So, 

Do you remember your baptism? I don’t!

Supposedly I was there, but being little, I have no idea what happened! The pastor, Reverend John woods could have dropped me into the baptismal font for all I know.

What matters is, at least for me, my parents remembering, my family remembering, the community of faith remembering and God remembering what was done on that Sunday in that church in Buffalo, New York, where my parents were members.

I don’t remember, and yet I do, through them. All of them. And it has since then sustained my faith!

Over the years I have had the pleasure of doing all kinds of baptisms, 357 of them so far, from the littlest of children to a five-year-old who fled the sanctuary screaming.

Then there was Carolee Union, a senior adult who was raised as a Unitarian and had been baptized as such.

Our tradition is to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, that is, baptize in the triune formula that all Christian Churches use. Unitarians only baptize in God’s name.

I told Carolee that in order to become a church member she would have to be re-baptized with the trinitarian formula. And Carolee graciously and joyously agreed to be rebaptized.

Oh, by the way, there is another baptism milestone coming for me when on January 30 if all goes well, I will baptize our second grandchild, Emma, a child half the size of her brother it seems, but just as wonderful, full of the mystery and possibilities that come with a new life in our midst.

Baptism is a beginning! A beginning of the journey of an individual, a family, a community and a church into faith and its deep meaning!

We baptize as a sign of faith, that of the parent’s faith and of the communities too! 

And we baptize as a seal, where we by God’s authority claim the one baptized as one of God’s children and therefore one of our siblings.

Unlike adult baptism, where an adult can at that time proclaim their own faith and claim God’s Spirit as alive and well in them, in infant baptism parents proclaim their faith, and then ask God to claim their child as God’s own.

It is a powerful time, a powerful witness, a time of grace and faith and of course great love. 

It is a beginning of an adventure that will last a lifetime, a journey that will be “confirmed” many times and even renewed many times along the way.

And it was no different in Jesus own baptism!

Into the waters of the Jordan he went, baptized by his cousin John, one who also had been called by God to step into the waters of faith.

John had already been preaching and sharing the call for people to come and participate in a baptism of repentance. They were to show their  desire to change 180 degrees from a life focused on sin to a life focused on grace, and to repent and be forgiven of their sins.

Jesus came to John at the river, and while another telling of the story by another Gospel writer suggests John demurred and asked why he should baptize the Messiah, here Mark simply tells us what happened.

John baptized him!

And as soon as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove.  A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”

It was, as it is with all baptisms, a beginning. 

A journey’s initiation. An adventure of faith that will lead to many places, many experiences, trials and tribulations for sure, but also an adventure that will lead you as it did Jesus closer to the heart of God.

From here Jesus began to preach and teach, gather disciples, and invite them to come follow him and promised he would show them the Kingdom of God and reveal to them the very heart of God.

And so it is for all of us! 

Baptism is where it begins. 

So, remember your baptism! 

If you can, go and talk to those who were there. Claim your spiritual heritage. If not, then remember that you are here now, and that ultimately is what matters!

Let’s join together and follow Jesus on this profound adventure that begins again today, brand new.

May God be with us all. Amen.