Sermon preached by the Rev. Fredrick A. Robinson
The Church of the Redeemer / Sarasota, Florida
22nd Sunday after Pentecost
12 October 2008
It’s amazing to me, after all of these years of preaching on the lectionary, that is of preaching on scripture readings that were chosen before 1979 to be read in church on every Sunday of the year, including today, how they can fit so beautifully with whatever is going on at the time. If I could have chosen the readings for today, given what we are facing as a nation and in the world, I couldn’t have done a better job. What better words from Holy Scripture can we recall at this time than the words from the 23rd Psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want?” Another translation of that verse which I love is, “The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.”
The challenge, of course, is believing it, truly believing it, when the chips are down. The market in the nation and the world continues to fall, businesses are having a hard time, banks are failing, people are being laid off, credit’s hard to get. People of faith and faithless alike are stressed out, worried, fearful. And there are tragedies. We were all shocked by the news that a financial consultant in California killed his family and then himself over his financial losses.
We come to church seeking solace, seeking answers, and if we have ears to hear, those answers are there. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.” The prophet Isaiah said that on the mountain of the Lord “the Lord of Hosts will make for all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well refined. And he will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces…It will be said on that day, ‘Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’”
These words call us back, especially in times of trouble, to this reality into which we were baptized. Whatever situation we are facing, whether it’s financial difficulties, relationship problems, or whatever, there is a reality that will never fail us, as individuals and as a community of faith, and that is that our loving, merciful heavenly Father has made us his children by adoption and grace through our baptism, and continues to nourish us by his grace through the Sacrament, through the reading of his Holy Word, through the fellowship of his Church, and through his Holy Spirit who has been given to us at our baptism.
Last Friday morning I was playing racquetball, as is my custom, and the guys I was playing with and I were taking a break. The conversation turned to the financial situation, and one of the group, who is Jewish, said, “I know what you’re going to preach about on Sunday—the economy. And I’ll tell you what you should say. Have faith in America.” I said to him, “You know, Allen, you’re right. That’s what I will preach on Sunday. Why don’t you come and hear my sermon?”
His comment surprised me. I thought he was going to say, “All you have to say is have faith in God,” which is basically what I was going to say. But his words added another dimension to this whole problem. We do need to have faith in America, in this great country, in our ability, given by God I might add, to meet whatever challenge lies before us. Things were pretty dark after 9/11. The market took a plunge then, too. People were grieving, anxious, and fearful. But that challenge brought out what is best in Americans. There was a return to church and synagogue, if you remember. Drastic changes were made immediately in our nation’s security. Plans for a new World Trade Center began and continue. This strike against our nation was not going to defeat us. Despair turned to hope. That’s the people we are. That’s the kind of nation that we’re a part of. That is our heritage.
But there is something that must be added when speaking about America and our heritage. That is that this country was founded on faith in God. There is an underlying foundation in our national documents, written by the founding fathers, of the providence of God. In many ways we as a people have neglected that heritage. In fact, like adolescents who reject the teaching of their parents, the political correctness movement has sought to destroy any mention of God in the public sphere, any cherishing of those Judeo-Christian values that have undergirded our society. The result has been an erosion of the moral fiber of this country.
In this time of distress, as in any troubled time, we have an opportunity. Of course, we can allow our problems to overwhelm us and make us fearful, or we can, as individuals and as a nation, trust in God and see this as an opportunity to rely on God, remembering that “Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,” remembering that “The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.”
And it all begins with the individual. How are you and I going to respond to our circumstances? As Christians, there is only one faithful way to respond. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.”
Today we are going to baptize four people: Alexander, Nicholas, Aidan, and Tristan. They are the grandchildren of Fr. Reynaldo and Elin Ayerbe. Two of them, Alexander and Nicholas, are old enough to speak for themselves, confess Christ as their Savior and Lord, and the other two, Aidan and Tristan, must have their parents and godparents speak on their behalf, promising to bring them up in the Christian faith and life.
This is the most important day in their lives. This is the day when they will become Christians, children of God by adoption and grace. Their baptism is their covenant with God, when they or those who are presenting them, will say what they believe in the very basic words of the Apostles’ Creed, and when they will make the promises, or vows, of baptism. But what they do is not nearly as significant as what will happen to them in their baptism. They will be given the forgiveness of sins, the stain of original sin being washed away. They will be made participants in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, appropriating for themselves the benefits of his sacrifice for the sins of the world and taking on the way of the cross as their way of life. They will be made members of the Body of Christ, that is, they will be made Christians. And, they will be given the gift of the Holy Spirit, God present with them to guide, comfort, and protect them. Listen carefully to the Prayer of Thanksgiving over the Water. All of these things are mentioned as parts of baptism.
Alexander and Nicholas, Aidan and Tristan. You are so fortunate to be able to be baptized by your grandfather. And what a special honor it is for him to be able to baptize you.
This is the most important day of your life. Remember it. But also remember that this is only the beginning of your life of faith as children of God. Strive always by God’s grace to keep the covenant that was made at your baptism. Be faithful in worship, pray daily, read the Holy Scriptures, share your faith, help those in need, be just in your treat of others. Also remember that when you fail to keep this covenant, which will happen, that God forgives. Remember that when you stray, even when you forget your baptism, God has not forgotten you and works in you even when you’re not aware of it.
This is a wonderful day as we share with you in your baptism.