birth date of Elvis, who would have turned 67 if he were still among us, therefore I led you astray a bit with the reading of that true but slanted biography. Elvis was the “King” of Rock and Roll in the 1950’s but as we gather this morning we acknowledge, as Christians, that we attempt to let the spirit of Christ be “King” in our hearts. This is Baptism of the Lord Sunday on the church calendar. Our gospel text today records the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, among the crowds, as it tells the story of Jesus being baptized by John in the Jordan River.
Analysis of the Biblical Text
As we move through the gospel of Matthew in the early part of this year we need to develop or at least appreciate a first century Hebrew mind if we want to understand the meaning of the text. The gospel that is entitled Matthew was written around the year 85 in our common era (C.E.). Legend maintains that Matthew, a disciple of Jesus and former tax collector, was the author of this gospel. Most biblical scholars view this claim as legend and no more. But for sake of convenience I will refer to the author of this gospel by using the traditional name of Matthew. As I stated throughout our recent examination of Jesus’ birth narratives, what we find in the gospel of Matthew is the author interpreting the life of Jesus through images that emerge from scripture. Matthew poured over his scripture, our Old Testament, to find images that he could use to develop stories to explain the experiences and the theological affirmations of the early Christian community regarding Jesus, the Christ. In recent weeks we noted that the genealogy, birth story, and escape into Egypt serve as an outline for the gospel that the author of Matthew is going to present as the chapters unfold. In addition, I noted that the genealogy, birth narrative, and escape into Egypt foreshadow the manner in which Matthew is going to tell the story of the adult Jesus through the images of the biblical heroes Abraham, David, and most especially, Moses. References to these biblical heroes clued in the gospel’s original audience, those with Hebrew ears, to the fact that Jesus is:
-the one who is a “blessing to the nations” as Abraham was to be (Genesis 12:1-3);
-the long awaited messiah from the royal line of David (I Samuel 16); and
-the spiritual savior for humanity as Moses was the saving persona for the Hebrew slaves (Exodus 3f.).
The dominant image that Matthew uses to tell the story of Jesus is Moses. Two weeks ago I noted that Matthew’s account of the infant Jesus and the holy family fleeing to Egypt is a literary devise used by the author to project Jesus in the image of Moses in the introductory chapters of the gospel. Just as Moses, the saving persona of old, came forth from Egypt with the children of Israel, so Jesus, the saving persona for humanity, comes forth from Egypt as a child. Within our text today, the baptism of Jesus, one aspect of the imagery is clearly intended to compare the relative importance of Jesus to Moses. As we reference verse 16 we will see our biblical analysis insight for the day.
“And when Jesus had been baptized,
just as he came up from the water,
suddenly the heavens were opened to him…”
To understand this subtle comparison of Jesus to Moses we need to remember the 1st century mindset. In the 1st century, the earth and the universe were viewed as a dome, if you will; a flat earth with water below it that supplied the rivers and oceans and the sky above. The sky was understood to serve as a dome that held back the waters above that supply the rain, snow, and hail. Now see how all this fits in with Matthew’s comparison of Jesus and Moses in the baptism story. What did Moses separate as he started the Exodus? He parted the Red Sea, which is quite impressive. But what separated when Jesus started his ministry at the baptism? The heavens, that is, the waters above were parted. The Red Sea parting was impressive but the waters above in the heavens being parted is even more impressive. The Jewish Christian readers of Matthew’s gospel fully understood the symbolic statement the author was proclaiming as he compared Jesus, the Christ, to the most impressive figure in Hebrew history.
Within the whole of this gospel we will see that the story of Jesus is told through the imagery and in comparison to Moses. All I have said up to this point is helpful for understanding the content and construction of the gospel, but now I would like to move to the points of application of this text for our lives today? That is, how do the heavens open up for us, how does the voice of the sacred speak in our life, what is the particular call at this junction of life for you and me? All of these are baptismal questions and good questions for our reflection as we anticipate our focus and actions throughout this new year.
