“Reversing Course” – Mark 1:4-11 – January 11, 2009
Recently there was a story about some folks near Portland, Maine who jumped into the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean on New Year’s Day. They have an annual tradition there where folks take the plunge on one of the coldest days of the year. Old Orchard Beach holds its annual Lobster Dip at the Brunswick Hotel.
My wife and I have been to Old Orchard Beach only in July. Even then it’s not all that warm. I can’t imagine swimming in the frigid waters of the Atlantic in January. But, sometimes people do some very odd things because it gives them a sense of purpose. The Lobster Dip is one of those events, although extreme, it provides an important service for their community. The event is actually a fund raiser for Special Olympics. For those who participate it is a rite of passage, a kind of baptism which brings folks together and the exposure to the icy waters can be very humbling.
Baptism is also a rite of passage. It is a sacrament which links every one of us with the Church and Jesus Christ. Here we have an account of Jesus’ baptism. Only he didn’t submit himself to the cold waters of the Atlantic, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. Unlike the clean water that we sprinkle on those we baptize today, Jesus took a dip in water that was very muddy.
At that time the Jews had a rite of purification where they bathed in water that was pure. The Jews had to experience the rite of ritual purification in order to meet the requirements of Jewish law. John, on the other hand, baptized his followers in water that was unclean. I believe that this may have been intentional. John’s followers humbled themselves by taking a dip in the muddy waters of the Jordan. For John’s followers baptism was all about being part of the community of faith and humbling oneself.
Over Christmas break my wife and I had an opportunity to stay at Shem’s Creek Inn on Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Mt. Pleasant is across the bay from Charleston. When I inquired about a room the clerk asked if I wanted a room on the marsh side or the creek side. The creek side was more expensive but the view on the marsh side was not so pleasant. I said that I would rather be on the creek side. I was willing to pay a few extra dollars to avoid the muddy marsh at Shem Creek.
I believe most of us would rather avoid the muddy waters of life. We like everything neat, clean and orderly. Didn’t our grandmother teach us that “cleanliness was next to Godliness?” But, life in the Christian faith is not always clean, orderly and tidy. There are times when we find ourselves in very messy conditions.
When we follow God we start by getting muddy. The folks in Maine did more than just go for an icy swim. They held the event to raise funds for a worthy cause. They were volunteering their time and resources to help kids who were at a disadvantage. In the process it created a real sense of community as every one got wet together.
Those who were baptized by John got wet but John’s baptism went beyond getting wet. He preached “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” In other words, baptism had to do with changing the direction of one’s life. The most common word for repentance is “to turn back.” It means we make a conscious decision to change the direction of our lives and follow God. It means we reverse our course.
I discovered this story which happened during the Civil War. Winter had just settled over Virginia, and both sides had slowed their fighting considerably. In the Confederate camps there ministered a devout chaplain by the name of Willie Ragland. Reverend Ragland preached the Gospel with fervor and a soldier by the name of Goodwin was converted. Goodwin seized upon the idea of being baptized in the nearby Rapidan River, which was the dividing line between the Confederate and Union troops in that area. Confederate officers tried to discourage the idea, knowing that any man who approached the river was sure to picked off by Union snipers. But Goodwin was determined to be baptized into his newfound faith, so the officers finally agreed.
Reverend Ragland, Goodwin, and about fifty Confederate soldiers left their weapons behind and made their way cautiously down to the river. Union soldiers, perplexed by these unarmed men wading out into icy waters, held their fire. Then, the Confederate soldiers began to sing: "There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Emmanuel's veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains." Some of the Union soldiers, moved by the sight, left their weapons too, and, lining up along the opposite side of riverbank, joined their voices in singing.
It was one little moment in an awful war. It would not be long before both sides were once again fighting and killing each other. But there was that one astounding moment when both sides gathered to honor the work of the Lord and managed to be at peace. (from John H. Leeper & Barbara Moseley, "Revival in the Camp,”- The Old South Farmer's Almanac, 1998, pp. 115-116)
Peace is possible when we are willing to reverse our course and come together. It was true for those soldiers during the civil war and it can be true for us. Perhaps you are filled with envy or hate toward someone or you are in opposition with some other person, family or group. Only by reversing course is peace a possibility.
Baptism in John’s day was also a time of preparation for living in the wilderness. Following Jesus’ baptism he immediately departed to the wilderness where he was to be tested. When we baptize a child we are preparing them for the life ahead. We don’t know what rocky conditions they may face. Life in the wilderness includes predators and try as we can we can’t protect our children from every evil that lurks in the distance. Therefore we acknowledge how vulnerable we are and our need to be dependent on God for their well-being.
Jesus baptism included a baptism by the Spirit. He was given the assurance that God would always be with him. Likewise when we are baptized we too receive that same assurance. We will never be alone. We need not fear the wilderness since God will be with us. Life won’t always be safe and sometimes we will have to take some risks.
One time a pastor had just finished a service which included a baptism and was preparing to turn off the lights in the church when he noticed a woman sitting in the first pew. When he approached her, she said her name was Mildred Cory, and she commented on how lovely the baptism had been. After another long pause, she added, "My daughter, Tina, just had a baby, and, well, the baby ought to be baptized, shouldn't it?"
The pastor suggested that Tina and her husband call him and they would discuss it. Mildred hesitated again, and then, catching and holding his eyes for the first time, she said, "Tina's got no husband. She's just 18, and she was confirmed in this church four years ago. Then she got pregnant and decided to keep the baby and she wants to have it baptized here in her own church, but she's nervous to come and talk to you, Reverend. She's named the baby Jimmy."
The pastor said that he would take the request to the church board for approval. When the matter came up at the next meeting, he explained the situation. A few questions were asked as to whether or not they could be certain that Tina would stick to the commitment she was making in having her child baptized. The pastor remarked that she and little Jimmy were, after all, right here in town where they could give them support. But there was a problem. The congregation has a custom in which the pastor asks, "Who stands with this child?" and then the whole extended family of the little one rises and remains standing for the ceremony. They were afraid that no one would stand with the young mother and her child.
Perhaps Mildred Cory would be the only one who would stand when the question was asked. It hurt them to think about it, but the board approved the baptism. It was scheduled for the last Sunday in Advent. The church was full that day, as it always is the Sunday before Christmas. Down the aisle came Tina, nervously, briskly, smiling, holding month-old Jimmy. This young mother was so alone. It would be a hard life for this pair.
The pastor read the opening part of the service and then, looking for Mildred Cory, he asked the question: "Who stands with this child?" He nodded at Mildred slightly, to coax her to her feet. She rose slowly, looking to either side, and then looked at him with a smile. Just as the pastor began reading his liturgy, he became aware of movement in the pews. Angus McDonnell, an elder whose grandson had been baptized when Mildred was present a few weeks earlier, had stood up, along with his wife Minnie. Then a couple of the elders stood up. Then the sixth-grade Sunday school teacher, then a new young couple in church, and soon, before his incredulous eyes, the whole church was standing up with little Jimmy. (From Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul)
Who are we to deny the reality that the love of God is present every time someone is baptized? Baptism prepares us for the chaotic world in which we have to live. Baptism brings us together to each other and closer to God. Baptism is a rite of passage where we reverse the course of our lives and follow in the ways of God.
Dr. Keith Wagner