Saturday 3 December 2011

Advent Sunday 27 February 2011 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 12:24-37, Bruce

On this Advent Sunday, as the lights shine on the tree, our thoughts turn to pantomimes. At the beginning of Sleeping Beauty, the princess is visited by the fairies, who bestow gifts that will stand her in good stead.

In exactly the same way, Paul writes the Christian community at Corinth. He describes them as the “sanctified ones” (i.e. saints), those who are holy, who call on the name of the Lord Jesus.

He wishes them grace and peace. He give thanks for them (eucharises for them), because they have received grace from God, i.e. his unearned kindness and favour, and God has given them gifts of speech and knowledge.

In our baptism service today we do something very similar for Reuben. We pray for the blessing of God upon him, and we welcome him into the fellowship, the family of God, which finds its local expression here in an ordinary parish church.

How can we say this about a child? How can we speak of new birth, of repentance, of discipleship, in the life of one so young? Is there not a touch of unreality about this? Are we turning the event into a pantomime?

If it all seems unlikely, consider how Paul could say this about the Christians at Corinth? They were a fractious lot. Paul has to write frequent appeals for them to show forth in their lives what they apparently believed in their hearts. As a result, we get teaching about those who think they are better than others, those who are living together unmarried and worse, how to do Communion, how to worship, most importantly how to love, and the resurrection hope that is firmly promised to each one who has answered the call of Jesus. In the midst of all this, the fact remains that they are the saints, and that God has chosen to show them grace.

There is a “not yet” and there is a “now”.

The “not yet” involves the day of the Lord Jesus. It will be the day of his Coming, of his Advent. We should not fear that day of judgement, because God is calling each of us to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, and to receive his grace and his peace. There is not a single person here that God is not reaching out to. He loves every single one. And to each one of us who responds, he chooses to show his kindness. It will not depend on how well you live. The Corinthians would have failed that test; we fail that test. God gives us all that we need.

That is because there is a “now”. We are each called into fellowship with Jesus. This means to actively share our lives with him now, today. Eternal life, if you like, has started already.

So the vision we have for Reuben is not that we baptise him today, and then wait ten, twenty or more years, to see what he does about it at some time in the distant future when he grows up. There is that aspect to it, and it will be a joy and a privilege to follow him in the future. Will he be a member of a youth group here at St Michael’s? Will he be used to going through one of the three doors into the new annex for different clubs and activities? Will he arrange to be married here at St Michael’s? Will he use the gifts of speech and knowledge to become a vicar? Or an estate agent? All this lies in the future.

The fact remains, though, that we mark the start of his Christian pilgrimage now, today. Carried and nurtured by his parents and godparents, he is on the journey today, and we travel with him.

Jesus wants to share Reuben’s life today, every day, just as he does for each of us and all of us. There is so much I could say, and want to say. Today marks the formal beginning of a journey of faith, of life-long learning. Will you join us, and especially Reuben, as we travel and explore together?

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