“Water and Spirit”
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22; Acts 8:14-17 (January 12, 2025)
I guess you may have heard that this year marks an historic milestone for Anabaptists. It’s been 500 years since the beginning of this movement that we Mennonites are a part of.
Last Sunday our guest speaker, Ken Bechtel, reminded us of the characters and stories that shaped our past. Those early days were tumultuous times – for the church, and for society as a whole. Back then, being true to your conscience might actually cost you your life.
But our scripture for today takes us back even further. Today we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. And it’s this baptism which all churches hold dear.
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Baptism marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus has left his early years behind. Now he’s ready to launch into something new: his God-given mission to proclaim the Reign of God, inviting people into a new community shaped by repentance and the renewal of God’s Spirit.
“I baptize you with water,” says John the Baptist. “But he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” What I want to talk about today is the importance of the Spirit in our life of faith.
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Imagine Jesus, standing there in the Jordan River, dripping wet. Notice that he’s praying. And as he prays heaven above is opened. The Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus like a dove. And a voice from heaven affirms his identity as God’s beloved Son.
There’s no explicit description of the Holy Trinity in scripture. But this is one of those biblical passages that points toward it.
Here we have the heavenly Father, whose voice resounds from on high. And the Holy Spirit who arrives to be present with Jesus here on earth. And the beloved Son who prays to the Father and receives the Spirit.
So … Father, Son and Holy Spirit communing together in the fellowship of prayer. It’s a snapshot of God’s very being.
The Spirit is an expression of God that resists easy definition. So when I say I want to speak about the Spirit’s importance in our life of faith, I know I’m taking on a bit of a challenge.
Here the Spirit appears like a dove, in bodily form. Which at least gives us something to visualize.
But Spirit is not always visible. The very word Spirit, in both biblical languages (Hebrew and Greek) means wind or breath.
Jesus said, “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)
In other words, there is mystery to this. The Holy Ghost is intangible, ephemeral.
As we think of baptism and our own incorporation into the community of Jesus’ followers, what role does the Spirit play? Has the Spirit of God descended upon you, as it did upon Jesus?
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In our second passage from the book of Acts, we see the gospel spreading beyond Jerusalem to the region of Samaria. Philip had proclaimed the Good News and they believed it! They were baptized in the name of Jesus.
Just one thing remained. The Spirit, we are told, had not yet come upon them. So the apostles prayed. And then they laid their hands upon them. And the Spirit came!
Apparently baptism, apart from the Spirit of God, is not enough! If God isn’t in us and among us, renewing us from the inside out, well what use is immersing, or dipping, or pouring or sprinkling – or any of it?
Baptism isn’t all up to us. It also involves the work of God. It is a divine act of grace.
So I want you to think about your baptism, if you can remember. Was it something more than empty ritual, a formality, a church tradition? Something that happened once but now has been set aside? What’s going on with baptism anyway?
Jesus said, “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” (John 3:5) There it is again – Spirit matters!
So is the Spirit of God working in you? And if so, how would you know?
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I want to mention four things today about the mysterious work of God’s Spirit. And the first is this: The Spirit is something in us that prompts a movement toward God.
Without the Spirit moving in our lives, none of us would have any inkling about faith. The Spirit works in us before we know a thing. The Spirit draws us to Jesus.
When I go for a hike I sometimes look down at my legs and find these bothersome burrs attached. I didn’t even realize they were there!
But somehow, as I walked through the grass and vegetation, they found me. And when they did, they grabbed hold. They’re persistent! You’ve got to really work to get rid of them.
And it strikes me that’s a lot like the presence of the Spirit. Can we ever get rid of God?
Before I knew anything about Jesus, the Spirit of God was preparing my heart, creating a space, nurturing curiosity and desire.
The Spirit is that niggling something within all of us that won’t ever let go. It sticks to us, reminding us who we are. And so it leads us closer, ever closer, to Jesus.
The Spirit is God working in our lives – to bring us into that loving community with God, and others who are also part of this fellowship of faith.
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The Spirit prompts. And the Spirit is also something within us that empowers. The Spirit strengthened and equipped Jesus, guiding him in all that would follow.
We know there would be many challenges for Jesus. Immediately after his baptism, he was led by the Spirit in the wilderness where he faced temptation.
Being faithful to God does not always make life easier. That’s not part of the deal. Hard times come to everyone. The only way through is to rely on a power greater than ourselves.
The Spirit empowered Jesus for ministry. Later, his disciples found they were gifted with the Spirit too!
