“Called Out” – Jan 9, 2011
January 9, 2011
Scriptures:
Isaiah 42: 1-7
“Here is my servant, the one I support. He is the one I chose, and I am pleased with him. I have put my Spirit upon him, and he will bring justice to all nations. He will not cry out or yell or speak loudly in the streets. He will not break a crushed blade of grass or put out even a weak flame. He will truly bring justice; he will not lose hope or give up until he brings justice to the world. And people far away will trust his teachings.”
God, the Lord, said these things. He created the skies and stretched them out. He spread out the earth and everything on it. He gives life to all people on earth, to everyone who walks on the earth.
The Lord says, “I, the Lord, called you to do right, and I will hold your hand and protect you. You will be the sign of my agreement with the people, a light to shine for all people. You will help the blind to see. You will free those who are in prison, and you will lead those who live in darkness out of their prison.
Matthew 3: 13-17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Sermon: Called Out
by Rev. Doreen Oughton
With the holidays and other commitments over the past few weeks, I missed two full weeks of my weight lifting class. I had been going quite regularly, had reached a new level of normal, lifting heavier weights. When I went back to the gym this week, I knew I couldn’t start off where I left off, but had to decrease the weights, and I still was quite sore for a few days. But I’m not worried. I’ve had these absences before, and noticed that it doesn’t take me very long to get my strength back up – not nearly as long as took me to build the strength in the first place. Those of you who have trained in anything concerning the body, whether athletic, musical, dance, anything like that, you understand the idea of muscle memory, or body memory. Once your body learns what it can do, what it was made for, this memory can be called up and brought forth, even if it has fallen out of use, even if it forgot for awhile. Our identities, who we are and what we can do and what we are made for, is carried in our very cells.
It strikes me that our bodies also remember our spiritual identities. They remember the truth that we are created in God’s image, that we are God’s children, beloved, created to glorify God and live together in God’s beloved community. Even if we have been taught this from the time we were born, we can get distracted from this truth. We can forget. We can start to believe that we have to earn love, and the way to do it is to accumulate more goods, achieve more success, or hobnob with the right people. Others of us were not taught this truth from the time we were born, we never forged a strong identity as God’s beloved, so it is not a matter of having forgotten, but a matter of truly not knowing. But that doesn’t negate the spiritual truth of who you are.
It was my daughter’s idea to join the gym about 18 months ago. Before that, I hadn’t worked out in at least a decade. I felt weak, I had no stamina. I had never been athletic, had never trained, and I don’t kid myself that I’m in great shape now. But I have a better sense of my potential, that which is still there, and that which I let slip by. And even if I never completely fulfill it, which I likely won’t, I have a sense of what my body is capable of, of how wonderfully and beautifully it is made. Same with our spiritual selves. We may be disciplined in prayer and spiritual nurture, we may slack off. We may read scripture, attend bible study, come to worship regularly, or do none of these things. But I hope that some small thing you do can awaken you to what and who and whose you are. Even if you do not exercise your spirituality regularly, let yourself be aware that you are wonderfully and beautifully made, you are created in God’s image, you are beloved.
The focus of the lectionary today is the baptism of Jesus. We are still in the season of Epiphany, of things being shown. Last week it was revealed to the magi that Jesus was a special baby, and this week it is revealed to the adult Jesus, to John the Baptist, to those present at the baptism, and to all the readers of the bible, who Jesus is, the son of God, beloved. All the gospels have a story of Jesus’ baptism, during which a voice from heaven calling out, “This is my son, beloved.” This voice called out to Jesus, reminding him who and whose he is, affirming the love, the source from which he came. In all the gospels this call, this affirmation came just before he went to the desert and was tempted, just before he started his ministry of healing and teaching and sharing the good news of God’s love and forgiveness. This is what was called forth in him – strength, focus, a sense of purpose.
I believe we are asked to focus on the story of Jesus’ baptism each year not just to be reminded of who Jesus is. I think the story of Jesus’ baptism is meant to remind us of who we are. Our stories are meant to intersect with this story. We too can become more clear about our mission, we too can be called to strength and focus and a sense of purpose by hearing again that we are God’s daughters, God’s sons, God’s beloved children. Jesus’ baptism is our baptism, even if you haven’t been baptized (and if you haven’t but would like to be, please see me). Jesus is God incarnated, God taking on human form, becoming exactly what humans are meant to be, and then that human form is baptized – cleansed and blessed. Jesus was baptized and so we are baptized.
Minister and blogger Donna Schaper tells a story of how her 50-something-year-old brother called her and asked her for his linen and frilled baptismal robe, which had been hanging in her closet for decades. He had no babies or grand-babies to be baptized, so she asked him why he wanted it. Because, said he, I want it near me. I want to remember that I was presented to God and that God took me in. Why now, she wondered. He said that his life had become very hard for him lately – people in his family were very angry with him, and parts of his life were coming apart. It was a touchstone for him, reminding him through all of that of who and whose he is.
We are bombarded by messages that tell us we are not wonderfully and beautifully made. At the start of a new year there are all kinds of calls and invitations to improve ourselves. The class at the gym has been packed. Everywhere you turn you see messages to diet, lose weight, get rid of wrinkles, enhance other body parts, and on and on. The news has been full of stories of young people who have been driven to hurting or killing themselves in response to being called names, being harassed, being told over and over that they are not acceptable, not normal. Is there anyone here who has not received a message at some point that you were not okay? Think of the names you’ve been called – no matter how long ago. Some may be easy to let go, some may still sting. But don’t let yourself replay those tapes. Instead listen to the voice that calls out through Isaiah saying “I called you to do right, and I will hold your hand and protect you. You will be a light to shine for all people.” Listen to the voice that calls to us through Jesus, “You are my child, my beloved.” Listen to that voice, and remember. May it be so.
