Sermon for the Baptism of the Lord, 2012

While I was in Divinity School, my chiropractor, while I was on the table, asked me what my definition of sin was. Lying on the chiropractic table is a fairly vulnerable place to be, and the question startled me. I started searching my memory for dogmatic answers, for theological answers, for scriptural answers. Then realized he asked me what MY definition of sin was. In that moment I honestly didn’t know what my personal definition was. I had, however, had enough experience opening my mouth and letting the Spirit guide my words that I gave a stab at just starting to speak. “Sin,” I said, not knowing what was going to come out of my mouth, “is the actions based on the lies we tell ourselves when we forget that we’re divine.”

It seemed like a pretty good definition off the cuff, and after checking it out with trusted spiritual friends it did seem to be an inspired definition. It certainly fit my own experience of harmful behavior; which was always rooted in self-deception and amnesia of lessons learned. I specify harmful behavior because the word sin is a difficult word for some, because it’s been misused to shame people for being who they are.  I think it’s worthwhile to mention here, that tax collectors, who usually get lumped in with sinners in the New Testament, were not asked by John to give up tax collecting when he baptized them. When, in the Gospel of Luke, the tax collectors asked John what they should do, he answered them, "Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."

Our readings today make a clear distinction between John’s baptism and baptism in Christ. John’s baptism is one of repentance. Repentance is a translation of metanoia which means a change of mind. This is less about a remorseful; groveling which is what the word often connotates today, than it is about seeing things differently. For example; waking up to self-deception and spiritual amnesia. Wallowing in shame and self-disgust rarely changes anyone’s behavior in my experience. Change in behavior takes a shift in perspective. That shift in perspective seems to be what is offered in the John’s baptism of water. And our readings clearly state that baptism in Christ offers much more. It offers the Holy Spirit.

Christ’s baptism seems to actually offer God. It’s tempting to talk about theology and debates about the Holy Spirit and grace and who and what can dispense grace and the scriptural evidence pro and con for the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father or Christ, but let’s not distract ourselves with that. Rather let us look at what today’s readings can tell us about the experiences of God as the Holy Spirit.

We begin with the wind sweeping over the face of the waters. So begins creation in our tradition. Christ is the Logos, the spoken word, but the Spirit is there in the beginning as well. Later in the creation story, life itself begins with the spirit breathed into clay. Wind, air, breathing, breath… these are the origins of the concept of spirit as well as the concept of the soul. This is true in the experience of many religions. Though techniques of breathing are prayerful practices in many traditions; breathing is the one thing we can’t really fast from. How long can you hold your breath? As in so many traditions breath or spirit is experienced as the mystery of the animating force, what keeps us alive; the divine spark within us.

The Ephesians did not even know there was a Holy Spirit.  They were ignorant of that aspect of God. When I mentioned spiritual amnesia earlier, to some degree I was talking about truth forgotten. However, one might suggest that part of the human condition itself is ignorance of our spiritual connectedness, our spiritual interdependence. We may not have even been able to conceive of ourselves as children of God. Through John’s baptism, the Ephesians had become open to a new perspective. They became open to receiving or perhaps one could say recognizing the Holy Spirit. Many of Jesus’ parables were mind teasers designed to get us to question our assumptions, to open ourselves to new perspectives. In our tradition we still baptize with water, like the water of John’s new perspective, like the water that the Spirit first swept over.

And then they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Sounds awesome and grandiose, doesn’t it? And certainly some people have experienced it this way. Some have had life changing vivid visions. But I also think this passage points to an experience of the Holy Spirit that all people have, though they may not recognize it as such. Some might call it intuition, some may call it channeling, and some call it the still small voice. In spiritual direction it’s called listening for the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Discerning those promptings from our more base promptings, or the promptings of the lies and falsehoods that are symptoms of our amnesia of God and our divinity, is not a task to be done alone. We are baptized into a body; a holy and universal church, a communion of the spiritually wise. This is the body of Christ.

Jesus was with a community, the community of John’s when the Spirit descended on him at his baptism; declaring that he is the beloved of God. I think many people’s experience of being loved by God only becomes possible when they experience God’s love through other people. This could be at the root of Jesus’ commandment to love one another. Jesus tells us time and again in so many ways that we can have a direct intimate relationship with God. We love, because God first loved us.

Readings for this sermon:

Genesis 1:1-5

1:1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,

1:2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.

1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

1:4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

1:5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Acts 19:1-7

19:1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples.

19:2 He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

19:3 Then he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism."

19:4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus."

19:5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

19:6 When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied--

19:7 altogether there were about twelve of them.

Mark 1:4-11

1:4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

1:5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

1:6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

1:7 He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.

1:8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

1:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

1:10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.

1:11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."