Baptism / The New Law
1992 (Year C), 12 July / Pentecost 5
St Peter de Beauvoir Town
It struck me this week that there must be a limit to the number of new things which can be said at baptisms. Sooner or later clergy must find themselves repeating what they’ve said before and the congregation start to think ‘Oh, Oh, here we go again, I know what’s coming next!’ After all the service of Baptism is always the same. The symbolic actions and gifts remain constant. I’d be in serious trouble if I said that the Holy Spirit is different at each Baptism and we stay much of a muchness. There’s even a double bind today – the theme for today’s reading seems to be defying me ‘The New Law’ it says. How can it possibly be new when it was inaugurated by Jesus two thousand years ago?
There’s nothing new under the sun so what can there possibly be new to say? Well just consider the birds. As you lie on your beds tossing and turning in the heat, trying to sleep, the birds begin to sing. ‘Blast the wretched things!’ you say as you bury your head deep under the pillow to drown the noise ‘For God’s sake why don’t they shut up’. Farther down the block in another bed lies a young woman helplessly in love and unable to sleep because her heart is bursting. The same birds begin to sing and it seems to her that they are singing about all the joy and gladness that she’s feeling. Two very very different responses to the same music.
And that’s the clue. The newness and the freshness is not the song – the birds have been singing for much more than two thousand years. Before humankind even had the wit to enjoy them and their song has never changed. And even though their song has never changed they sing freshly. Their singing is their life and they aren’t putting on a stale record.
Jesus rose from the dead. That’s not a new song. They’ve been singing that for two thousand years. I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. That’s not new either. The newness and the freshness come in the singers, to whom God is constantly giving a new heart to sing his praise. The newness and the freshness come to those who are constantly discovering new depths to the love of God in creation. The gift at baptism is the possibility of finding new life in God and being joined eternally with the Divine.
The newness comes in the singers. Today it’s Lola and Darren and Matthew and Sophie. And the song is of their salvation. It is through the mercy of God that he makes us sharers in his own sovereign life. And he does this by uniting the humanness of Jesus to his own being. Through him we are one with him. All of us through our baptism are with God, and when we lift our hearts and put them with the Lord we might even remember what we are and where we belong.
The disciples heard the song new that first Easter day and they hurried away from the tomb in awe and great joy. The song drove them on and they ran to tell the rest of the Disciples. Jesus encouraged them ‘Go tell my brothers and sisters ... Baptise people everywhere.’ All must have an opportunity to hear the joyful song and sing it for themselves. For, believe it or not, it’s worth giving up everything for.
And as we baptise these children today we revel in the possibility of hearing the song new from them – not like one without sleep trying to shut it all out, but listening closely attentively and in love to what God is saying to us through them.
The song is always new and fresh in Heaven and it’s one with which we on earth can join, ‘The Lamb was slain and rose again. He has redeemed us, united us with God. Jesus has made all people from every race and language and people and nation; a kingdom of priests to stand and serve our God’. Thanks be to God who not only has given us the victory but has allowed us just a small part in the chorus. AMEN