First Epiphany: January 7, 2007

     The young son of a Baptist minister was in church one morning when he saw for the first time a baptism by immersion.  He was fascinated by it, and the next morning proceeded to baptize the three family cats in the bathtub. 

     The youngest kitten bore the ordeal very well, and so did the younger cat, but the old family tomcat rebelled.

     The old feline struggled with the boy, clawed and scratched his skin, and finally got away.  With considerable effort the boy caught the old tom again and proceeded with the ceremony.

     But the cat acted worse than ever, clawing and spitting, and scratching the boy’s face.

     Finally, after barely getting the cat splattered with water, he dropped him on the floor in disgust and said, “Fine, be a ‘Piscopalian if you want to!” 

     Baptism is important.  The Christian journey has its beginning in baptism and most things along the path of that journey can be traced back to this crucial occasion.  That’s true for us.  It was true for the one called Jesus the Christ.  The Wise Men arrive at the toddler’s house and the next thing we know Jesus is being baptized by John in the Jordan.  He can’t manifest much until he is baptized.  Neither can we.

     I would hasten to add that there is nothing magic about baptism.  The degree of seriousness with which we take our baptism will have a direct bearing on the success of our Christian life, however.  History is filled with examples of those for whom baptism had little or no effect.  Every denomination struggles with attempts to have people take their baptisms more seriously.  In some churches, sometimes even in our own, baptism is little more than a christening ceremony, in some families it is just a socially acceptable thing to do, kind of expected in polite society, and is sometimes done because grandma or grandpa would be disappointed if it were not done.  In some circles baptism is seen as a kind of spiritual vaccination, hoping that the child will not catch some big sin as they grow older.

     Perhaps we need to take a fresh look at this ancient and great sacrament.  We need to restore some of the power and luster and pray that some of the grace might filter into our lives again.  One way to do this is to look at the baptismal service in the Book of Common Prayer.  The priest pours water in the name of the Trinity over the head.  Then the sign of the cross is made on the forehead and the words are, “you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.”  In the Greek the word “marked” has the connotation of being branded.  It is a kind of stigmata.  The singular form, stigma, has a negative meaning, with which we are familiar.  The practice of imputing something bad to one’s character, a stain on one’s name and reputation is a type of stigma.  Perhaps we have all been stigmatized at one time or another or we have come close.

     The church use of the noun, however, is the plural “stigmata,” and has a positive connotation.  Originally, stigmata took on mystical meanings.  Stigmata were the marks corresponding to those left on Christ’s body by the nails and the spear at the crucifixion, and are said to have been observable on the bodies of some of the great saints of the church.  Perhaps the most famous account of stigmata was the one reported to have shown up on the hands and body of St. Francis of Assisi.  Such marks were a sign of divine favor.

     Setting aside the possibility of supernatural marks or a debate about whether such things are only in the mind, the idea of divine favor resting upon human being is very legitimate and scriptural and is central to a proper understanding of baptism.  The model for such is best seen in the baptism of Jesus, which St. Luke’s account gives us this day.  The words of Isaiah are paraphrased, “You are my son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

     And thus it is with any sincere baptism.  It is the indication of our divine sealing by the Holy Spirit, a sign of God’s grace and favor upon our lives, a stamp of approval, and a sign that we have surfaced in God’s kingdom.  In this sense, baptism is our identifying brand or mark, a constant reminder to us and others that we are part of the Christian fellowship and can live in hope and peace.  We can renew our baptismal covenant, which we do each time a baptism takes place in the church, and can reaffirm our baptismal vows and take another positive step in our Christian pilgrimage.  The waters of baptism continually cleanse and refresh us.

     So, on this day we remember the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We remember that we have been baptized into his life, death, and resurrection.  The mark has been placed upon our foreheads.  We are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.  It is up to us to act like it.  Amen.