We had an infant baptism in worship after the sermon. I attempted to think like Paul and imagine what Paul might have said if he were writing a letter to the newly baptized infant. Not sure if Paul would have written such a letter, but here it goes.
“Dear Nada” July 14, 2019; SAPC, Denton; Galatians 4: 21-31 Richard B. Culp
21 Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman. 23 One, the child of the slave, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise. 24 Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One woman, in fact, is Hagar, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia[g] and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
“Rejoice, you childless one, you who bear no children,
burst into song and shout, you who endure no birth pangs;
for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous
than the children of the one who is married.”
28 Now you,[h] my friends,[i] are children of the promise, like Isaac. 29 But just as at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30 But what does the scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her child; for the child of the slave will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman.” 31 So then, friends,[j] we are children, not of the slave but of the free woman.
Introduction: Paul writes letters. We read his letters to communities of faith. In this case, the community of faith learning to be a church in Galatia.
Even though Paul understands the Christian faith in the context of community, I suspect he wrote letters to individuals as well. of course, he probably could not keep it personal, his letter would always be written with the idea it would speak to more than just the person to whom it was written.
As we gather around the waters of baptism, I have been wondering what Paul might write to Nada. Admittedly, we mostly read about adults or households being baptized, so Paul might not have had much experience writing to babies about babies being baptized, but I suspect Paul could have found words to write for any occasion, even an infant baptism. If nothing else, Paul’s letter might a good way to lull Nada to sleep.
Listen to a letter Paul might have written on the occasion of an infant baptism.
Move 1: Dear Nada, and all others who have been baptized, especially the children among you Galatians (see Paul cannot help himself, he has to include the whole faith community in his letter to Nada):
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
I write to you on the day of your baptism, wishing I could be there in person with you. I well remember the community of faith that surrounds you this day and fondly remember how they embraced me in my time among them. So too, they will embrace you as you emerge from the waters of baptism.
As you receive their love and care, you learn an important lesson about following Christ - be ready and willing to receive.
As you grow up, you will surely hear my name, read my letters, and learn my story. Know this, because the church in Galatia, the church which surrounds you this day, received me into their midst, they received the good news of Jesus Christ that I brought to them.
I was afflicted; it would have been easy for my brothers and sisters in Galatia to turn away from me, but instead they received me and ministered to me. In that act of receiving me, they opened themselves up to receiving the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As you grow in the faith, Nada, may your life be marked by your willingness to receive and an openness to hearing and believing the good news that Jesus Christ is risen.
Move 2: In your baptism, we declare that you are united with Christ in his death and in his resurrection.
Perhaps that sounds odd, but it describes what it means for God to love you. Wherever you go in life, whatever happens to you, there you will find God. Or perhaps better stated, God will find you.
One day you will hear the story Jesus tells about the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep and goes to find the one lost sheep. The God who will not rest until the lost sheep is found.
This is the God who claims you in the waters of baptism.
This is the God who will be chasing after you all the days of your life.
This is the God who will go anywhere and do anything, even die for you.
This is the God who will not only die for you, but overcome sin and death so that you might have eternal life.
The God who claims you today in the waters of baptism.
Move 3: In the waters of baptism, you are also united with those other Galatians who have entered the waters of baptism and emerged as new creations.
Indeed, you are united with them and all those who enter, or have entered, or will enter the waters of baptism.
You do not live in the world alone. You are connected, bound to others in the name of Jesus Christ.
Move 4: In the waters of baptism, my dear daughter, you have been given new life.
New life that is given shape and form by a promise, not by the law.
As you grow, you will taught about God. Resist all teachings that demand you obey the law perfectly or that call you to seek perfection.
your parents will have rules. I suspect you will break them time and again. But, as you grow up you will discover their love is not defined by the rules. They cannot help but love you because they feel such overwhelming love for you, regardless of the rules.
In that gracious love, you see a glimpse of God’s love for you.
We humans look to rules; God chooses to love. When you hear the stories of God’s people, people like Sara and Hagar, you will see the temptation to make obedience to the law the most important thing about your faith.
But look deeper and see the moments when God’s people gave their lives over to God’s promises, instead of the law.
Make your life about promise and hope, not law and judgment.
Live into the God’s promise God’s love instead of chasing after the law.
Move 3: Nada, in Christ, you have been made free - free to trust.
The truth is, Nada, you will never be free until you learn to trust in God.
you will be tempted to trust those who flatter you; to trust those who make worldly promises. They are looking for what they can get from you. Once they get what they want, they move on to someone else to flatter and make promises.
Put your trust in God, who is not looking for what God can get from you, but instead looking to love you, to fill you with hope.
Do not settle for faith that does not build off of trust in God. As you will learn, only God can satisfy with the deep, abiding sense of knowing you are loved. Trust in that love.
Conclusion: Nada, my words may have indeed put you to sleep. I confess that I writetoo many words sometimes, but I am so excited, so moved by God’s love for you that I cannot help myself.
But I will finishwiththree words, three words that will make all the difference in your life: God loves you.
Amen.
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