The following sermon is being entered into a contest after I brush it up a little bit.
Each denomination does or did something particularly well. In my studies at seminary, I have come to realize that Methodists are great at revival, Baptists are extremely familiar with the bible, and Pentecostals are well known for their manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The denomination that I belong to, the Moravians, are known for their mission movement that started in the late 1720’s. Over the next half century, missionaries were sent from Germany to remote parts of the world like South Africa, Nicaragua, Labrador, and the Caribbean Islands. I could tell you the whole mission movement story, but I’m really not concerned about that this morning. I want to tell you the story behind the Moravian mission movement, and it fits perfectly with the Scripture theme for today.
What exactly does it mean to pray without ceasing? I looked for direction from a number of biblical scholars, theologians, pastors and lay people. Almost every single one said that the reality of prayer without ceasing was impossible. We have to sleep, we have to work, we have to do the things that need to get done in order to live our lives…that is our reality. We cannot pray without ceasing! Because of that impossibility, the great thinkers of our time, or at least the people who have enough time to write things down, say that we do our best to live prayerful lives. When we love our neighbor as our self, when we are feeding the poor, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison, that is when we are praying without ceasing, even when we sleep. I must tell you, that for quite a long time in my life, I really thought that this was true, if I could just give my life over to God’s mission work, then I could achieve a life that kept me connected to God every hour of every day. God would be so happy because I was doing everything that was asked of me and thus I would live a great life. I would meet a wonderful woman to share my life with, have two and a half great kids, and maybe even win the lottery, if God really wanted me to. Heck, I’d even give more than 10% of those winnings to the church.
There is another school of thought on how to pray without ceasing. It’s a literal way of thinking, and that we utter prayers to God through our whole day, which is only possible if we were living in a monastery or living out in the woods by ourselves. The problem then is that we have no Christian community or Christian mission. We take the idea of praying every moment we are awake so far that we neglect our duties as servants of Christ.
So far, these ideas haven’t met my ideal for what I think pray without ceasing ought to look like, and I hope that they don’t satisfy you either. I think the answer lays a long way back at the beginning of the Moravian mission movement. Those people living in Germany did something that most of us might find impossible to believe. The community of Christians there prayed without ceasing for over 100 years, stopping only because of the First World War. It started with about 48 people, most likely 24 men and 24 women. Two men or two women would go into a room together for an hour and pray. They had personal prayers, prayers from the community, prayers for the world, for those who were sick, for their leaders, for people who had yet to encounter God, and for everything else they could think of. Over the course of time, the number of people praying increased, but the fact of the matter is that the community never stopped their prayer to God and because that community lived the scripture, amazing things happened, things that could not have happened if it weren’t for the power of prayer.
Now, there is a very important person missing from the story I just told you. I doubt that many of you know much about him, he isn’t one that history seems to look favorably upon. In fact, one of the most under-rated lessons that I ever learned in all my years of school is that history is written by the winners in life. The man that is missing from the story which takes place in Germany lost a battle just 60 miles from here. You have all probably heard of the winner, and his name is Heinrich Muhlenberg. Towns, hospitals and schools have been named after him, but nothing is named for the loser, Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf.
Prior to my research about the fight that these two gentlemen had, I only knew the story from the losing point of view. When I read up on what Muhlenberg and others had to say about Zinzendorf, I realized that the reason Zinzendorf lost was not due to what he was fighting for, but more the way in which he went about it. Since Zinzendorf was a nobleman, I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that he was probably a bit snobby, stubborn, and intimidating man who didn’t realize that the fact that he was of noble birth meant absolutely squat on this side of the Atlantic. It seemed that Muhlenberg just wanted to argue for the pure sense of arguing, and it would appear that the Count really wasn’t too interested in winning the argument that day, and decided to drop the issue.
