November 20, 2005 - Baptism / Membership Sunday
We are called to be God’s “sheep” in the world – to serve and be served by the Shepherd who cares, protects, and leads. How are we to be God’s sheep? How have the lessons in this season called you to serve Christ through meeting one another’s needs? How have they called you to see Christ in one another and to be Christ for one another? In what ways might the reign of Christ become visible through us for all the world to see?
Reception of New Members by Transfer, Profession & Reaffirmation of Faith
Jane: We now welcome into this congregation persons who are already members of the United Church of Canada and have served within another congregation or who rejoin us through profession of faith or reaffirmation of faith.
I present to you: Flora Gaub, Kim Hanson, Tara Johnson, Bryan Meakin, Grace Roth, Jackie Schlenker, Jim & Thea Toogood so that they may be received into membership within this congregation.
by Rev. James K. Farrell
Today is the last Sunday in the long "Season After Pentecost" and the last Sunday in the Church Year. It is called "Reign of Christ" Sunday. It is also a day when we hear stories of God's special concern for the "little ones" of the world.
We begin with the book of
Ezekiel, where the weak and oppressed are "fed with justice" (NRSV). This is
picked up in Paul's letter to the Ephesians which you are invited to read for
yourself and wherein we are reminded of the central Christian story of Jesus as
"the rejected and despised one" who God raised from death. Finally we hear one of the
most well-known and controversial stories found in any of the Gospels. The story
of the final judgment and the King who identifies with "the least of these
little ones." These stories turn normal
expectations upside down. They help us dare to take confident steps towards a
new world where all are fed with God's justice! Today churches around the
world are celebrating Reign of Christ Sunday. In Canada, many churches will also
be celebrating Children's Sunday. Advocates for children could not ask for a
more appropriate set of readings to help them put forward their concerns. Let's be open to the needs
of Christ in the lives of these "little ones" in our communities and our world. Also today, we embrace as a
congregation the commitments we make to help families raise little ones in a
world that is increasingly losing its way. The four little miracles
that we welcomed today will be growing up in a world that is far removed from
the world that many of us grew up in. The thought of gunman entering a church in
Canada and opening fire during a funeral service I could never have conceived as
possible in my lifetime. We have heard of such things in 3rd world
countries but here in Canada—unthinkable! Yet this week it became a reality.
Gang violence is no respecter of persons or even churches it would seem. Into this world these babies
will grow and they will need more than video games and violent TV shows to help
them find their way to becoming compassionate and caring persons. They will need
the tenets of the faith that has helped people grow into responsible, faithful
living for centuries. We can't hope that they
will magically know how to grow into doing justice, loving kindness and living
mercifully… they will need to be taught to live into the love of God that we
have learned to find in the person of Christ Jesus. Is it a possible dream? I
am encouraged by the commitments made this day by these adult believers who have
chosen to affirm yet again the reason for the hope that lies within them. If
there is hope for these little ones it is in the promise of these not so little
ones to assist in being the village that raises these children. Our hope is sure our faith
is fixed on the author and perfector of our faith, Jesus Christ. Together, young and no so
young can work together to vision a future that is not terrifying but filled
with the hope and peace that Jesus offers. Jesus' parables were tough
at times: Dumb sheep and clueless goats don't know they are doing good or ill.
Both have acted out of the quality of their faith. Can you remember any time
when you did something good and never thought of the reward? If so, how come you still
remember it? Jesus calls for faithful
living without thought of reward. Perhaps we need to ask if
this is realistic? We need not read into or
beyond the parable but need to understand that if we can pay attention to the
loving. The living will take care of itself. Forget rewards and
punishment. That is not the matter here to be fixed upon. Rather good teaching,
good wrestling with matters of the faith that encourage us to be all that we can
be in Christ Jesus. That is what today is all
about…it is what the Reign of Christ Sunday is all about and what Baptism is
about… As for baptism: both the
mysterious act of God's grace and the commitments made by this community of God
are crucial to what it means to be co-creators with God. In short, it is what
committed membership is all about…taking church life serious enough to share in
all its facets. The German Monk, Martin
Luther said, there is one cataclysmic moment in our Christian lives and that
moment is our baptism and that particular moment is to be lived out 'anew' each
day! Day by day we are called to be reconverted to God's way. Yesterday's
conversion isn't enough. Conversion has no shelf life, because after one day it
turns into self-righteousness. Luther's wisdom? Begin with God—the rest will
follow. That's what today is. A
beginning on the last Sunday of the Christian year. We all begin anew as we do
every Sunday…every day…taking those baby steps with God because it is the only
way! Amen.