Loading...Sermon May 15, 2016
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, LSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen, Newport, PA
Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? John 14:8-9
Please be seated.
On Friday, my daughter, Carrie, the baby of the family, turned 40! Where did the time go? Naturally, at this time, I recall the day she was born and many other memories over the years.
It’s very interesting to see the memories she has and the ones I have. I’m sure many of you have had that experience of someone remembering something you’ve completely forgotten.
Sinead O’Connor in her recording from 1995, had a song that suggested how connected to God we are when we’re born and how easily we lose that connection as we age. The words to a portion of the song are:
All babies are born saying God’s name
Over and over,
All born singing God’s name
…All babies are crying
For no-one remembers God’s name
All Babies, Sinead O’Connor
“All babies are crying for no one remembers God’s name.” It’s like when we’re born, a process of forgetting God ensues. We’re born into a world that values what we see with our eyes and touch with our hands or physical selves over what we can see with our hearts and touch with our spirits. A world that discounts intuition and a sixth sense. A world that in many places and in many ways is uncomfortable with, even afraid of, mystery and of unknowing.
We are born into this world with strong connections to God and our own spirits. We don’t have a way to communicate with words for awhile, so we are very connected to our bodies and to what we experience in them. But, it seems like as we grow older, we’re taught to ignore our bodies and hearts in favor of passing the standardized math and reading tests. We forget how to read ourselves and how to see each other.
Many times, we begin to accept this “vain” world’s assessment of us. We’re not pretty. We’re not smart. We think funny. We dress funny. We don’t make enough money. We aren’t good enough. We forget that God created our diversity and that the norm of life is diversity rather than conformity.
Today we are so fortunate to have two baptisms – Alivia and Joshua. They’re young and as we watch them and listen to them, we have a chance to renew our connection to God. As they are baptized, we also renew our own baptismal promises.
Those of us baptized as children may only have a photograph of the event, but in a very real sense, that baptism was telling our spirits to remember where we came from…to remember God’s name. As we get older and once again surrender to the world’s assessment of us, participating in a baptism and renewing our baptismal vows reminds us that in the waters of baptism, we die to the world’s view of us and are returned or reborn to God’s view of us.
And God’s view of us is that we are perfectly created. No, we are not God. We are not perfect in that we know everything or can do everything or see everything. We are perfect in the part of the body of Christ that we are. We are perfect in our humanity.
We don’t have every talent, but we have talent…talent necessary for the world. We don’t possess all knowledge, but we possess knowledge that is necessary for the world. We don’t have all intelligence, but we have intelligence that is necessary for the world. We don’t have all understanding of God, but we have understanding of God that is necessary for the world.
And especially today, the Day of Pentecost, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit is with us always. We are reminded that the love of God, the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, and the ongoing teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit continues to teach us and strengthen us throughout our lives.
When we participate in these baptisms today and renew our own baptismal vows… God is breaking through to us…recalling to us what we knew when we were born…reminding us of God’s name. God is reminding us that the Holy Spirit is right with us. God is reminding us that we are beloved children. Then we are prepared to go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit!
Amen
