On Baptism of Jesus, we recall that even Jesus needs to be baptized. This short gospel is a reminder that Jesus is Son of God and he is also human. He also needs ritual, and for John to witness the work of the Holy Trinity. God the Father/Creator, voice from heaven; God the Holy Spirit in the dove enlivening the water; and Jesus as God the Son. All three are work and offering Jesus care. This is not a God who is aloof, removed from the world, but instead a God who deems ritual inclusion important. Even Jesus is baptized. And we are baptized into Jesus’ baptism.
Karri Aldredge, a Lutheran New Testament Scholar, also notes the many people who have cared for Jesus to get this far as a young adult. Between the Christmas stories of Jesus’ birth and now his baptism, it is no small thing for a child in ancient times to survive this long. Infant mortality was around 50% before the age of 10. Think about all the people we met in the Christmas stories who supported Jesus as an infant.
We meet Joseph, who while quiet and first considers dismissing Mary, thinks twice when an angel visits him in a dream. Joseph as a stepfather raises Jesus and helps protect him.
We meet the Magi, who we just celebrated on Epiphany, on January 6. They bring gifts that help a poor family, paying homage to Jesus. And they help protect the infant not returning to Herod to tell him where Jesus and family are staying. They are strangers and yet undertake a dangerous journey in order to show love to Jesus.
Even the genealogy at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, tells a story about a long line of people leading up to Jesus. Even he is born of ancestors who themselves had stories of resilience and struggle.
So too with us, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Whether that is a family tree, mentors in our lives, or the present church community. This is in part why we celebrate baptism as a community on Sunday morning, the Easter Vigil, or other community gatherings. We don’t offer private baptisms in the Lutheran church because it is a public celebration. The outpouring of the Creator, Spirit, and Son is something to be witnessed and upheld together as a community of faith. In every baptism there is the call and response both to the individual desiring to be baptized or parents or guardians baptizing a child. And also the call and response to the community promising to uphold this person in baptism. The community makes a promise to be there for the person welcomed into the community. This is a relevant topic for us at the moment as we have several people in the community preparing for baptism in the coming year. It is a reminder to us about our commitment as a congregation to be there and support those who are baptized.
It is also a reminder to us that there remains a desire for people to explore Christian rituals of inclusion. We live in a world that often is unkind. The number of times people are searching for housing in Victoria is staggering. People lose affordable housing all the time and the challenge to find another place to live. And if people can afford to pay the rent, there is also the price of food, transportation, etc. We live in a beautiful part of the world that can be harsh. We also hear it’s not just here, but that cost of living has risen since the pandemic pretty much everywhere. As we become more fragmented from one another with turnover of neighbours increasing, communities like churches are increasingly important. The gospel proclaims a message of inclusion, of finding a home. Just as baptism promises a mystical inclusion in the body of Christ. Baptism is about finding a home in Christ and among people of God.
We are in the midst of huge swell of people seeking spiritual homes and connection. Don’t be distracted by all the stories of church decline. Right now there is an upswing in people looking for church homes, and we can welcome one another together. This also requires us to do the work of welcoming one another. We are a congregation of newer people and people who have been here longer. It takes intentional work to get to know one another. This is where coffee hour, potlucks, book groups, and new groups we haven’t yet formed, are all important. Best practices from other churches in our area include small group ministries. That’s where we offer several small groups for social and spiritual connection. We offer this to some degree thinking about Women in Faith, Perk Me Up, choir, Sunday School, Confirmation, High School Youth Group, a bourgeoning DEI group, and more. It differs from committees and boards, which are also needed, in that small groups offer a chance for rest, building relationships, and growing in faith. We’ve heard interest in a small group that meets for outdoor activities such as hiking. There are a few people who have gathered to read liberation theology. And there is discussion of a monthly movie club. These are all opportunities for us to grow together as baptized Christians and those discerning baptism.
We all need community these days. Many of us have heard the news of horrific violence in the US. There is Renee Nicole Good, a thirty-seven-year-old mother of a six-year-old and US citizen, shot point blank by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. There were two other people shot by ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, a day later, who survived. All this a week after kidnapping the president of Venezuela and his wife. Threats of annexing Greenland continue. We’re somewhere in the middle, here in Canada. There is a power asymmetry and level of chaos we cannot totally prepare for. What we can prepare for us is building community provides support in times of struggle. We learned this coming out of the Covid lockdown and it’s especially true today. Community isn’t just a luxury, it’s a lifeline. As a congregation we help knit together the social fabric of neighbourhoods. And we do this not on our own but through the support of a wider church with the BC Synod and national church. We have ecumenical partners, multifaith partners, and more.
This past week I met Rabbi Eli, the new rabbi at Congregation Emanu-el, who moved here from Oregon. Good to continue building relationships with Jewish neighbours. Together we have sponsored a refugee family from Syria, who we remain in contact with. One example of ways that God is at work between faith communities. I noticed a lot of similarities between our communities. We first met in the front office while the office admin was out on some errands, then later moved to their hall, while someone was mopping the floor. I had arrived by bike and invited to bring it inside, not far from the rabbi’s bike. Lots of everyday tasks that remind me of Church of the Cross. They have their own idiosyncratic things in their building just like us. They have other dynamics to contend with given tensions around Israel and Palestine. We remain supportive of the Jewish community while supporting Gaza, including Lutherans there. It is one example of hope that dialogue remains open. And opportunity to grow relationships remain strong.
This is a healthy space from which to consider baptismal theology. Not wanting to impose it upon others, including Jewish neighbours. Not wanting a ritual of welcome and inclusion to be weaponized against faith communities that celebrate different rites. But instead to remember that Jesus was baptized with the support of a wider community. Even the Son of God depended upon the love of others, family, strangers, friends that led up to his baptism presided over by John. Know that each of you are supported by the love of God, for us as Christians, a Trinity of Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit. May the love of God and community sustain you these days. Amen.
