A Famous Theologian Once Said That Preachers Need to Have the Bible in One Hand and The

Sunday January 11, 2015 And so once again, I found myself racking my Matthew 3:1-17 brain this week trying to imagine what I might say this morning – words of hope? Words of comfort? Words of A famous theologian once said that preachers challenge? Words of judgment? Folks, the diaconal style need to have the bible in one hand and the newspaper in which I was trained is conversational. I want to have in the other. Some say it was Karl Barth that said that, a conversation about what you’re thinking this week. but apparently the exact quote can’t be found in his At my first worship committee meeting back in writings. At any rate, it’s been kind of a motto for many November, I did wonder aloud about preaching every years for many preachers as they prepare their week – it isn’t something that I have done in my nearly sermons each week, recognizing that in order to preach twenty years of ministry. I mused that there might the gospel, our words need to be relevant and timely to come a time when I might say … “talk amongst the context of those we serve. yourselves for 10 minutes. I’ll be right back.” Ray Well it’s been quite a week, hasn’t it? From the started laughing that infectious laugh that he has. I said massacre and subsequent three day siege in Paris, to “you think I’m kidding” and he said “no, I’m laughing the ongoing debate about how to handle the dentistry because I know you’re not.” scandal at Dalhousie, to the terrible tragedy on Well, today isn’t that day. I’ll keep that in the Wednesday on the Old Guysborough Road where 3 bank. But I came close. I am also left wondering what people died in a house fire, the news is full of sadness, the “rule” – preach with the bible in one hand and the grief, outrage, disbelief, and opinions. The last newspaper in the other – looks like today – several situation, by the way, is one in which Linda Yates, the decades after someone first said it. The bible in one minister here until just this past November, is deeply hand and – facebook? Twitter? Movies? Jon Stewart or involved. The deceased were beloved members of her Bill Mahar … in the other? All of them provide new pastoral charge, and the community is information and commentary on what’s going on in the understandably in shock. We hold them in our prayers world. It’s hard to keep up. today. 1 It’s hard to sort through the words of hope, ungodly level of annoying. And they are almost always comfort, challenge, judgment that one finds in any of RUDE. (I mean all-caps rude, too. Can you imagine those media. It’s a deluge of information, and it makes prophetic Twittering? ALL CAPS, ALL THE TIME. We’d hit my head spin. the unfollow button without thinking twice.)”1 We can find all those in our scripture reading Well, if anyone watched the first episode of the today – words of hope, comfort, challenge and new season of Downtown Abbey last weekend, you judgment. Today, we heard two stories from the Gospel would have seen this in action. Sarah Bunting, the new of Matthew. Two very different stories. Often we hear school teacher in the village, unbeknownst to Lord these stories separately - the first story, the story of Grantham, was invited to a dinner party as a special John the Baptist, is often read during Advent. The friend to young widower Tom. She does not hold back second one, the story of Jesus’ baptism, sometimes her political views which favour trade unions and an end from another Gospel, is read on this Sunday. They are to the upper class, which she does not hold back. She very different stories, and evoke very different seems to offend just about everyone at the table. emotional responses. Certainly a terrible dinner guest for a number of the In her commentary “Prophets are terrible dinner inhabitants of the Manor, for sure. guests”, Dalnielle Shroyer says: In today’s story, John the Baptist, who has “Let’s all just admit it: nobody likes prophets. We attracted people from all over the region, is critical of pastors try to be reasonable about this by explaining the elites who have joined the crowd. He doesn’t that it’s hard when someone shoves our bad choices in believe that they really understand, or are committed our faces — even though it’s probably good for us. to, the new order that is to come. They don’t Sometimes, this is true. But let’s be honest. We don’t understand how much needs to change, how corrupt like prophets because they are jerks. They are horribly the system really is. pessimistic. They have the remarkable ability to be simultaneously pompous and whiny, which is an 1 http://www.togetherweserve.org/god%e2%80%99s-promises-hope/ 2 There are lots of prophets in our midst today – who should be baptizing him, Jesus insists that he be I’m sure you can think of some – some who are very baptized along with the others. And so John baptizes public figures, some probably within your own circle of Jesus, and we are told that immediately afterwards the friends and family. Here are three young prophets that I heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended like a stumbled upon, on facebook, this week. Three very dove, and a voice was heard saying “this is my Son, articulate young women. Hang on to your hats – they’re whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Some kind of testy. (youtube video) translations say… “this is my beloved son”, or “this is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YshUDa10JYY my Son, the beloved.” If we heard the words of judgment and challenge How would you like to have them at your dinner in the first story, in this second story we hear the words table? It would be pretty lively, I suspect. There’s