What is that issue? It is the same issue gathers us here today. Christian Unity! You see, back in Germany, that small group of people who started praying 24 hours a day had now been praying for about 15 years straight. With the knowledge that God was working through those Moravians in prayer, Zinzendorf had come to Pennsylvania with the intent of uniting the many different denominations into the broader banner of Christianity. That movement failed. Pennsylvania was supposed to be a place where any religious group could come and find freedom to practice, why then would they want to lose the things that make them unique? Now, I’m not saying that if Zinzendorf had won that verbal argument, we would no longer have denominations today and I don’t think that Muhlenberg was against Christian unity. What I am saying is that these two men’s personalities and ideas about the future of the church made them to be enemies.
I only tell you that story because in this gathering of Christians today, I see something different. I see a desire for unity between Christians, a desire for a bond that says our differences are less than our hope. Our hope to live out the mission of Jesus Christ. Our hope to worship God together, not as Lutherans, Episcopals, Pentecostals, Methodists, or Baptists, but to unite as Christians. Our hope not to be known for our differences in theology, but to be known as Christians by our love. (PAUSE)
Brothers and sisters, the question we must then ask ourselves is how important is prayer in the interfaith community? Do you pray for one thing while the person next to you prays for something completely different? Do you pray in hope that the person next to you might be praying the same thing? It is my belief that individual prayer is not enough, just as prayer in the midst of our worship gatherings is not enough. We need to pray without ceasing as a community, we need to place our collective hopes and fears at the alter of the Lord in prayer.
Now, I don’t know how many of you know this, but I have asked some of the leaders of this group to find a number of people to begin 24 hours of prayer for this community and for the future that this ecumenical group might have. My hope is that this group here today can turn those 24 hours of prayer into a full week. There will be a sign up sheet in the back of the sanctuary. See what happens when you put your prayer life on the line, see what happens when the community spends all their time with God.
As the choir sings our last hymn, if you so desire, I ask that you come forward, take a stone from the ushers up front, and lay it down on top of mine. Let us build join together as Christians and build an alter to God in the name of our risen Lord and Savior. Then I will open in prayer, and as the spirit moves, we will share our prayers with each other and with God. Let us to begin a prayer that will continue on for a full week, and let our lives be open to the work that Holy Spirit will lead us towards. Amen.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
John the Baptist Sermon ~ first person
Repent! For the Kingdom of God is near! Why are you here? What is your purpose for having gathered together here today? I will tell you my purpose. My purpose is to prepare a straight path for the Lord. Many of you know me as the baptizer, but those close to me call me John. I was invited here this morning to explain what it means to be baptized and to enter into a covenant with God.
Let me begin by telling you a bit of information about myself. Your pastor tells me that you heard the story of my birth on December 24th. How my aunt Mary came to visit my mother Elizabeth while they were both pregnant. Until her death, my mother loved to tell me the story about how I leapt in her womb when Mary, who was pregnant with my cousin Jesus, arrived at our house. During my childhood, I spent many summers with Jesus and his family, but as my parents were very old, they passed away just before my 10th birthday. Because my father was a priest, he had special connections with a religious group known as the Essenes, a well known but separatist Jewish community. I was sent to live with them until I was able to care for myself.
While I was with the Essenes, I lived a meager, humble life, filled with religious training. We slept under the stars and lived far from major cities. When we were not studying, we scrounged for food, where we mostly ate locust and wild honey. It is not a very satisfying diet, but it helps us remember that everything we receive comes from the Lord our God.
When I was in my late twenties, I left the community who had raised me and began to fulfill the role which God had planned for me. I was to clear a straight path for the Lord, baptizing those who repented of their sins and desired to live a pure and Holy life before God. Crowds would come and find me on the banks of the Jordan River, preaching on the books of Moses and from the words of the prophets. Many who heard my voice were struck with the fear of the Lord and came into the river to repent of their sins.
After a year or so of doing this, some of the Pharisees came down to the river to hear what I was saying. They came to me and argued that because they were descendants from Abraham, that God had a covenant with them, and repenting their sins and being baptized was pointless. I told them that being a descendant from Abraham was nothing, they are a dime a dozen. God could raise stones to be his descendants, but instead wants us to repent from our evil ways, that we produce fruit that is ripe from our repentance. Of course, they scoffed at me, but I kept on preaching, knowing in my heart that I was fulfilling the work of God.
