Another dancing sermon. I had fun telling the baptism story from KY. Another familiar text being read at a very different time in the liturgical calendar. the challnge of reading familiar texts outside of their normal placement has forced me to think about these texts from a different perspective, which has been a good exercise for me.
“Dancing with Jesus: John the Baptist Bop” Matthew 3: 1-12; August 13, 2023; SAPC, Denton; Dr. Richard B. Culp
Another familiar story, although we usually associate John the Baptist with Advent, the time in the liturgical calendar just before Christmas when we prepare for the coming of Christ, rather than with an August heat wave.
Matthew 3: 1-12 3In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” 4Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Introduction: We continue our dancing series “Dancing with Jesus.” As you may recall, each dance has a biblical story that accompanies it. The dance reflects the author’s interpretation of the biblical story.
this morning, we have the John the Baptist bop - sort of a 50s beat.
the dance looks a little bit like the dance background dancers might do while the band is playing.
But as I read John the Baptist’s story, I don’t think he’s one of the background dancers.
He is more like the warm up singer? He’s the guy who plays first, warming the crowd up for Jesus.
Those watching him, listening to him, being baptized by him, do not know if he will one day become great on his own, or if will always be a warm up singer.
But they do know that John is pointing them to the smain attraction, his cousin Jesus who is about to arrive and go to work in his starring role.
Move 1: What do you need to get ready for Jesus?
a. John was direct in his words about what people needed to do to prepare for Jesus.
1. Repent. that’s the word we probably most associate with John the Baptist.
2. Actually, more than repent.
Notice, John commands: “Bear fruit worthy of repentance.”
3. do not just change,
or turn back to God,
but live your life showing that change in how you deal with others and engage the world.
b. John might not have liked a dancing with Jesus series.
1. you remember, of course, that dancing got John the Baptist in trouble.
2. The Gospel of Mark tells the story of John’s death.
3. King Herod has married his brother’s wife, Herodias,
which led to John announcing again and again that King Herod was violating jewish law by marrying his brother’s wife.
Herodias wanted John killed, but King Herod resisted her request because he thought John was a righteous and holy man, and he liked listening to John the Baptist.
Apparently, King Herod was like the crowds who felt the need to turn to John the Baptist, although he did not heed the call to bears fruits worthy of repentance.
On King Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter, also named Herodias in some manuscripts or Salome in other manuscripts, came and danced for the king.
It was such a great dance, he offered to do anything she wished.
She asked her mother what she should request, and her mother seized the moment and said, “the head of John the Baptist.”
So, the head of John the baptist was delivered to King Herod who gave it to Herodias.
dancing was not kind to John the Baptist!
c. But, that’s John.
1. Direct
2. Challenging and calling for repentance.
3. Continuing to set the stage for Christ’s arrival.
Perhaps we ought to hang on to John’s call to bear fruit worthy of repentance.
Move 2: The warm up singer sounds a little differently than the lead singer.
a. John brings a challenging message of how to prepare.
1. A needed message.
2.the crowds are arriving en masse to hear John’s message
to be baptized.
3. he taps into this need they have, the need we have to change our lives,
find something better
change in meaningful ways that open us up to following Christ.
b. But, we also notice that Jesus brings a different approach as he moves among the people.
1. Jesus seems much more inviting.
He does not primarily bring a message of judgement, although Jesus can and does talk about wailing and gnashing of teeth a time or two.
2. But Jesus’ primary message - love and grace.
3. still the call to be changed;
still the call to be new creations
but Jesus’ words speak of God’s grace
Jesus’ actions reveal his desire to die for our sins
to give himself up completely, even to his death, to save us and offer us new life.
4. historians tell us that Martin Luther, the great Reformer, suffered from bouts of depression when he felt like he was battling the devil.
He kept a handwritten note on his desk with two Latin words: “Baptizatus sum”
“i am baptized!”
I doubt he kept those words close because of John’s call to repentance;
Instead, he was reminding himself that in the waters of baptism he had been claimed by God.
in the waters of of baptism he had been united with Christ.