The story is told of a man who walked into a hardware store after a windstorm had taken down a number of trees on his property. The salesperson said, “I have just the saw for you, guaranteed to cut up 10 trees a day.”
But the next day the man came back to complain. “I only managed to cut up three trees. You said it could handle ten!”
The salesperson was confused. He assured the man it was their finest saw. He took it, set the choke, pulled the cord and revved the throttle.
“Hold on,” said the man. “What’s all that noise?”
We can do some things by ourselves, but unless the Holy Spirit is part of our lives we won’t be living up to our full potential.
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The Spirit prompts. The Spirit empowers. And the Spirit is also something in us that reveals.
The Spirit enables us to see new things. To understand our lives and the world around us in a new way.
Our scripture reading today is remarkable. Because none of the believers in Jerusalem ever expected a Samaritan to receive the word of God. Yet that’s what happened!
You know the history between Jews and Samaritans. Tensions and hostilities went back hundreds of years. The Jews of Jerusalem considered the people of Samaria to be racially impure and theologically heretical.
When word arrives that Philip’s mission to the Samaritans had borne fruit, they could hardly believe it: “I mean, why would he go there in the first place?” They send Peter and John to investigate.
The Spirit is always leading us in new ways. It was a stretch for the early church to embrace an ever-widening circle of God’s people.
And here we are, early in a new year, on the cusp of a new beginning. I wonder, where will the Spirit lead us next on our journey?
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The Spirit prompts, empowers, reveals. And finally, the Spirit is something in us that transforms our living. It changes us!
One of the great theologians of the previous century, Karl Barth, used to speak of the church as reformed and always re-forming. Semper reformanda.
One reforming of our lives is never enough.
You accepted Christ as your Saviour, and that was good, and you began to grow. But are you growing now? Is there anything that’s changing in your faith or in your life?
It’s one thing for the church to have gone through a reformation 500 years ago. But are we open to reformation now? Do we expect further changes – in our understanding, in our practice. In our discipleship?
God isn’t finished with us, you know! The Spirit is still moving in our midst.
And the only way for the church to change is as each one of us opens our lives more fully to the Spirit’s life Because, after all, the church is us.
And only as we welcome that transforming, re-shaping and renewing wind of God that brings about a new creation … Only as we allow the flame of the Spirit to burn away the chaff and purify what is good and holy … Only then will our collective community of faith be renewed.
In what ways are you being invited to grow and change and become more fully the person God desires you to be? Can you name one way? Take a moment and think about that. Maybe write it down on your bulletin.
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The Spirit prompts, empowers, reveals, transforms. But how do any of us receive this Spirit?
I want you to notice that both our scripture readings today emphasize the importance of prayer.
After his baptism, the Spirit of God descends upon Jesus as he prays. In the book of Acts, the Spirit comes upon the Samaritans as the apostles Peter and John pray for them and lay their hands upon them.
Jesus said, “If you who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” (Luke 11:13)
To receive the Spirit, maybe all we need to do is ask. Take Jesus at his word. Pray. And trust that it will happen.
Today, as we remember Jesus’ baptism, and our own, let’s pray for the Spirit to continue to be present in our lives! Amen.
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“Who sees it?”
Luke 2:21-38 (December 29, 2024)
Merry Christmas everyone! I say that, because it’s still Christmas. Maybe not Christmas day … 
But do you remember that old English carol, “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me …” It goes on forever! The song recognizes 12 days in the Christmas season.
It was lovely to have our service at Bethany Manor on Christmas Day. But what about today? Is this morning a kind of anti-climax? Is Christmas finished?
Perhaps some of you were wondering if you should come to church at all. Or just stay home, rest up and recover from all the hoopla. I can hardly blame you for that. All these celebrations can be exhausting.
But I’m here to tell you that the work of God isn’t finished in a day. Or in seven days. Or a hundred-thousand days! God is moving in our world! The saving, redeeming, healing, peace-making, community-building, work of God goes on. And guess what? We can be part of it!
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The Catholic priest and writer, Andrew Greely, has something important to say about our celebration of Christmas:
“Perhaps the hardest thing to remember about Christmas is this,” he writes. “It celebrates the incarnation, not just the nativity. The incarnation is an on-going process of salvation, while the nativity is the once-for-all-historical event of Bethlehem. God continues to take flesh in our midst, in the men and women and children who form his body today. And the birth we celebrate is not just the past historical event but Christ’s continuing birth in his members.”[1]
Did you hear that? It’s not only about a birth long ago. It’s about the ongoing incarnation of Christ, God taking on our flesh and blood. And continuing to dwell in our midst by the power of the Holy Spirit. “Christ in you,” writes the apostle Paul, “the hope of glory!” (Colossians 1:27)
So where do you see that presence in the world? In whom does Christ continue to be embodied? Where is God’s saving power at work?
