Creekside Church Sermon of June 12, 2005 "Let's Hear a Nice Round of Applause" Matthew 3:13-17	Rev. David Bibbee
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Peter Gomes is the campus minister at Harvard. He counseled an undergraduate couple that wanted to be baptized. After much prayer and discussion with the couple, he agreed to do it. The problem was, they wanted to be immersed, and the Harvard Chapel had no baptistery. As they thought about where to go, it occurred to them that Walden Pond was a special place for them. So, one October afternoon they went to Walden with blankets, a Bible, and privacy, for who would be there on a late October afternoon?

They entered the chilled water, Gomes offered a few words of testimony, and immersed them both, and when the second one came up, there was a big burst of applause. A large group of people came out of the woods, fascinated by what they were seeing. They had seen strange things on Walden Pond before, but noting like this. Gomes figured he should give some word of explanation in case anyone was thinking about calling the cops. Gomes told the curious onlookers that baptism is what Christians do to make a profession of faith. He quoted a little scripture, they scratched their heads and said, "Well, it looks like fun," and away they went.

A private moment became public. A profession of faith became an unexpected witness. But who witnessed Jesus' baptism? The Bible suggests it was an intensely personal experience. There is no mention of curious onlookers. Matthew says Jesus saw the heavens open and the Spirit descend upon him like a dove. He heard a voice say, "This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased." It was like overhearing God voice pride in his son to someone else, but who? To the angels and all the heavenly hosts, the cherubim and seraphim singing their praise, the Holy Spirit in the dove, that's who. They watched Jesus give his life to God and to God's work.

Imagine the sound of hands and wings clapping a great round of heavenly applause. The joy of heaven is unleashed when a lost sheep is found or a prodigal comes home. Heavenly applause is heard whenever people come back to the purpose for which God created them in the first place-to love him, be loved by him, and to do his work. Seeing baptism this way makes applause a far more fitting response than welcoming a new Christian into God's kingdom, by shaking their hand and giving them a box of offering envelopes.

Today, Samantha, Katy, Rebecca, and Tim are coming home to God, and baptism is what gets them there. Before the get on their way, they will get washed up… not in the sense of failure "washed-up failures, but as in being clean. Being cleaned of the power of sin needs more than a symbol of three flicks of a sprinkle on the forehead. A good washing requires getting wet from head to toe.

In the process of getting washed up, they will also move from death to life. In the Bible, the water is associated with danger and death. The sea is where the monster Leviathan and evil spirits lived. The great biblical stories of deliverance happen at sea. NOAH was adrift forty days and nights, wondering if he would ever see land again. At his own insistence, JONAH was thrown overboard during a raging storm and became fish food. The DISCIPLE'S boat was on the verge of sinking in a storm while Jesus lay on the deck, sleeping like a rock. For Noah, land appeared. Jonah was regurgitated on a beach. For the disciples, Jesus calmed the storm. All were delivered from the waters of death.

Last Sunday's text from Ephesians said, "We who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death." Not too comforting in and of itself until we remember that when we die with him, we also rise with him.

Soon our children will be washed, die, and be raised. And something else is in store for them. They will receive the Holy Spirit. It won't be symbolized with water, but with oil. We will lay our hands upon them, and pray for the Holy Spirit to rule over them so no one else will lay a hand on them. Sam, Katy, Becca, and Tim will be CONSECRATED. God will have them back and remind them they were created good… to do good. Baptism pulls them out of the crowd to do God a definite service.

As Brethren, we say the new Christian is ordained for ministry. With this in mind, let me tell you about a growing tradition involving the ordination of priests in some Catholic churches. The congregation affirms the ordination of the new priest by… you guessed it-- applause. Their applause expresses their unity in faith and their affirmation of the one has called to the ministry.

At the close of worship we sometimes sing: "You shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and the hills will break forth before you. There will be shouts of joy and all the trees of the field will clap, will clap their hands…" I don't know if we will hear this cathedral of trees that surrounds us breaking into applause.

But I do know it would be great to hear a round of applause for God who has called out Samantha Cooper, Katy McFadden, Rebecca McFadden, and Tim Mastic to be new disciples of Jesus Christ. Let's hear it!

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