First Presbyterian Church
Confirmation Makes a Difference
Sermon for January 11, 2004
by Pastor Susan Barnes

The book of Isaiah is set in Babylon , around the time of the Babylonian exile. In our reading, the prophet gives the good news that the end of the exile will come soon; King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon , and will let the exiles return to their homeland. The punishment of exile is over. Listen for the word of God as it is found in Isaiah 43:1-7.

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel , your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6 I will say to the orth, "Give them up," and to the south, "Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth-- 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

This ends our reading from Isaiah. The third chapter of Luke begins with a date. People dated years by the number of years a monarch was in power. Luke begins by naming the authority of the empire, the local rulers, and the high priest. Perhaps it was a common method historians used in order to be precise. Luke writes :

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea , and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas ,

and then he introduces the main character of the chapter:

the word of God came to…. John … son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

Zechariah was just a priest. He didn't offer much in the way of ancestral pedigree. Listen for the word of God as it is found in Luke 3:15-22

15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying , "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19 But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added to them all by shutting up John in prison. 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

This ends our reading from God's word.

Jesus was baptized by this John, son of Zecharaiah, who dared speak the truth. Jesus also was arrested for speaking the truth. We are baptized in Jesus' name. Jesus helped the poor and powerless; we are called to help the poor and powerless.

This week, I talked to two prisoners who are drug addicts, and working the steps in their recovery. Jason was in his twenties, and was a Pentecostal type. Archie is in his forties, a Jehovah's Witness. I asked each of them what would help them most to hear in church, from the pulpit. Every year red ribbon week comes up, and I always wonder what I could possibly say that would be useful to people going through the arduous task of recovery. They both agreed the best message for them was “God forgives you.” Jason said if God can forgive me, a criminal and an addict, then I can forgive myself.” He had done some pretty terrible things. I asked him about the step where you have to make amends unless to do so would create more harm. I wanted to know if restitution was built into the program. He said before he can make amends, he has to show people by his behavior that he is trustworthy and is truthful. He said “saying I'm sorry means nothing if I'm not trustworthy.”

This recovery program has an enormous success rate. I asked the director why, and he said, “Because it's run by people who believe men can change.”

That is one of the things baptism is about; knowing that we can change, that we can turn our lives over to God, and say “I don't like the way I am. I don't like what I am doing, please change me.” Or “I want to be more like Christ, help me.” We do not have to stay stuck where we are. It's easy to let our past sins, mistakes, and errors in judgment control us. We can make excuses for ourselves, and say “I'm just that way.”

I once knew a woman named Maurene a former school teacher. She was the kind of person that a kind person might generously call crusty, and the rest of us might admit she was plain mean. She told me once, “I can't be kindly; it's not in my nature.” I remember thinking that was very sad. She was kind, some of the time, but it didn't come naturally to her.

She told me the advice she told her students. She was trying to tell them to choose their friends carefully, when she said, “If you're standing on a table, and your friends are around you on the floor, it's a lot easier for them to pull you down to their level than for you to pull them up to yours.” I thought that was such sad advice. If you are centered and balanced, and have the help you need, when friends reach for your hand, you can give it to them, and help them up. I believe people can change, and learn to be kind. But Maurene didn't believe it, of her students, or of herself.

Baptism is about change. God said, “Do not fear; I have redeemed you.” You do not need to remain in exile, I have exchanged the most powerful countries on earth for you, that's how much I think you are worth, you tiny nation of Jacob.

The heavenly voice said, “You are my son, the beloved.” Jesus was baptized. We are baptized. In the prayer called Thanksgiving over the water, I speak of the biblical symbols of water. At the creation, God changed the water from chaos to sky and seas. At the waters of the flood, the relationship between God human beings was changed by God, with the first covenant At the Red Sea, God changed the water so the Hebrew slaves could escape to freedom. And in the waters of baptism , God offers us a chance to be changed by these waters.

When the youth make their confirmation promises today, they are reminded of the promises made on their behalfs at their baptism. Baptism is a symbol of new life, a sign that God knows our names. Even though there are so many people in the world, in east and west and north and south, God knows their names. We human beings may forget, but God doesn't. Last night, at our retreat, I asked the confirmation youth about how they would be changed, and what would be different for them, when they joined the church as members. Here's what they had to say.

“I've always wanted to join. I'm going to be a member, not a pre-member, like a little kid.” It's a sign of growing up. I like the church; this is my religion; this is my church, because I feel like I belong.”

“When I join, I'll feel like I really belong here, like a normal Christian, rather than someone who comes to church once in a while. I'll be able to come more often.” [Driving to church] “won't be a waste of gas.”

“Lots of my family was involved here. It's a home away form home, another family.”

“ I'll have more self respect because I've accomplished something. When I go to another town, I'll go to a Presbyterian church and I'll know what they are talking about.”

“I'll feel more respected; they will know who I am.

“Being in a church is really important-I'll be a step higher in my life—I'll be going into another family.”

“My place here is important.”

“When people are tempted to do things, I won't be.'

“It opens doors to more opportunities. I can help out more.”

“When we are pressured by friends who want us to believe in their faith, we can say, ‘I'm already a member'” [of First Presbyterian Church.]

Last night, we prayed for one another, and with each other. Last night, around the flames of the candles on the chancel, we all belonged. Baptism is about belonging to God. It is about being loved and loving. It is also about believing in a God of grace, a God of love, a God who reaches out to us.

When we baptize infants, we recognize that nothing we can do will earn God's love; it is enough to just be. Babies bring out unconditional love in us, just like we bring out unconditional love in God. When older people are baptized, or when they join the church, it is a sign that they want to belong; we long to join with the people of God. And so today, we have plenty to celebrate; we all change and grow, and we mark these changes with the symbol of baptism. Amen.