Readings for Epiphany 1C:
Isaiah 42:1-9; Acts 10:34-38; Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
January 7, 2007
The Rev. Karen Faye Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA
There is a story from the Sunday School Curriculum about a professor from Princeton Seminary who was asked to speak to a group of children about the Baptism of Jesus. During his talk, most of the children were bored at best, staring at the walls, or the ceiling, slouching in their seats. At the end of his talk, one of the children looked up and muttered to the professor, “I don’t think that’s what the passage is saying.” The professor was delighted that at least one student had been listening and asked him, “Then what do you think the passage means?” The student replied: “Well, the passage tells us that heaven opened up, yes?” “Yes.” “And when heaven opened up the Holy Spirit came down, yes?” “Yes.” The student then lifted his whole body to an upright position and stared at the professor and said: “It is saying that God is on the loose in the world. And it’s dangerous.” What I would like to talk about today is baptism by fire, a.k.a. God is on the loose in the world and it is dangerous. I will focus on the gospel reading as my text.
The phrase, baptism by fire, has many meanings. In the military, it refers to a soldier’s first experience under fire in battle. We all have seen newsreels and movies showing boatloads of soldiers disembarking onto the shores of Normandy, only to be thrusted into the midst of enemy fire. In the work place, baptism by fire means being thrown into a very difficult situation for the first time, left to sink or swim. I remember my baptism by fire as a newly graduated nurse. It was my very first day on the job at a major medical center. I was assigned to a surgical floor with sick children who had just returned from surgery. On that first day, we were taking a tour of the ward to which I was assigned when all of a sudden, a young woman ran out into the hall asking me for help. I went into the room and she pointed to a young teenager who had just stopped breathing. I looked at the child and then looked at the woman and said: “Go get a nurse.” She looked at me puzzled and then I realized that I was the nurse. Fortunately, there was an ambu “resuscitation” bag at the bedside, allowing me to begin artificial respiration, while instructing the woman to run to the front desk and call a code.
In religious terms, baptism by fire has something to do with the work of the Holy Spirit imparted through baptism. However, there are many interpretations (within religious circles) of what that exactly means. Some believe that baptism by fire happens during a regular water baptism while others believe it happens later on in life. For the zealots, baptism by fire means martyrdom, or dying for the faith. The coliseum in Rome was one such place where many early Christians were killed for witnessing to their faith. This kind of martyrdom continues today in parts of Africa and Indonesia.
In more fundamentalist circles, baptism by fire means God’s judgment on those who do not repent or those who choose to live a life apart from God. These folks “know for certain” who will be committed to the fires of hell. For the mystic, baptism by fire is the purification process a person goes through in order to become more faithful, more righteous. An image that comes to mind is the purification process of silver or gold, which is placed in the hot furnace to get rid of the impurities. After a time in the fire, the dross that contaminates and hinders the precious metals from shining their bright luster, slowly oozes out of the metal. And so it is with the purification of the soul.
For charismatics, baptism by fire is the deeply-felt, personal experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit, thus moving the believer to a conversion of life. Sometimes, this kind of conversion experience is accompanied by certain gifts such as speaking in tongues, healing, or prophecy.
For Anglicans, well, most of us don’t usually talk about baptism by fire. It is simply too passionate and messy. In fact, I never studied the phrase in seminary nor do any of my biblical commentaries have much to say about it. Most of us inch towards the kingdom of God in an orderly fashion. Sometimes, we even inch backwards. We believe that in baptism, we are cleansed from sin, anointed by the Holy Spirit, and marked as Christ’s own forever. For some Anglicans, baptism by fire is like the slow, gentle burning of a candle, leading us into truth, bringing us into love, and enabling us to grow in the likeness of Christ. For others, baptism by fire is more like smoldering coals, flickering here and there but remaining lukewarm for the most part. It is only when the messiness of life is thrown onto the coals that things begin to burn brightly and get the believer’s attention.
Finally, there are some who have a deeply felt experience of the Holy Spirit, like a raging fire, a life changing experience, forcing them to step out of the crowd, willing to risk and strive for justice, peace, and the dignity of every human being.
Wherever you may be on this spectrum of interpretation, I think we all need to take baptism by fire very seriously. Where is the burning passion in your life and what are you doing with it? If God is on the loose in the world, what are you doing to partner with God in making this world a better place in which to live? Are you using your gifts for yourself or for the well being of the Kingdom of God? In Luke’s gospel, we are told that in Christ, we are baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. Does that fire and spirit play a significant part in your life and if not, why? What I find most interesting in today’s gospel is that it wasn’t until Jesus was in deep prayer (after his baptism) that he experienced the embrace of the Holy Spirit.
I believe that the Holy Spirit is ever present in the world. If we are not experiencing the empowering embrace of this Spirit, then maybe it is because our prayer life is dry. Maybe we have shut off the channels of grace in our lives. This is easy to do, given the demands and occupations of a busy life. Unfortunately, spirit-less life is devoid of joy and grace. It results in a world that is less than it could be. The Holy Spirit is not optional equipment for Christians. It is what gives us life and empowers us to be the people God wills for us to be. So how do we nurture and strengthen this fiery relationship with the Spirit? Like Jesus at his baptism, we need to engage in the spiritual disciplines: prayer, meditation, fasting, study, simplicity, solitude, submission, service, confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. And while these spiritual disciplines do not control the Holy Spirit, they do open up channels to receive the grace so that the fire can burn within us.
Today is the first Sunday after Epiphany. Epiphany means manifestation and it is marked by the story of the magi who came from the East and discovered the Light that had come into the world in the Christ child. It is marked by the baptism of Jesus who while he was praying, the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him, empowering him for ministry. It marks the time when God is on the loose in the world. By the time the season of Epiphany comes around, most people have taken down the Christmas tree, put away the lights, wrapped up the creche, and tidied up the house. And while the season of Christmas may be officially over, the work of Christmas has just begun. In a wonderful poem, Howard Thurman, (minister and civil rights leader) talked about this work of Christmas:
“When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.”
“Almighty and merciful God, grant that by the indwelling of your Holy Spirit, we may be enlightened and strengthened for your service, through Christ our Lord.” [BCP 251]
| Updated 01/03/07 |
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