Mark 1:4-11

If you grew up near a pond or a lake, then you may recall the experience of throwing a pebble or stone into the water, just to watch the concentric waves created by the splash grow larger and larger, perhaps even reaching the edges of the pond. Maybe I enjoyed watching that phenomenon because I was never particularly good at skipping stones across the water. But I could toss a stone up in the air as far as I could and watch it plunge into the water. Watching those circles expand — I could do that again and again. And sometimes, as those circles reached the shore, I imagined them continuing onto the land under my feet, and never stopping.

When our children come into church from Godly Play and join us for a baptism, I’ve noticed that some of them like to get close, and on their tiptoes look into the baptismal font. I wonder if they, with their own sense of wonder, are looking for those circular waves that start moving out into the world.

For this baptismal pool is at the center of our worship this morning. It is at the center of our worship because we hear the story of the baptism of Jesus. It is at the center of our worship because all of us will participate soon in the baptism of James, brought here by his parents Barry and Lauren.

You may not be able to see the waters of the baptismal font from where you are sitting. But you can, if you lean a bit, see the river Jordan. For it runs through our life today, like a stream flowing down the center aisle.

We can come to the banks of that river with many others, to see this person called John the baptizer. And among the persons coming to be baptized is a person called Jesus Into the waters Jesus stepped. He not only stepped, but in the tradition of the day, submerged himself, and was baptized by John. And the result of that plunge into the waters was a widening circle of waves – indeed, you can look at the rest of the gospel of Mark, and all of the gospels, as a record of how far those ripples extended into the world. And we know that those waves went far beyond the banks of the Jordan. Have you ever thought of your life in that way? Have you ever thought that your words, your actions, perhaps even your thoughts, as having a rippling effect, spreading outward in ever larger circles? It can be hard to do that.

In the great scheme of things, our individual lives may not seem as if they have great significance. Each of us is only one of 7 billion people alive today, and when you take into account all of the people who have ever lived, the particularities of any one life are even less noticeable. Take another step back, and our existence can hardly seem to have meaning. I saw a chart recently that showed the history of our planet from its formation to the present as a 24 hour time period. Humankind shows up on this planet at about 11:58 pm.

And yet… we do not have to be biblical literalists to believe that at the creation of the world, when “the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep,… a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:3) The face of the waters was touched by God. And centuries later, those very same waters were touched again when a person immersed himself in the Jordan for baptism. And as he arose, it was as if a living stone had been thrust into those waters, for the circles began to spread, circles of hope, circles of promise, circles of healing – waves of the very kingdom of God, washing over people and transforming lives Not only were the waters disturbed, but the heavens themselves, torn open so that the Spirit, appearing as a dove descended on Jesus.

Anytime we come to this font, we come not only to participate in a baptism, but to wonder at those circular waves that will emanate from the life of the beloved who is immersed in the waters. And anytime we come to this font, we are reminded that our lives too, even when they seem like a small and insignificant pebble, when plunged into the waters of baptism, can create waves of love and compassion. They are waves created by our own response to being baptized. And they are waves created by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.

Even as I imagined that the waves from a stone could go far beyond the banks of a pond, I hope that you will imagine -no, that you will believe — that the waves created by your baptism and by your life will go far beyond the walls of this church. And if you have not been baptized, imagine the waves that might yet be.

For beyond this place there are all too many people who have been told that their lives are insignificant, and that their lives have no meaning. What would it mean for them to hear the Good New of Jesus – that every human life is of invaluable worth, and that the waves of God’s love and compassion are meant to wash over all.

When I am preparing parents for baptism, I usually explain that at the moment of baptism itself, I use the first and middle names of the child being baptized, but not his or her last name – for in baptism, all of us have the same last name, and that is Christian. Meeting with Barry and Lauren yesterday to prepare for today, I listened as they explained the background of James’ name. His last name is Dellecese — “an Italian name,” Barry said, “which means, ‘from the Church’.” What a name. And how appropriate. For as we baptize this young child today, we’ll pray that his life will be so shaped and formed here that waves of love, compassion, and service will indeed emanate “from the church,” from the body of Christ, extending far beyond these walls and into the world. Perhaps we could all adopt that name this morning. For couldn’t that be a prayer for us all: that the living of our lives will be like pebbles cast into the waters, resulting in waves that move out in ever expansive circles, bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the world.

Amen.

A Sermon for St. John’s Episcopal Church
Charlestown, Massachusetts

Preached on The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord January 8, 2012
by the Rev. Thomas N. Mousin