Jacob and Jaden will be baptized this morning – they will be initiated fully into St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. But most of us know that they are already at the heart of this worshipping congregation – they are central participants in our Sunday School program, Jaden is one of our regular ushers at the 10am service, and Jacob is one of our acolytes. And of course we know their Dads – Pete and JD, they both usher, and Pete is also one of our acolytes and Eucharistic Ministers. Additionally, Pete has twice been our chaperone to the Diocesan Acolyte Festival. Having this baptism here today is the best Father’s Day gift for all of us.
On Sundays that we have baptisms I am always interested in what the lectionary readings are because somehow I feel like they are portents into the life of faith that the person who will be baptized will live out – and this Sunday we could not have had better readings.
In our Old Testament Lesson we hear God ask “is there anything too wonderful for the Lord?” The question implies that the life of faith, if we can be so bold, brings wonderful, meaningful people and events into our lives – that may well be unexpected and miraculous. And in the Epistle reading we hear this beautiful promise of hope. That even when we suffer, and things are hard and challenging, God makes meaning in them – that our hardship produces endurance, and our endurances produces character and our character produces hope. That is, we are not lessened by our hardships, we are, conversely, made stronger.
But what I want to focus on just for a moment is the Gospel. This reading about Jesus sending the disciples out into the world to heal those who are sick, and to give people hope, love, and all the magnificent things that are a part of the Kingdom of God. But he tells them don’t take a lot of stuff with you – do not be weighed down by too many clothes, money and equipment. Make due. Don’t over pack.
And to me this just sounds terrible – I don’t know about you but I am the kind of person who likes to be prepared. And I have to say – I don’t think I was always like this – but my step-father – who has been my step-father for 30 years on this very day – is a man who is always prepared. He does not leave home without pen and a piece of paper in breast pocket, a handkerchief, and a pocket knife. When I got my first car he gave me a AAA membership, and a duffle bag to put in the trunk with jumper cables, a sweater, blanket, flashlight, flares, money, and trail mix. He always made sure I had money in my pocket when I left the house and if it was winter I was not allowed to leave the house without a coat. Nothing says I love you more than the gift that will keep you from freezing and starving in a snowy Vermont ditch. I am now my step-father’s step-daughter and follow his example with my own children. I think I would fail the Jesus packing list code. I want to be ready for every contingency.
But the truth is we don’t need all that much which I was reminded of yesterday when I spent the better part of the day helping my daughter pack for camp – she is about to hike 200 miles in the Maine wilderness. And she is taking very little with her because pretty much what she packs, she carries. One frame pack full of what she needs for 23 days.
When I read this passage from Matthew’s gospel, of the prohibitions of what the disciples are to carry, I always assumed it was about hardship, and relying on God for all our needs. And while this is all true, this time when I read this passage, I heard it differently. I read it to say “you are enough and you have enough”. And what I read between the lines is that you do not need to be a different person to serve God. You do not need to have specialist training to serve God. You do not need to have a bunch of the right clothes and equipment to serve God. You can serve God in your daily life because God will send you people and situations in which you can serve God and demonstrate God’s glory – right now – whether you are 10 years old or 100 years old.
I was reminded of this this week when I was listening to a recorded meditation by an Irish meditation teacher named Tony Brady and he said, as soon as you wake up in the morning, and you see the first person of the day, ask yourself how may I serve them? How can I show compassion for them? And if you ask those questions first thing in the morning, you will be setting your day from the get go to serve.
And what I will say/would like to say to Jacob and Jaden, is that it may seem like you have to be an adult to serve – but service can happen as soon as you are able to look someone in the eye and ask them “how are you?” or, “can I help you with that?” or tell them “ let me open that door for you,” (as I must confess I have seen and heard both Jacob and Jaden do on many occasions. These are all acts of service. This is saying to another person you matter and I care. Never underestimate the importance of common and daily courtesies. They are saying – “for this moment of time I will put myself in second place, to not go through the door first, not to take the last free seat, not to notice you because it is inconvenient, and, frankly, I am more interested in something else and busy.” And these common courtesies can turn into an amazing life of making this world a kinder, more equal, loving place.
But service is a delicate balance. When you are baptized you make all sorts of really important promises – some of, what I would call, “sustenance” and some I would call “service”. You promise to turn to the lord in all things and to turn away from all that is not good for your soul. You promise when you do wrong – to bring it to the Lord and get a new start. You promise to come to church and receive communion and to pray, and to take part in the community. You also promise to serve others and to work for justice and equality, and to respect the dignity of every human being. In a nutshell, you promise both to be fed, and to serve.
Too end, I would like to say, my prayer for Jacob and Jaden, and for all of us, is that they/you will always know the church forever as your home – a place where you are loved, valued and cherished and that you will always find purpose and meaning in going out into the world to love your neighbor as yourself and to seek to serve Christ in each and every person you meet.
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