2 Easter/Year A – April 16, 2023
Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16; John 20:19-31
Last Sunday, Easter Sunday, was a joyous occasion, celebrating the feast day of recalling Jesus’ resurrection from the dead….and it was an extra-joyful day, because we celebrated the baptisms of Elias and Annalise. At this service, and at other times throughout the year, we join with those about to be baptized, those who are committing themselves to Christ, and we renew our own baptismal vows.
What I love most about these opportunities to renew our baptismal vows, is that even in the midst of personally struggling with questions and doubts at times about our faith and beliefs, as Thomas and many of the early followers of Jesus did, it allows us to publicly and communally reaffirm and strengthen our commitment, together, to follow the risen Christ, and to reignite our call as baptized Christians, to show forth in our lives, what we profess by our faith…
We don’t get baptized because we know it all, or understand it all…in fact, part of the prayer spoken right after the person is baptized says this: Give them an inquiring and discerning heart ….Our baptisms are just the beginning of a life-time commitment, individually and in community with others, to ask questions, to wonder aloud, what it is that we mean when we say “we believe”, and to discern together, how it is that we should live now… as followers of Jesus in the way of love… … as followers of Jesus who come to believe, despite all our doubts and questions at times, that Jesus is indeed the One who came among us to reconcile us to one another, so that ALL may have life…and have it abundantly…
Let’s listen to this short excerpt from the new Church’s Teaching Series, volume 9, Ethics after Easter, written by Stephen Holmgren, that speaks a bit about baptism and the questions that come up throughout our lifetime…
***The Walk from the Font
On an autumn Sunday in Memphis, a young woman in her thirties enters a large Episcopal church in an older neighborhood. The greeters do not recognize her and they ask if she is a visitor.
In the process of introducing her to others later at the coffee hour, the greeters learn more about her. After years of inactivity, she is looking for a church home, a place to come to maturity in the faith that is just beginning to take root again in her life. She identifies one question that she says sums up all of her questions: “What should I believe now?” The young woman is encouraged to join an adult group that is exploring this very question on a year-round basis, a class in adult Christian formation. When she attends their next meeting, she discerns that other newcomers share her question. In turn, the explorations of the group have had an impact on the entire congregation, prompting other adult members in the parish to ask a related question, with an ancient answer: “What do we believe?”
About sixth months go by, during which she attends worship, reflects on her participation in the parish community, and prays and studies with the formation group. The young woman now feels that she is ready to reembrace publicly the faith once claimed on her behalf in a baptism shortly after her birth. She goes with a group of fellow parishioners down to the beautiful cathedral for the Ascension Day Service. Gathered there are many candidates for baptism, reaffirmation of baptismal vows, and confirmation.
On several occasions in the preceding months, she has talked with others in her group about the responsibilities that her new act of public affirmation might bring. Yet the focus of attention has been upon the basic matters of Christian belief and worship. They have been questions like these: Who was Jesus? Who is Jesus? What does the doctrine of the Trinity really mean? Why do we celebrate the eucharist every Sunday?
Now after her reaffirmation of her baptismal vows, she finds that her focus is shifting to another question: “How should I live now?” With the other candidates from her parish who were baptized or confirmed, she begins to explore the implications of her baptism for everyday life.
The group discovers once again that they are not alone in asking this question. The members of the congregation around them are prompted to ask themselves, “How should we live now?”
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Having just celebrated the Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Day, and having just renewed our baptismal vows last weekend, I invite you during this 50 day season of Easter to spend time with these questions:
“What do I believe?” here in now in 2023…
“What do we believe?” here and now in 2023…
“How should I live now?” here and now in 2023…
“How should we live now?” here and now in 2023…
And if you are looking to take a deeper dive with these questions, with a focus on Creation Care, I encourage you to consider reading the book, The Creation Care Bible Challenge: A 50 Day Bible Challenge…
The book includes 50 creation care themed daily scriptures, reflections, questions for discussions, journaling, and a closing prayer to help ground us, inspire us, and strengthen us to discern our call as baptized Christians, individually and communally, with tangible ways to love and respect and cherish and care for all of God’s beloved creation…
The Monday book group on zoom, will be taking time each week to discuss some of the reflections, and there are copies here in the church for you to use, or you can get the book on your kindle… You might want to do a personal reading/reflection of it on your own…or maybe find a partner to discuss it with; or set aside time to talk with someone about what you read the past week… at a coffee hour on a Sunday, or at another time and place during the week….
During this 50 day season of Easter…. spend some time in silence and contemplation… ask questions, lots of questions, wonder aloud, and discern together:
“What do I believe?”
“What do we believe?”
“How should I live now?”
“How should we live now?”
And then go! Go out into the world as followers in the way of love that Jesus has shown us…and go forth as the people of God committed to show forth in our lives, what we profess by our faith…
Let us pray: O God, Give us an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen. (BCP 308)
Rev Julie Platson
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church
Sitka, Alaska
Prayer/Hymn at conclusion of sermon: Joyful, joyful (H) 376
1 Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
hearts unfold like flowers before thee,
praising thee, their sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
drive the dark of doubt away;
giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day.
2 All thy works with joy surround thee,
earth and heaven reflect thy rays,
stars and angels sing around thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
blooming meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in thee.
3 Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest,
well-spring of the joy of living, ocean-depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother: all who live in love are thine;
teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.