The heavens opening up and the voice of the sacred speaking occurs for us as we experience deep meaning in the midst of our activities that bring positive value to others. The heavens opening up or the voice of the sacred in our life is that internal experience of “Ah, this is what my life is to be about” that we sense in the midst of or at the conclusion of a particular occurrence in our life.
A high school teacher laments that the summer vacation is over because time with family has been so enjoyable. He has had many of those “Ah, this is what my life is to be about” throughout the summer in the midst of family activities and excursions. He remembers the unexpected conversation that he had with his grade school son during a wilderness trip in July. He and his wife decided the kids were old enough to join them in the backpacking trips that they enjoyed so much as a couple. They had taken the kids camping numerous times over the years, but not backpacking where each family member would have to carry part of the load as they ventured in the mountains for a few days. On the first day all seemed to be going well as Mom and Dad were carrying about 75 pounds of supplies on their backs. Ruth, 9, was carrying her lighter pack with ease and the same seemed to be true for Brian, 7, until he burst out crying in the midst of their mid-morning hike. Brian was the youngest and he was inclined to wear his emotions on his sleeves so this outburst was not totally unanticipated.
Dad went over to give him words of encouragement but Brain just responded by blurting out “I can’t do this just like I can’t play soccer, get good grades, or find friends at school.” Wow, Dad didn’t see that coming. He asked Mom and Ruth to resume walking and they would catch up later. After his outburst, Brian just continued to sob. Dad knew it had been a tough year on Brian. They moved the year before and Brian was having a tough time adjusting. Sports and studies did not come natural to Brian and in their new neighborhood everything seemed even more challenging for him. In retrospect, Dad forgot the exact words he said to Brian that morning but he just tried to let him know how proud both he and Mom were of him. Dad told him how much he believed that Brian could finish the hike that day, just like Brian would do well in soccer this summer, future studies in school, and finding new friends.
Whatever Dad said or how he said it, they were the right words at the right time. Brian hopped up and did great for the rest of the day and throughout their time on the mountain. He had a new conviction and oftentimes wanted to lead the family in hiking. He returned to soccer after vacation with a new sense of confidence. Dad could only think, “Wow, this is my calling in life, being a good parent.” That is why he lamented returning to his teaching duties at school. But as he returned to campus many of the students he taught or coached in the previous year greeted him with warmth and excitement, which reminded him of another calling in life that had great meaning and significance for him. He had wanted to be a teacher ever since Mr. Nelson, his sixth grade teacher, had made such a great difference in his life. Back in the classroom, as he was teaching and listening to the students, he understood that the heavens did open up in different parts of his life. He felt blessed.
Baptism is the recognition that God, the giver of life, loves us and sends us forth in service as parents, teachers, volunteers, and professionals. We are God’s children, beloved, with whom God is well pleased (Matthew 3:17). We are loved and send forth, not just to live for ourselves but also to live in community with others. God calls us into service with and for others, and as we respond to the divine voice, we find a depth of meaning and fulfillment that is meant for us. We can serve people in a variety of ways, even through administrative tasks like paper pushing and number crunching if they are done with a larger goal in mind. I have pushed a lot of paper and crunched a lot of numbers in the nearly three years that I have been at St. Luke. I do it with a larger goal in mind and, therefore, I feel fulfillment in it and that it is a response to the divine call in my life at this point in time. Let me share two examples.
In church finances I always want error on the side of caution because I take my responsibility for the stewardship of membership offerings quite seriously. However, the inquiring mind might want to know how I see my administrative duties as a response to the sacred voice moving through our midst. In this instance, it has an impact on the lives of children, which is certainly sacred, specifically the children of St. Luke and how they are nurtured. This summer we are going to be experiencing a transition in church staff. Nola and Marjorie, who oversee our children’s ministry, are concluding their capacity as staff members. They have each done a great job over the last two years and bring great warmth and love to their work. We look forward to them continuing as active members, but professionally, they each have other avenues they want to pursue. I hope to build upon the foundation they have provided by securing a full time staff person for our children’s ministry who might possess both theological training and past Christian education experience. I see that an experienced full time person in that position as enhancing our programming, which will further enrich the lives of the children currently in our midst and those who will come to us in the future. Crunching the numbers let’s me know if full time or part time staff can be pursued, how we can best provide for the needs of the children in our midst, and that is responding to the sacred voice in my life.