of hope and comfort. Above all the chaos in the crowd, another clip on youtube of the interview that Queen we hear the words “beloved … beloved … you are Latifah did with them afterwards. They recently placed beloved.” third in a world wide competition called “Brave New In this baptism, there are no promises or creeds, World.” They talk about the confidence that doing this no paperwork or motions passed at a governing body. has brought them, and others in their class. It’s been a Just a welcoming ritual that ends with “you are journey of discovery for them, and for all the students beloved.” in this Las Angeles based program. Almost like a calling In my research this week I was reminded of a out of who they were meant to be. story I heard Janet Wolf, a minister at Hobson The story immediately following the John the Presbyterian Church in Nashville at the time, tell at a Baptist story is the story of Jesus’ baptism. We are told workshop in Tatamagouche many years ago. It’s about that John recognized Jesus right away as he approached a woman named “Fayette.” This is Jan Richardson re- John for baptism, even though we assume that they telling the story on her website. have never met. Although John protests that it is Jesus 3 Janet described her congregation as a diverse behold.’ ‘Oh, yes!’ she shouted as she danced all around congregation that includes “…people with power and the fellowship hall. PhDs and folks who have never gone past the third grade; folks with two houses and folks living on the streets; and, as one person who struggles with mental Two months later, Janet received a phone call. health declared, ‘those of us who are crazy and those Fayette had been beaten and raped and was at the who think they’re not.’” county hospital. Janet writes: So I went. I could see her Years ago, a woman named Fayette found her from a distance, pacing back and forth. When I got to way to Hobson. Fayette lived with mental illness and the door, I heard, ‘I am beloved….’ She turned, saw lupus and without a home. She joined the new member me, and said, ‘I am beloved, precious child of God, class. The conversation about baptism—“this holy and….’ Catching sight of herself in the mirror—hair moment when we are named by God’s grace with such sticking up, blood and tears streaking her face, dress power it won’t come undone,” as Janet put it— torn, dirty, and rebuttoned askew, she started again, ‘I especially grabbed Fayette’s imagination. Janet tells of am beloved, precious child of God, and…’ She looked in how, during the class, Fayette would ask again and the mirror again and declared, ‘…and God is still again, “And when I’m baptized, I am…?” “The class,” working on me. If you come back tomorrow, I’ll be so Janet writes, “learned to respond, ‘Beloved, precious beautiful I’ll take your breath away!’2 Words of hope child of God, and beautiful to behold.’ ‘Oh, yes!’ she’d and comfort. say, and then we could go back to our discussion.” One commentator this week pointed out that The day of Fayette’s baptism came. This is how God’s pleasure in Jesus is announced before Jesus Janet describes it: Fayette went under, came up begins his ministry – suggesting that the blessing of spluttering, and cried, ‘And now I am…?’ And we all God is not contingent on any particular actions. sang, ‘Beloved, precious child of God, and beautiful to

2 http://paintedprayerbook.com/2010/01/03/epiphany-1-baptized-and-beloved/ 4 We had an interesting conversation about baptism heart of hearts, like Fayette. However, Fayette had to in our staff meeting this week after reading this wait until she was an adult to find out that God loved passage in our weekly worship time. How the ritual has her. What if everyone knew that from birth? evolved in our own denomination, and how different the theology of baptism can be between denominations. It’s Canadian musician Jann Arden has a wonderful a huge debate – infant or adult baptism? Immersion or blog on her facebook page. She’s funny, sad, poignant, sprinkle? Home baptism or within the community of thoughtful all at the same time. For the past while she faith? Trinitarian formula, or inclusive language? There has been accompanying her parents through some very is theological rationale for each one of those choices, difficult physical and mental transitions. She has an and we could probably do a whole sermon series on the interesting take on being “saved.” different theologies of baptism. And what kind of https://www.facebook.com/JannArden promises or vows are expected? Theologian Marcus Borg suggests that in the early church there wasn’t a Thanks to Jann Arden, I’ll never think of “being requirement of belief before one was baptized. One was saved” in the same way again. baptized into the community, and then the learning and Maybe I’ve left you with more questions than understanding began. answers. I always say that’s a good thing in study At the staff meeting we talked about the concept groups. In the biblical story, in the media, in our times, of “being saved” … and what exactly that mean. In the we find words of challenge and judgment, and words of past, it has been so closely tied to baptism – we don’t hope and comfort. There are no easy answers to the believe that in the United Church, that baptism “saves” tragedies of this week, of every week around the globe. someone. Our theology is more that the act of baptism But we come together as beloved people of God to confirms what has already happened in the eyes of God acknowledge our questions and frailties, and find the – you are my beloved child. Full stop. How different strength in God, and each other to go on. Thanks be to might the world be if everyone believed that in their God. 5 6