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Sermon October 28, 2018
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, LSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost, Proper 25, track 1
http://lectionarypage.net/YearB_RCL/Pentecost/BProp25_RCL.html
In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. Job 42:15
Please be seated
On Friday, I spent much of the day at the bedside of Esther. Esther was my mother-in-law and even though her son and I divorced, we kept in touch.
Esther died yesterday. On Friday her family gathered around. She could not speak to us and we spoke to her and talked about the memories we shared.
Esther was a woman I admired so much. She was generous and kind. She had a lot of energy. She used to work at two Lancaster-County Farmer’s markets at a sub stand. Those were LONG days. Sometimes we would go to the Green Dragon Market on a Friday evening and her smile was just as wonderful as it had been at opening.
Esther had a wonderful, large garden each summer. We enjoyed many meals with food from that garden. Our family especially remembers her homemade grape juice. We would get a small cup of it at the beginning of the many family and celebration meals she prepared.
What I especially remember about Esther was her ability to change her mind. She wasn’t so sure about her son marrying me, because I was a divorced woman with two children. She worried about that and it was also against her then-religious beliefs.
Now it may have been my daughter who really swayed Esther. The first time my then 6 year old daughter met Esther, she climbed right up into her lap and called her Grandma. I’m not sure what it was, but by the time her son and I were married, she had opened her arms wide to us. When she invited my daughter and me to her church’s Mother and Daughter banquet, I knew she no longer had any reservations about me or my past.
Esther was a beautiful woman. Esther was a beautiful daughter. Esther was an example of a woman who loved God, loved her neighbor and loved herself.
As I read the lessons for this week, I was struck by the restoration of Job’s fortunes. I was especially struck by the fact that he had three daughters. These daughters are even named, while the sons are not. This is certainly unusual for the time. In addition, these daughters received an inheritance, which was also highly unusual for the time. The daughters, in other words, were equal to the sons.
This morning, we welcome a new daughter into our parish, Payton Remi Saner. We already know she is beautiful. We already know she is valued. That is because all of God’s children are beautiful and valued. We do not yet know all of Payton’s gifts and talents. They will emerge over time. And we do know that our world, our community, and our life together is changed and made different because she is here with us. Her presence as a creation of God brings something new and wonderful and beautiful to us.
Payton also gives us great hope. Payton’s family and friends and those of us here today have promised to love Payton. We have promised to teach her about God and Jesus. We have promised to show her a different way to live in the world, a way that at times is contrary to how others want us to live.
On behalf of Payton, we have rejected evil. On behalf of Payton, we have affirmed our following Jesus Christ. We have affirmed the way of love.
We have hope because here is a child who will be raised to participate in the Christian community. She will learn of the Apostle’s teaching and what it means to be in fellowship with God’s people. She will participate in communion and in prayer.
She will be taught to resist evil. She will know that even in her best attempts to do so, she will sometimes choose the wrong path. She will sometimes fail. Yet, she can repent…she can turn around and return to God and be forgiven.
She will be taught to proclaim by her words and her actions the Good News of God in Christ. The Good News of loving God, loving your neighbor and loving herself.
She will be taught to look for Christ in every single person she meets. She will be taught to serve Christ in ALL people.
She will be taught to strive for justice and peace among everyone in the world. She will be taught to respect the dignity of every human being.
Payton’s baptism and the promises made to her by all of us today remind us of the vision of a world that truly follows God and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Her baptism reminds us of our own responsibilities. Her baptism gives us joy because another person has joined us in this way of living that truly brings abundant life.
Welcome beautiful daughter Payton and thank you for joining us today.
Amen