5. the warm up singer has an important message of preparation and repentance;
then Jesus takes the stage with a message of grace, forgiveness, and hope,
all backed by his death and resurrection.
move 3: Did you notice in the John the Baptist bop that it enacted bending a person down and baptizing them.
a. Immersion - sort of like John did in the Jordan river.
1. no sprinkling, but dunking.
Not like we Presbyterians who primarily sprinkle for our baptism.
Which is why we have baptismal fonts in our sanctauries, not baptisteries or baptismal pools we would expect to find in a Baptist church or Church of Christ.
2. I remember my first baptism by immersion.
a young woman going through confirmation at the church I served in KY asked me if she could be immersed.
She said it was because we had read the story of Jesus baptizing in the river, and she wanted to experience baptism like that.
WE had read the story, but I suspect it was more likely that her father, a former southern Baptist, had mentioned to her that immersion might be the best way to be baptized.
I decided to figure out how to do. Not just for her, but I’d never done a baptism by immersion, so I thought it would be an interesting exercise.
I called my colleague at the Disciples of Christ church down the street and asked if we could use their sanctuary and baptistery for the baptism.
He readily agreed, although we would have to do it on a /Sunday afternoon when they weren’t in worship.
So it was all arranged. the Friday before the baptism, I went down to the Disciples church and the minster when through the process of baptizing by immersion.
The custodian would have the baptistery filled with water.
He showed me where the lights were.
He showed me the room where the young woman would change into her bathing suit and then wear one of the white gowns over her bathing suit.
He showed me where his chest hight waders would be hanging taht I would wear over my clothes to keep me dry, at least all of me dry but the arm supporting her and she went under water.
We practiced how to hold someone and lower them into the water.
AS we were leaving, he briefly mentioned the heater was broken.
Sunday afternoon arrived.
A small crowd of family and friends and her mentor arrived at the Disciples church for the baptism by immersion.
I had prepared a bulletin with the normal liturgy. I love the baptismal liturgy and left nothing out. actually, I added a Call to Worship since it was a little worship service, and I added a couple of strategically placed hymns to cover our getting ready for the baptistery and then coming back from the baptistery.
we were going to get immersion and Presbyterian liturgy together and it was going to be a powerful worship moment.
We began the Call to Worship in front of the sanctuary, and then as they sang the first hymn, the young woman and I went back to the baptistery.
as we heard the hymn moving from verse to verse, she changed into her bathing suit and white gown, while I put on my waders.
The timing was just right. The hymn ended and we stepped into the baptistery.
she was standing next to me as I began with the words of preparation for baptism.
You know the liturgy.
then, the the questions for her as she professed her faith and affirmed her desire to be baptized.
About this time, I noticed she was shivering,
I also noticed my legs were getting really cold through my waders and suit pants.
I had a fleeting thought - “the minister said the heater was broken.”
As I started saying the prayer over the waters of baptism, I noticed the young woman was now visibly shaking from the cold.
I thought I noticed her lips were turning purple.
I made a quick decision in that moment to cut to the Amen.
to skip over the Apostles’ Creed.
I went straight to immersion.
I immersed her carefully and quickly.
I skipped the rest of the liturgy and announced we were singing the final.
We exited the baptistery and its very cold water for her the change into her clothes and me to remove the waders.
We rejoined the congregation to the final benediction. She was still shaking,
in the collision between the cold waters of baptism and Presbyterian liturgy, the cold water won.
I still love the liturgy. We still say the words each time we baptize.
But, I learned, without a doubting in that baptistery in KY, that the liturgy, as good as it is, does not make the baptism.
It is the one whose coming John announces, Jesus Christ himself, who makes the baptism.
In baptism, we are united with Christ in our death and resurrection.
That is what matters.
Conclusion: John invites us to prepare for Christ’s coming.
John calls us to repent and bear fruit worthy of repentance.
then along comes Jesus with the gift of grace and his desire to join with us in life, death, and resurrection.
Are you ready?
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