May
the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your
sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. AMEN.
Growing
up in rural Southside Virginia was not that different than living in Goodland,
KS. In order for us to get to a mall we
had to drive, either to Richmond or Lynchburg.
To find another Lutheran church we had to drive as well, so living here
on the prairies of Western Kansas is not that much of a stretch. However, in one town that was nearby named
Danville, it was over an hour drive by car and a church there had a gem that we
only visited at Christmas time. This
place was special, because it was the home and humble beginnings of what is
known today as Chrismons. Matter of
fact, even here at Emmanuel like many churches across the continent, we have a
tradition to hang Chrismons on our Christmas tree.
Just
as Esther Splattstosser and her husband and countless others in the past and
even now labored to create the beautiful ornaments, one specific one not only
connects with us today, but reminds us what we will be experiencing in the
coming weeks. The one ornament that is
so special is the Butterfly. In order to
more fully understand our Baptism and its connection with the Butterfly, let’s
pull out our bulletin insert and delve deeper into the Sacrament of
Baptism. Let’s read responsively the
answers to “What does such baptizing with water indicate?” and “Where is this
written?”. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism,
What does such baptizing with water
indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in
us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins
and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live
before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Where is this
written? St. Paul writes in Romans chapter six:
“We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order
that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,
we too may live a new life.” In
order to more fully understand our baptism, let us ask God to help us emerge in
righteousness and purity.
Gracious
God, through our baptism into Your life, death and resurrection, when we emerge
from being washed clean, we are forever changed. As we come closer to the celebration of Your
resurrection, may we be reminded that in our baptism we emerge as well as new
creatures redeemed by the blood of the lamb of God that takes away the sin of
the world. For these promises are made
for all of mankind, but especially all of us saints gathered here at Emmanuel
who emerged because of what You have done for each of us on the Cross. AMEN.
Before
us we have a butterfly to remind us, not only of the beauty of God’s creation,
but the connection of the grace offered when we emerge from the Water connected
to the Word in Holy Baptism. We emerge
as new creatures redeemed by the blood of the lamb of God that takes away the
sin of the world. Countless times in
scripture when Jesus Christ either heals someone from sickness, removes a demon
or evil spirit, the person emerges whole, unhindered and changed. This is the beauty of God impacting our lives
and touching us and changing us.
In
nature if you have ever seen a chrysalis and watched as a butterfly emerges
there is great struggle that is occurring.
And this is part of nature and God’s good order. Yet the reality is without the struggle the
butterfly would die. Why you might ask? Because the struggle of releasing itself
builds muscles that are necessary for the butterfly to fly and get nectar and
survive.
So
to in the Christian life we need to exercise our muscle of faith given to us in
our baptism and there are times where we need to struggle, like the butterfly.
Just as when we get out of a shower or bath or even a pool of water this summer
the first thing we do is wrap a towel around us to stay warm. When we emerge our bodies have changed from
its original state. So to in the
Christian life, when we emerge from baptism, like the butterfly we are a new
creature, a new creation. God in a clear
way has reached down into our lives and made us new and imparted unto us the
gift of the Holy Spirit in our baptism.
And
today as we come and gather around the altar and receive His precious Body and
Blood we receive the gifts of grace offered for each and every one of us. We exercise the muscle of faith given in
baptism and know that this was for each and every one of us. Jesus own words are extremely clear, given
and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins.
As we partake of the gift around the altar we receive life, salvation
and the promises God made to us with Water and Word in our Holy Baptism.
The
story is told when Lauren was a young girl that she had been baptized, but she
couldn’t remember the event. Like so
many people, she was baptized as an infant and raised in the church, gone
through confirmation and had become a ‘full member of the church’. But something was missing. She couldn’t put her finger on it, because
she had been a good Lutheran all of her life, involved in youth group, even
volunteered for Vacation Bible School and even went on mission trips to foreign
countries and attended youth retreats and outings. Yet, something was missing. Finally on one particular mission trip, when
the children she had played with during the week and taught the lessons of
Jesus and how He was the Savior of the world finally took on a concreteness.
One
little girl, simply known to her as Consuela, looked her in the eye and said, “I
want what you have.” Taken back by the
simple statement, Lauren said, “And what is that?” Consuela said, in her broken English and
clear accent “I want to be baptized. I
want to be God’s child.” Lauren knowing this
was a big decision agreed and they went and found the Pastor and proceeded to
have Consuela baptized. It was not just
the relationship that had emerged between the two, but the trust that God had
built between them that allowed the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be shared and for
Consuela to hear the Gospel and desire to be baptized.
With
that one experience, Lauren more fully understood and experienced how for
Consuela she emerged from the waters of Holy Baptism changed, made new and now
was a child of God. Even though she was
surrounded by poverty, Consuela had imparted to Lauren a greater understanding
of the greatest gift of faith with her baptism and the shared experience for
Lauren and the impact it had upon Consuela.
And Lauren finally understood that though baptized as an infant, her
muscle of faith was still active and God was using it clearly and unmistakably
to have an eternal impact.
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