Yesterday we talked about the great gift of baptism, occasioned by the story of Jesus' own baptism in the Gospel of Mark. We talked about all the things God does for us through baptism. Today we're going to look at the other side of the baptismal story...the promises we make upon entering into this covenant.
We talk about our baptismal promises only after we've covered God's. The true miracle work in baptism is all his. We can't save ourselves, nor make ourselves clean and sinless. We can't transform death into life. We can't give ourselves God's name or adopt ourselves into his family. He does all of this. He does it first and he does it completely. We have to acknowledge that before we can understand our place in God's covenant. To put our promises first would be to imply that baptism was about us and our choices, powerful because of our will instead of his. Some churches do this. They say that baptism depends on how faithful you are to God and how sincere and true you are to your promises. When you fail in those promises your baptism fails too and needs to be re-done.
We don't understand things that way. Everything we bring to the table is flawed. That's why we need God and baptism in the first place! The power of baptism is that it works precisely in those times we do mess up, bringing us forgiveness and salvation despite our shortcomings. That's the miracle of God's promise and transformation...not that they happen for good people but that they work so incredibly well for all of us sinners whom God loves.
We value our promises but we do not say that the effectiveness of baptism depends on them. Instead we deem our promises a gracious and appropriate response to the love God shows us through baptism. We have to experience the love before we know how to respond to it. We have to be shown the goodness before we can bear it to others ourselves. Thus we are baptized once, in an instant, and spend the rest of our lives living out God's love in gratitude.
This is why we have no problem baptizing babies even though they don't understand what's going on. God's love comes to them first. As they grown in stature and knowledge that love blooms inside of them, usually through the work of the parents and sponsors and teachers God has sent them. But if we had to wait until they understood God in order to receive his gifts, they'd never get them. Who among us knows him fully? It's enough to be loved by him. That's how we know him, just like we know our own fathers and mothers long before we know anything about them as people or about the sacred office of parenthood (let alone how we got here in the first place). God wishes to be known by his love first. That's a relationship even the youngest among us can participate in and benefit from.
As we grow we learn more about the specifics of our relationship with God and with each other through faith. That's why we go to church and Sunday School. This is also the direct purpose of our Confirmation classes. This spring you will hear a half-dozen of our young men and women repeat the baptismal promises that were spoken for them when they were babies, now owning them with their own hearts and voices. Through these same promises they will take their first step into their adult life of faith.
How long has it been since you remembered your baptismal covenant and its promises? It might be good to check up every now and again and see how you're doing...what your response to God's love is (and is supposed to be). They're every bit as important and life-changing as the vows you take in marriage or the implied contract of goodness you have with your children but they receive far less publicity. Read them below and see what you think.
Click through to read the promises we make in baptism.
Promise #1: To live among God's faithful people.
This is not just a matter of location, nor of only keeping the "right" company, nor is it a matter of just existing somewhere. "Live" here means "contributing to the ongoing life of". The promise is to walk with, talk with, nurture, grow, and serve within the community of faith...being an integral part of the life of God's people.
Promise #2: To hear the word of God and share in the Lord's supper.
Part of this is simply following the third commandment, regarding God as important and holy. In order to be in a meaningful relationship with someone we need to interact with them, usually meaning "meet and talk". God's word, shared through worship and sermons and Bible Studies and the like, is the means by which he communicates with us. Hearing his word keeps the relationship alive. So, too, with communion where we actually meet God physically and he dwells within us, strengthening us by his Spirit. Though we confess that God is with us, and therefore we can see or meet him, everywhere we also promise to continue meeting him in these intentional, intimate ways instead of leaving those meetings to accident or random moments of inspiration.
Promise #3: To proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed.
Both baptism and the life of faith are witnesses, not just to the person involved but to everyone who sees. "God is love! God is here! God is at work among us!" These are the messages we bear. Our faith is neither a private matter nor something for our own benefit exclusively. Stepping into faith means agreeing to have our lives used for a greater purpose...embracing it, really, and deriving our sense of goodness and peace from that. Therefore we promise that our words and deeds will show our relationship with God and show the rest of the world the truth about him. The is a huge responsibility. We'd do well to let it inform our speech and actions, remembering it and taking it more seriously than we usually do!
Promise #4: To serve all people, following the example of Jesus.
Faith doesn't pick and choose. If God was going to be choosy, why in the world did he choose us? We had plenty of shortcomings. God chose to look past them, embracing us as forgiven and renewed people. Now he asks that we do the same for each other. He's looked past our flaws in love. When we look at each other we are to see beauty rather than blemish. We are to do whatever we can to support and bring out that beauty in each other so the world can benefit from it. Therefore we are to serve each person just as if they were the most wonderful person ever created and as close to us as our own family members.
Promise #5: To strive for justice and peace in all the earth.
This is the logical extension of the last promise. Where the world or its systems disadvantage individuals or groups of people, we are to stand up against that and work to remedy it. We are not to be partial towards a select few, especially not the few who look, think, and act just like us. We are to care about all people and work for their goodness with as much strength and commitment as is necessary to make that good happen. Baptism empowers us to make this kind of difference.
--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)
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