June 8, 2014 MESSAGE By Water AND the Spirit Scripture Acts 2: 1-4, 12-18 and 1 Corinthians 12: 4-13 Question #1: What do you remember about your Confirmation class or your first experience as a member of a congregation? Do you remember anything about your Confirmation Class, or your first opportunity to become part of a church as a FULL MEMBER? My church and my junior high school were about a mile apart, so it was an easy walk to our confirmation class that met after school. I m not sure how many weeks the class met, but I remember it being pretty dull and dry it was bad enough to have spent 7 hours in school, but to spend an additional two hours listening to the pastor lecture was not fun. I attended Sunday School and participated in choir, so being part of the Confirmation class in eighth grade was just a natural progression in my mind and in the mind of my parents and classmates. I was confirmed in the Methodist Church; I remember memorizing the Apostles Creed; and the first time I took communion was at our Confirmation. Times have changed. Thankfully the curriculum is more interactive and experiential, and there are NO TESTS! But I m sure that at least SOME young people are confirmed for the same reason I was: it was the thing to do as an Eighth grader! I admit that I m glad that it was expected of me, because I m not sure I would have gone out of my way to do it, if it hadn t been Expected. It wasn t until later that I was thankful actually thankful. And now here I am, many years later, not only actively involved but ordained to lead.! 1
I never, NEVER could have predicted the journey I ve taken since that Eighth grade Confirmation class. I suspect that most of you would say the same. Life is a journey and those of us gathered here today have chosen to make THE CHURCH a part of that journey. Later this morning, twelve young men and women will be confirmed here at Medford United Methodist Church, and they are a TERRIFIC bunch of youth! Some of you know them, you ve all had an opportunity to hear from them on the video. Thanks to the diligence of their leaders and their parents, I believe they understand what it means to join the church, perhaps better than many adults. On this Pentecost Sunday, as we celebrate the BIRTHDAY of the church and our Confirmation Class, we each have the opportunity to reflect on who we are called to be, not just as individual Christians, but as Medford United Methodist Church. On that first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit granted the apostles the ability to speak to everyone, EVERY SINGLE ONE, in a way that they understood the message of God s love and the resurrection of Christ. But there is more to sharing the Good News than speaking a different Spanish, or Swahili, or Chinese. The scripture doesn t say it here, but it s implied that it is the Holy Spirit that also gives us the ability to understand another s culture, another s needs, another s context. We aren t all alike! The church is a place where ALL PEOPLE can be nurtured and allowed to dream about possibilities for God s Shalom to become reality. In each one s own language, which includes the language of generation as well as culture, gender or geography. This is a place where the Good News of Jesus Christ can become relevant to everyone and accepting of each person, no matter their age, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. In the book of Acts, Peter quoted the prophet Joel who said God declares that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.! 2
That is the REAL POWER of the Holy Spirit the gift of visions and dreams, prophesy for creating a better world! Are we ready to hear some dreams and visions from our young people? They aren t the ones paying the bills around here, but they have some very definite ideas about how God is at work in this town, in our country, and around the world. The church is where we take seriously what it means to love others as God loves us. We remember today that as members of Christ s Church, we have been baptized by Water as well as the Spirit! The water we use in baptism signifies a washing away of the sin that separates us from God. Baptism marks the beginning of a NEW LIFE in relationship to God. God. And Baptism is a covenant among three entities: the individual, the church and We all know that God has already done God s part unconditional love, absolute forgiveness, and never-ending grace. The rest is up to us! Baptism requires a RESPONSE. A response from the individual, of course, but also from the church. When we baptize a baby, that infant needs the guidance of parents and congregation to fulfill their obligation. The congregation makes a promise as part of that covenant with every baptism, don t we? The Church exists in the world as the Body of Christ, and if we don t fulfill our part of the covenant then we have failed as the Body of Christ. That s a huge responsibility! So how do we fulfill that responsibility? We provide Sunday School, choir, youth group, confirmation class, mission opportunities, mentoring and supporting; and THEN we pray that our children will grow in wisdom and in stature, as Jesus himself did. Baptism has been understood since the beginning as the doorway into the church. Most of us gathered here this morning have entered the door of the church through baptism. But once we ve entered the door, what do we do?! 3
That s where being baptized by the Spirit comes in! The Holy Spirit is the energizing source that SPURS us into action as the Church. It is that same Spirit that empowered the speaking of different languages so many years ago that NOW empowers all of us to be the church, to be Medford United Methodist Church, here and now. Our reading from 1 Corinthians gives quite a list of the gifts we have received from the Spirit to be lived out as the church, doesn t it? Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, discernment, speaking and translating different languages; and there are many other Spiritual Gifts as we read through Paul s letters. Those gifts can be utilized WITHIN the church, doing the business of the institution, but our gifts are also meant to be shared outside of this building with the rest of the world. These special qualities demonstrate for others what it means to be Christian. These God-given gifts are meant to be used, by young and old alike, and they are meant to be given away. What is YOUR GIFT? And HOW ARE YOU USING IT? Being baptized by water and the Spirit calls us to be the Church wherever our journey takes us! The doorway into the church is through Baptism, but it s a door that leads us back into the world as well. As we interviewed graduating seniors last week, they told us that what they are most excited about as they graduate is meeting new people in new places. I m sure that all of you will be as excited as I am to hear how God uses their gifts and talents in the years ahead, taking the seeds sown here out into the world to thrive, and blossom, and multiply. The Church is a community that Sends people OUT, so they return to praise God and be refreshed and renewed, in order to go out and do it again. The doors of the church need to swing both ways. Baptism is not meant to be a stagnant, once in a lifetime event! It s an active, lifelong journey, constantly moving, continuously expanding and flowing.! 4
One of the phrases used by Jesus is Living Water. In the gospel of John, Jesus reminds us Out of the believer s heart shall flow rivers of LIVING WATER. The Church is called to be Living Water. Isn't that a beautiful metaphor!!? Imagine Living Water flowing from the snow and rain that falls from God our Creator. Imagine each one of us as Living Water, like individual tributaries containing unique qualities, flowing from the One who abundantly refreshes, replenishes and creates through us. Imagine living water flowing, through the mountains, hills, and valleys as millions of tributaries, cutting paths through rocks and river beds, helping things to grow as the living water journeys through the land. Imagine living water flowing throughout on our continent and every continent on the planet, joining with other brooks, streams, and rivers, gaining momentum. Imagine living waters flowing, carrying gifts from God that will feed the hungry, house the homeless, heal the sick, work for justice, educate all, and love unconditionally. Imagine the Living Waters of Baptism flowing from every direction, heading toward the vast ocean of uncharted waters that symbolize all those who are hungry for the new life and the hope of tomorrow. Imagine the Living Waters of your baptism and mine, inspired by the Holy Spirit, changing the world. On the day of Pentecost, as we celebrate the birthday of the Church, it is Living Water flowing from the water of baptism that we celebrate, living through and flowing from the young men and women that come to confirm the vows of their baptisms. And we celebrate, too, the Living Water flowing from each of us gathered today, as we reaffirm our own baptisms, as active members of the church. We are baptized by Water and the Spirit to be Living Water, empowered, energized, inspired, to dream dreams and see visions of a new life for each of God s children, for this congregation, and for the Church universal.! 5
AMEN We are now going to joining in a REAFFIRMATION of our BAPTISM. The words will be on the screen. At the end of the covenant, you are invited to come and dip your hands in the bowls of water, perhaps make a sign of the cross on your hand or your forehead, and take a small shell with you if you like.! 6