Then, one day, as I was preaching alongside the river, baptizing all who desired to repent, I saw a man still standing on the side of the river, waiting for all others to leave. Once everyone had left, he walked into the water towards me, his eyes never leaving mine. Once he got closer, I knew at once that it was my cousin Jesus. We had not seen each other in many years, but I could remember his eyes as if we had seen each other only yesterday. As he approached me, I had a feeling that it was Jesus who the Lord God had sent me ahead of. That it was my cousin Jesus who was sent by God to save the world. I felt completely unworthy, that Jesus was asking me to baptize him, clearly, it was him who should be baptizing me. Jesus simply smiled and told me that I must be the one to baptize him. Suddenly the feeling of unworthiness was gone, and I agreed.
I took Jesus next to me and put one hand behind his back and the other on his chest. I brought him down into the water, keeping him down until he was nearly out of breath. I lifted Jesus out of the water and as he gasped for breath, time seemed to get slower, seeming to almost stop. At that very moment the heavens seemed to open up and the Spirit of God came down in a dove and said “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.
I went on baptizing others who repented of their sins, but nothing ever came close to that same moment, when new life was given to Jesus. When your pastor asked me to speak to you this morning, I immediately asked myself why me? Why would you want a baptizer to speak on a day that most people understand as preparation for communion. That’s when I opened you’re book of worship to the ceremony for confirmation, it is very interesting document. If you look closely, the title is Confirmation AND Affirmation of baptism. It seems to me that we all tend to overlook the second half of the title.
Since my death, baptism seems to be taken for granted by some. When I first learned of people being baptized as infants, I almost lost my head. Then I realized that this act of confirmation is really a day in which you stand in front of the church, remember your baptism and recommit to that covenant. But what exactly does covenant mean?
Through the action of baptism, you are saying that you choose to belong to God. I must ask the question, how do you go about into the world letting people know that you have been baptized? Perhaps we could pour water on our heads every hour, walking around with wet hair. Or, it is my understanding that you receive certificates when you are baptized, I guess you could go around showing others that paper, but that doesn’t seem very practical. When I was baptizing, we had no such way of identifying others as being baptized, which is why it is so important to be in a church, in relationship with others who have been baptized, so that we are able to be in the presence of others who are united with Christ, are cleansed by his saving work, and enter into the fellowship of the church with those are called into a life of faith and willing obedience.
Alex, Brianna, and Zach, you have all taken an important step in your journey of faith. The ritual of the affirmation of your baptism is not one to take lightly. You have presented yourself before God and before the members of this church to affirm your belief in God as your Creator, in Jesus as your Savior, and in the Holy Spirit as your sustainer. You have pledged to turn away from sin, evil and selfishness in your thoughts, words and actions, serving God all the days of your life. This is by no means an easy task, but those who are here today have also covenanted with you to help you do those things. Use them, as God has put them in your life for a reason.
Before I leave you today, I was hoping that we all might take a walk down to the Delaware River and take a moment to remember our own baptism, but since I’m really the only one with clothing that can get wet, I think we will pass on that idea. Instead, it is my hope that everyone in the congregation will come forward as the final hymn is sung, taking a moment to place their hand in the water and bringing a drop to their head, remembering your own baptism, and what it means to be a Christian, baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Let me begin by telling you a bit of information about myself. Your pastor tells me that you heard the story of my birth on December 24th. How my aunt Mary came to visit my mother Elizabeth while they were both pregnant. Until her death, my mother loved to tell me the story about how I leapt in her womb when Mary, who was pregnant with my cousin Jesus, arrived at our house. During my childhood, I spent many summers with Jesus and his family, but as my parents were very old, they passed away just before my 10th birthday. Because my father was a priest, he had special connections with a religious group known as the Essenes, a well known but separatist Jewish community. I was sent to live with them until I was able to care for myself.
While I was with the Essenes, I lived a meager, humble life, filled with religious training. We slept under the stars and lived far from major cities. When we were not studying, we scrounged for food, where we mostly ate locust and wild honey. It is not a very satisfying diet, but it helps us remember that everything we receive comes from the Lord our God.
