Baptism, the Lord’s
Supper with First Presbyterian Church, Spring City, TN, 2017 07 02
\Note: I’ve been traveling and quite tied up with a
number of things between late June and now. A highpoint was a trip to
Washington, D.C. to visit my son and his fiancée, planning for their marriage
later this year, something I’m obviously very excited about. A lot has
transpired and I’ll catch up on the intervening Sundays in the next few posts.
(This is a very “Presbyterian” post, so you ought to
read it to see where we come from – advice from a former Baptis.)
Many
of you may remember President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural statement about
receiving and giving. He said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but
what you can do for your country.” A sermon on “Giving and Receiving” can be
aptly patriotic on a Fourth of July weekend. You may expect talk about national
service, the freedoms we have in the US, or what can we do for our country. These
are admirable goals. I. for one, certainly have the greatest respect and honor
for the sacrifices my father made in service to ensure freedom in our country
and the world that was faced with the dictatorial racism of Hitler.
But mixing faith and
patriotism is a dangerous road for all of us. It often veers into arguments
over political parties and positions, and an attitude of “I know better than
you,” and veers away from constructive conversation about how to live the life of
the gospel that benefits any country we have.
It is also easy to
forget the Book of Judges and 1 Samuel 8:1-22, that remind is all rulers and
governments are human institutions created in disregard to God because we do
not trust and follow God’s rule. As a result, every leader and every government,
no matter how benevolent, is flawed by sin and will fail the test of
responsibility to its citizens. We can and should celebrate our freedom - that
is the purpose of Independence Day, but the ultimate support of government is living
the life the gospel calls us to live.
I want to offer a
different take on JFK’s slogan by exploring how giving and receiving are
essential parts of Christian fellowship. The motivation comes by the fact that
we are receiving a new member and baptizing a child.
It is pretty “churchy”
to talk about things like baptism and new members for some of you who read these
blog posts, But these acts of membership, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are acts
of giving and receiving that ought to reflect the core belief of everyone who
expresses a morality arising from one’s faith.
Baptism and Communion
symbolize the heart of Christian life, whether it is in the USA or elsewhere. They
are symbols, some call them sacraments, but regardless each act has an element
of giving and receiving necessary to live the life the gospel calls us to
live. Why is that?
What is the purpose
of a church or congregation? (Why do we attend?)
You may answer with a variety of answers: “I
come to save my soul, or to thank God for the blessings I receive, or I come
for support from my fellow Christians, or I come because my boss comes.”
Or, you may answer: “I
come to be an assuring presence to others, to spread the Good News, or to lead
or support a ministry in our community.”
You probably noticed
that the answers to the first question fall into the category of receiving (what’s
in it for me?) and the second fall into the category of giving (What can I do
with, or for others?)
You may also have
recognized that JFK’s statement about people and government involves an act of
receiving and giving by both parties, right? The same is true for Baptism and the Lord’s
Supper on a grander scale. From a human perspective, Baptism is an act of
giving of self and the Lord’s Supper is an act of receiving from the Holy
Spirit from God. From a divine perspective, Baptism is an act of The Lord
receiving us, and The Lord’s Supper is an act of The Lord giving Himself to us.
How so?
Baptism
Baptism
has a long biblical history. In the pre-Christian, Jewish era, Baptism was a ritual
of purification or atonement. When John the Baptizer was baptizing people in
the Jordan River, he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of
sins. Baptism washes away sin.
With
Jesus, Baptism took on a new character with many meanings. In his own baptism, Jesus
assumed equality with sinners to fulfill all righteousness. Baptism is the sign
and seal of incorporation into Christ.
In
the synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew and Luke), the Baptism of Jesus reveals the
presence of the Holy Spirit in Jesus (the descending dove) and his identity as
God’s Son. The baptism of Jesus also marked his readiness for his calling, a
life lived for us ending in suffering in his death and then resurrection.
Baptism
is a human symbol signifying unity with God, the presence of the Holy Spirit, our
fellowship with all repenting people, that we live, die and are resurrected with
Jesus. We die to sin and are reborn into the new life with Christ.
Baptism
is a personal act of giving. We give of our self - acknowledging
the Lordship of Jesus. Also, our Baptism signifies all God’s gifts that we
receive through faith.
Baptism
has a corporate significance. It is a sign that the Holy Spirit binds (seals)
the congregation of all believers in the covenant with God our creator. The
water of Baptism symbolizes the waters of creation and the Exodus from Egypt to
the Promised Land. It is a sign that we are bound to God by the unbreakable
covenant shared by Israel. As circumcision is the sign of Israel’s inclusion in
God’s covenant of grace, Baptism is the sign of our inclusion in God’s grace
and covenant with the universal Church.
Thus,
Baptism is the sign and symbol of all these things, faithfulness in God,
washing away of sin, rebirth, wearing the new clothes of Christ, sealed by the
Holy Spirit, adoption into the Lord’s covenant and our resurrection. It is a
symbol of what we gain through faith, not the source. The personal act of Baptism
is the sign and symbol of these gifts.
Presbyterians
are sometimes criticized by other denominations for baptizing young children.
However, the Baptism of children testifies to a core belief, that God’s love claims
people before they are able to respond in faith.
Because
Baptism signifies all these things, unlike some denominations, Presbyterians
believe in one Baptism described in Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one
body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,
one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all
and through all and in all.” One Baptism symbolizes of our membership in the
universal Christian Church.
Finally,
Baptism contains the promise by the congregation to nurture and care for the
person being baptized. So, Baptism is an act of giving and receiving of the
essential elements of faith and grace between God, the baptized person and the
entire congregation. What we receive, we give.
The
Lord’s Supper (Communion) – both words are significant
The
key words of the institution of Communion or the Lord’s Supper are written on
this table in front of me, “(do this) in remembrance of me” and in its name,
“Communion.”
Think
about the word “remember.” What does it mean? In a simple sense it means
to re-form or recall an image of something you have experienced, a memory. But
on a more fundamental level the word member means a body, as in
membership. Then the word re-member can mean to bring back a member or
person. When we partake of the Lord Supper, the bread and fruit of the vine, we
are re-membering Jesus, that is we are receiving membership with Jesus.
Some
denominations believe we experience Jesus in a mysterious, literal way, but
most of us believe it is symbolic. Nevertheless, the effect is the same, we are
receiving/remembering Jesus. Communion signifies that Jesus through the
Holy Spirit is among us. Jesus gives himself to us and we are receiving him,
making The Lord’s Supper a complement to Baptism. In Baptism we give our self
and are received by the Lord. In Communion, we receive Jesus who gives God’s covenant
to us.
In a few minutes, I will use Paul’s words
from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
as we share the Lord’s Supper. (You should read all Paul told the Corinthians
about the Lord’s Supper; how it is a communal meal that the rich of them had
turned into a drunken feast ignoring the poor among them.)
You seldom hear the first few words of that
passage, but listen carefully, “For I received from the Lord what I also handed
on (or gave) to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed
took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This
is my body that is (we add: broken) for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In
the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new
covenant (we often add: sealed) in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
And
this brings us to the most important part of receiving and giving. In Matthew 28:19-20, after his
resurrection Jesus commands his disciples who are now full of the Holy Spirit to
“go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you
always, to the end of the age.”
Now,
what were Paul’s introductory words to the invitation to the table I just read?
“For
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you.”
Isn’t
that what our Helping Hands Pantry is about? Isn’t it what this congregation is
about, giving the grace it receives from the Lord to others? “How about that
for life with the good news?
Has
anyone got an amen for me?
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