I lift up this illustration for a couple of reasons. I think it is helpful for the congregation to know some of the dynamics, financial and staffing, that are currently happening. But more importantly, I share this administrative aspect of my job to affirm the administrative duties that many of you carry out in your daily work. Within capitalism there is the goal of making money for oneself but within that context, successful businesses, that many of you are apart of, can create jobs that bring meaning, value and sustenance to the lives of others. Job creation and employment enhancement is certainly a way that business people can respond to the call of God in their lives. Providing the right job for the right person or being able to provide a bonus or increased salary because business is good can be like having the heavens open up for the employer and the employee. What we do as business people, parents, volunteers, in ministry, and in human service professions can be a response to the call of God in our life through the use of our particular gifts, talents, and personalities. Baptism is the recognition that God, the giver of life, loves us and sends us forth in service.
The greatest satisfaction as well as the greatest frustration I have had in my work here is the compensation we provide the staff in our Child Development Center, which presently numbers 48 full or part-time employees. According to industry standards, the rate we pay our staff is near the top. But even top pay in the Child Care Industry is modest compensation. My greatest satisfaction is that the stipend we provide our care givers, beyond their salary, has increased $750 per employee in the last two and half years. That is good progress for a small non-profit, but my frustration is that $750 is not much in the great scheme of costs like health insurance. Yet, the freed up funds that become available as St. Luke reduces its’ debt load and manages its’ resources in increasingly better fashions can, among other things, be re-routed into an enhanced compensation package for the staff in the Child Development Center in the future. The Child Development staff that are entrusted with our precious infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers deserve to have good benefits packages as well as respectable salaries. I find that as I pursue this administrative goal that I am doing God’s work! As we allow the sacred to move through us, we see what effect it can have on the spirit, mind, and the livelihood others and ourselves.
Baptism is an affirmation that we are children of God, beloved, pleasing and sacred. Additionally, baptism is recognition that God calls us into service with others. We see these aspects in the baptism of Jesus. Yet our calling from God does not happen just once, like the sacrament of baptism, but the divine voice is dynamic and speaks to us in different ways at different points of our life. What did Jesus do before he was thirty? We assume that he was about God’s business in some fashion before he started his public ministry. Legend tells us he was a carpenter. That may be true. Yet, the first people he calls to join his ministry might point to another possibility. He initially calls the fishermen, Andrew, Peter, James, and John to join him in his ministry (Matthew 4:18-22). Maybe he knew them because he spent some of his teenage years and time when he was in his twenties as a fisherman himself. Another possibility is hinted at in the gospel of Luke as it notes that he possessed intellect and wisdom beyond his years as a youngster (Luke 3:41-52). Maybe he was adopted by one the leading schools of his day and given an “academic scholarship” to study the Hebrew law and religion through his maturing years. Before his public ministry, Jesus did something else and in his baptism he felt called beyond whatever that might have been. The sacred voice in our life calls our gifts and talents to be used in a variety of ways and in a variety of settings throughout our lives. This is a word of good news for those in the midst of job transitions, in retirement, or young people who hear reports that the emerging economy will have them working for 5 to 10 companies throughout professional career. Jesus made some sort of career move when he turned 30 and that same sacred presence is with us in the midst of our changes, no matter the age we find ourselves to be.
The baptism of the Jesus announced him as child of God, beloved, pleasing in God’s presence and called him into public ministry. Likewise, this morning we celebrated the baptism of Trenton David, acknowledge him as a child of God, beloved, pleasing in God’s presence and we eagerly anticipate how his gifts and talents will be called forth as he grows through the years. Let us go forth, remembering our baptism, knowing that we are children of God, beloved, pleasing in God’s presence, and called in special ways by God. If you have never been baptized but desire to be baptized, let me know because any age is a good age for baptism.
http://www.stlukeumc.com/sermons.asp?year=02&serm=011302