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I should pause here, to give you an update on our status as grandparents. There’s still no baby in our family. Our daughter, Katie, has yet to give birth. She’s now one day past her due date. We’re all still waiting.
But of course life goes on, even as we wait. The children who’ve already arrived need to be cared for. Giving birth is a big thing. But it’s not the only thing! It’s just the beginning. After birth comes the real work of parenting.
How do we care for this gift of new life? How do we treasure it, nurture it, encourage it to grow and thrive? In this Christmas season, how do we treasure the life of God’s reign that comes to our world in Jesus? How do we tend to its flourishing within us and among us?
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In our scripture reading, Mary and Joseph bring their infant child to the temple, honouring the traditions of their Jewish faith. They were typical of any young family, I suppose. But when they arrive at the temple, two people see something very different.
I’m talking about Simeon and Anna. Before I tell you about them, have a look at this picture from the front cover of the bulletin. The artist, Kelly Latimore, asks, “Who are the saints that are among us here and now? Where is Christ present right in our own backyards?”[2]
This image is her take on a modern-day presentation story. It’s humble, folksy. Mary and Jospeh are pictured as peasant farmers, from Central America. The pair of turtle doves to be offered in sacrifice become roosters tucked under Joseph’s arms. The temple is re-imagined as the humble village church. Anna and Simeon are elderly neighbours, greeting them at the door.
It all seems so very ordinary. And yet it absolutely isn’t! There is, after all, holiness and divine presence at the birth of every child.
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In our story, Simeon and Anna have eyes to see how special Jesus is.
Simeon was a righteous man, a person of prayer. “The Holy Spirit rested on him.” The Spirit had given him assurance that before his life ended, he would see the Messiah, God’s anointed ruler. “Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple.” And guess what? It just happened to coincide with the arrival of Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus!
When he saw them, the old man, who’d been waiting for this very moment, took Jesus into his arms. His face lit up! His heart was filled with praise! “Now, Lord, I can go in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation! Here it is, shining like a light for everyone to see.” And he means everyone – Jews and gentiles, the whole of God’s blessed humanity.
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Then there is Anna. Scripture calls her a prophet, which means one who speaks the God-given truth. We need people like that, don’t we?
She spends hours in the temple, fasting and praying. Scripture says “she never left the temple but worshipped there night and day.” Both Simeon and Anna are “seekers” who want to know God’s way.
Anna sees this child. And praises God! She announces Jesus’ true identity to any who will listen. “Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere …”
Did folks in the temple think she was crazy? Who is this wizened woman, babbling nonsense about an ordinary baby? Best give her a wide berth.
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Simeon and Anna, two wise and faithful elders who clearly see the presence of God at work in the world. Even when others may not.
The temple was the centre of religious life. But not everyone there had visions of the Almighty. Life went on from day to day. And this day was very much like any other. Expectation was low. The surrounding circumstances were dismal. Life was hard for all but a few in Roman occupied Palestine.
Can we see the presence of God in our lives, even when all around is dark and dismal?
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There’s a poem by Mary Oliver, titled “Sometimes.” It’s a reflection on a variety of things she observes: death, God, sunflowers, thunderstorms, love … The poem does not flow easily. Nor does it make complete sense to me. I will have to sit with it a little longer, I think.
Yet at the very centre of her poem, written in italics, plain and clear as day, there is this:
“Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”[3]
Isn’t that what a poet does? Poets pay attention. They notice things in the world around them. Important things, astonishing things. Then they lift them up in words and images and offer them to the rest of us, hoping that we will catch a glimpse of something too.
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Ignatius Loyola was a Spanish Basque soldier, who was seriously wounded in battle. During his convalescence, he experienced a religious conversion.
As founder of the Jesuit order, he was especially concerned with the formation of faith in the members of his community. So he developed a set of what he called “Spiritual Exercises”.
There is one form of prayer that he thought was particularly important. Even if you can do nothing else, he said, at least do this: At the end of the day, be still. Take time to recall what has taken place. And name those places where Christ has been present. Write them down in a diary.
The whole point is to help us become more in tune with God’s presence in our lives. And to be grateful for that! Because otherwise, we would miss it. And we would go through life unaware of the presence of Christ dwelling so near in ourselves and in others.
Don’t just let your life pass by! