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Mark Wheeler
Mark 1:4-11
“Baptism of Repentance?!”
01/10/2021
Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church
It’s 2021 everybody – everything’s gonna get back to “normal”! Did anybody else think, hope, that 2021 was gonna be better than 2020? Guess what – we’re still the same sinful human beings today that we were on December 31! And the news reveals this truth every-single-day! Amber Alerts THREE times since the turn of the calendar! US Capitol under siege (is that too strong?) by our own people! COVID numbers still very present! And limited seating in church, no seating in restaurants, no smiles to be seen except on screen (thank you Zoom people – you give us hope!).
And, Friends – it is SO good to gather, whether in house or on-line, as we worship and pray together.
We gather today, with aches and pains, worries and fears, doubts and debts, and in the midst of all of that we gather to focus on our Savior and Lord, Hope, and Joy, and Love and Peace, Light in darkness, Lightness in the weight of heavy hardship. Let’s worship and pray as a people who Believe, even when …
Holy One, we thank You for the glimpses we have caught of Your gifts of peace, love, joy and hope, and light. Even in the midst of fear, of challenge, of struggle – even when we have not been sure of tomorrow,
You have ignited the Light within us … that we might glow with its brilliance from the inside out. Keep reminding us how to Believe … even when …. Amen.
Let’s take a second to greet each other, and those in the room, look at the camera and say HI to your friends who are at home. Tell your loved ones, “May the Peace of Christ be in you.”
Welcome to this “gathering” in God’s name. We are assembled in NorthEast Spokane, WA, along with people from all over the world. We are very glad you are “here” with us.
For those who made it into the building this morning – thank you for wearing your masks and following the seating and walking protocols. We do this not to protect ourselves from others, but to protect others from ourselves. Because we love each other, we wear masks and keep distance to keep each other safe from this “invisible potential enemy”. COVID numbers are way up in our area – let’s not give them an opportunity to climb even higher. Our Elders are listening to CDC guidelines and deciding on what seems best practices for each others’ safety. We love you, and we want everyone to be and to stay well.
Be filled with God’s Holy Spirit presence and power, in your homes, through your phones and computers, in this building here, and in your lives. Pray with us … and hear and be transformed by God’s Word.
Listen now and join in as Gerri leads our Call to Worship from Psalm 29 – and listen for and proclaim aloud Who is still in charge!
Our song of praise today sings a proclamation of our God’s wondrous presence! – Praise to the Lord –sung by Linda Tuinstra and Keith Winningham!
Through the Written Word,
And endorsed by our spoken word,
May we know Your Living Word,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
What a week this has been!! Right? For Jennifer and me, we sent Brianna and her clan off to Unalakleet, AK (five airplanes in 27 hours of planes and layovers); and we also celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary (I celebrate, Jennifer endures …); and then Wednesday happened (who here was glued to the TV set most of the day? – I was at the church office, working to catch-up after a couple weeks of mostly “away”, so I had no idea until our Wonderful Deacons started texting and posting their prayers and prayer-ideas).
I was working on January (and February) worship themes and hymns and leaders, and concentrating on today’s gathering. And, so the US Capitol news events started forming today’s worship.
Before we start to complain that the preacher is getting too political – there is no such thing! The Bible, and Jesus, is full of politics (from the days of Abraham in Genesis through the book of Revelation).
Wednesday was not only the day when the Electoral College votes were confirmed, it was also the Day of Epiphany – that’s the Christian Calendar day we commemorate the arrival of the Magi from the East and the king’s slaughter of the innocents. Matthew 2:18 quotes this: “Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.’”
This seemed super relevant. Wednesday was a day for deep and heart-felt lament.
But today’s Gospel lesson comes some 28 years later. Jesus is not 2 years old, but 30! There is no “slaughter of the innocents”, but there is still derision and division, struggle and sin, and fighting in the midst of faith.
Hear the Word of God … Mark 1:4-11 …. —- [The screen will show this passage.]
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
There’s a lot that could come from this brief story in the Bible – John the Baptist’s lifestyle and diet, the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is inaugurated here, the Heavenly Father’s voice of blessing and approval before Jesus has done any(!) ministry. But this morning I am led to focus on the act of the Baptism.
I know the sermon is just getting started, but, let me talk with our kids for a minute – all-y’all can listen in:
Sometimes, when we meet a friend we may say, “What’s new?” It’s only been a couple weeks since Christmas, so if I were to ask you, “What’s New?” you would probably have a lot to tell me about.
I’m sure you get excited about getting new things, like games or toys! You’ve probably spent hours playing with the new toys you received for Christmas.
One thing I really enjoy is a new beginning. We are at the beginning of a new year. What an exciting time! It’s a chance to start over. It’s a time to try to do things better than we did last year.
Is there anything you want to be better this year? How about you grownups? What are you hoping might be better this year? How about in your personal lives?
Today, we’re talking about another new beginning. It’s better than the beginning of a new year. It’s the beginning of a new life; a new life in Jesus.
In today’s Bible story, we read about a man called John the Baptist. John went all around the countryside in Judea telling people about a new beginning they could have. He said to repent. That means to ask God to forgive your sins, turn away from those sins, and try again. John baptized people who repented. He did it in the Jordan River. They were baptized to show the world that God forgives our sins. This is a new beginning for us. We still baptize people today. (Just six months ago Oran and Hope’s Mom was baptized right here!) Now, that’s what I call a new beginning!
But in today’s story, even Jesus Himself went to John the Baptist and was baptized by him. OK, this is still for the kids, but this is for everyone else, too … Why did Jesus – who had never sinned, Jesus is sinless, the Son of God, God Incarnate, unable to sin – it is beyond His character to sin – so what did Jesus have to repent from? Why was Jesus Baptized by John’s Baptism of Repentance?!
The quick and easy answer, which is not necessarily wrong – but I think it s too simple – is that Jesus was baptized to set an example for the rest of us!
But a careful look at the story says that the whole of Judea was already getting baptized! For whom was He setting a example? [Maybe for the rest of the world who would one day read of this day! Sure enough! In fact, that’s what we’re doing with it today!] But I think there’s more:
I met a young man just before Christmas, a Marine who had been discharged for medical reasons, who told me that he “begged to differ” with my theology that says we are all sinners, that we all fall short of the glory of God. He said that Adam and Eve’s sin was only their sin, and not his!
I think part of what Jesus is doing is reminding us that we require God’s forgiveness to move forward in faith. I may not have actually murdered anyone, right? I mean, I really absolutely have never murdered anyone! But, have I held a grudge against someone longer than necessary? Jesus calls that “committing murder in my heart” (Matthew 5:22). Have I therefore sinned? Do I need to repent? James, we read last Thursday in Bible Study, says that “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking it all!” (James 2:11)
And then Wednesday happened. And these were mostly self-proclaimed “Christians”, “followers of Jesus”. The president of one of the seminaries I attended (Fuller, in Pasadena, CA) said: “But don’t ever forget what we saw today. Don’t ever forget how we saw them storm the Capitol, break through windows, take over the chamber, sit with fists raised in the Speaker’s chair and literally hang from the ceiling….” And he continued, “And to everybody saying, ‘this is not who we are, this is not America’ you are gravely mistaken. Aggrieved, embittered white people with a weoponized religion of ‘God ordained’ take over, conquest and violence is exactly who this place is and who these people are. Rev Dr. Jeremiah Wright said it best: ‘As long as this country worships the myths of its own goodness, the myths of its own exceptionalism, and the myths of it being a peaceful, Christian nation, it will be damned.’”
Look at this screen shot of a CBS TV news report: [show on screen https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10215055941672127&set=p.10215055941672127&type=3&__cft__[0]=AZWMK4tCtSl911ATf1ka030yKDyvnoKTFAEdh_Q7YiyFTxJTaF9tdXl_XOF9h8K1g_7WqJb6F–JAhMx74P1ICZ3qx_loLIlik1EwFhXjhQHnhvWQL3-GepLK1KRK6i9hhg&__tn__=R]-R ]
Someone saw this and posted: “They got Jesus backwards. I’m afraid there is a lot of that in our country.”
We, the Church, must repent, and stand against this!
Jesus Himself received the Baptism of Repentance.
The Old Testament prophet Amos (5:14-15) says, “Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.”
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on us!
The very next story in Mark’s Gospel (1:14-15), immediately after the Baptism of Repentance and the 40 days in the wilderness, tells us, “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God: ‘The time has come, He said, ‘Repent and believe the Good News!’”
The first step forward to our “fresh start” is to repent!
Dear God, we thank You that Jesus who was without sin washes away our sins and gives us a new life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer Page – In times when humanity disappoints,
perhaps when even our own thoughts and behaviors disappoint,
it is an important act to call out, to name and claim, the consequences of our wrongs.
And in times of distress it is a prophetic act to call out, to name and claim, our belief that peace, love, joy, and hope are what we are born for, and are possible in our world.
And now – call out a name, a place, a people, a situation, you are lifting to the Lord in prayer …. “Have mercy on us, O Lord.” [Lord’s Prayer] Amen.
– Christmas Joy Offering & Pledge Cards and our Offering (4449 N Nevada St, Spokane, 99207 ; or on-line on FB or LidgerwoodPresbyChurch.wordpress.com at this click, www.givlia.com/g/lidgerwoodpresbychurch) or text 833-976-1333, code “Lidgerwood”
Expedition Song – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise! …. sung by Lilly haeger (our suggestion is no congregational singing, but if you’re wearing your masks appropriately, who would know who is singing?).
Next Sunday, like we did today – please RSVP to us if you plan to attend so we can properly set up – and please CALL IN or email or text – so we can share with you what the plans will be – whether we will be allowed to continue to meet or not.
We close with this benediction: Friends –
may we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,
becoming more beautiful with each passing day of struggle and victory, each encounter with the Holy Spirit, giving glory to God today and forever!
Before we go too far, today is January Birthdays Celebration!
Donna Stone, Jacob Winningham, Barb Durham, Jacki DeLeon, Brianna Blatchford, Darlene Haats
This is your birthday song – it isn’t very long! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
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