When I was in my late twenties, I left the community who had raised me and began to fulfill the role which God had planned for me. I was to clear a straight path for the Lord, baptizing those who repented of their sins and desired to live a pure and Holy life before God. Crowds would come and find me on the banks of the Jordan River, preaching on the books of Moses and from the words of the prophets. Many who heard my voice were struck with the fear of the Lord and came into the river to repent of their sins.
After a year or so of doing this, some of the Pharisees came down to the river to hear what I was saying. They came to me and argued that because they were descendants from Abraham, that God had a covenant with them, and repenting their sins and being baptized was pointless. I told them that being a descendant from Abraham was nothing, they are a dime a dozen. God could raise stones to be his descendants, but instead wants us to repent from our evil ways, that we produce fruit that is ripe from our repentance. Of course, they scoffed at me, but I kept on preaching, knowing in my heart that I was fulfilling the work of God.
Then, one day, as I was preaching alongside the river, baptizing all who desired to repent, I saw a man still standing on the side of the river, waiting for all others to leave. Once everyone had left, he walked into the water towards me, his eyes never leaving mine. Once he got closer, I knew at once that it was my cousin Jesus. We had not seen each other in many years, but I could remember his eyes as if we had seen each other only yesterday. As he approached me, I had a feeling that it was Jesus who the Lord God had sent me ahead of. That it was my cousin Jesus who was sent by God to save the world. I felt completely unworthy, that Jesus was asking me to baptize him, clearly, it was him who should be baptizing me. Jesus simply smiled and told me that I must be the one to baptize him. Suddenly the feeling of unworthiness was gone, and I agreed.
I took Jesus next to me and put one hand behind his back and the other on his chest. I brought him down into the water, keeping him down until he was nearly out of breath. I lifted Jesus out of the water and as he gasped for breath, time seemed to get slower, seeming to almost stop. At that very moment the heavens seemed to open up and the Spirit of God came down in a dove and said “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.
I went on baptizing others who repented of their sins, but nothing ever came close to that same moment, when new life was given to Jesus. When your pastor asked me to speak to you this morning, I immediately asked myself why me? Why would you want a baptizer to speak on a day that most people understand as preparation for communion. That’s when I opened you’re book of worship to the ceremony for confirmation, it is very interesting document. If you look closely, the title is Confirmation AND Affirmation of baptism. It seems to me that we all tend to overlook the second half of the title.
Since my death, baptism seems to be taken for granted by some. When I first learned of people being baptized as infants, I almost lost my head. Then I realized that this act of confirmation is really a day in which you stand in front of the church, remember your baptism and recommit to that covenant. But what exactly does covenant mean?
Through the action of baptism, you are saying that you choose to belong to God. I must ask the question, how do you go about into the world letting people know that you have been baptized? Perhaps we could pour water on our heads every hour, walking around with wet hair. Or, it is my understanding that you receive certificates when you are baptized, I guess you could go around showing others that paper, but that doesn’t seem very practical. When I was baptizing, we had no such way of identifying others as being baptized, which is why it is so important to be in a church, in relationship with others who have been baptized, so that we are able to be in the presence of others who are united with Christ, are cleansed by his saving work, and enter into the fellowship of the church with those are called into a life of faith and willing obedience.
Alex, Brianna, and Zach, you have all taken an important step in your journey of faith. The ritual of the affirmation of your baptism is not one to take lightly. You have presented yourself before God and before the members of this church to affirm your belief in God as your Creator, in Jesus as your Savior, and in the Holy Spirit as your sustainer. You have pledged to turn away from sin, evil and selfishness in your thoughts, words and actions, serving God all the days of your life. This is by no means an easy task, but those who are here today have also covenanted with you to help you do those things. Use them, as God has put them in your life for a reason.
Before I leave you today, I was hoping that we all might take a walk down to the Delaware River and take a moment to remember our own baptism, but since I’m really the only one with clothing that can get wet, I think we will pass on that idea. Instead, it is my hope that everyone in the congregation will come forward as the final hymn is sung, taking a moment to place their hand in the water and bringing a drop to their head, remembering your own baptism, and what it means to be a Christian, baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
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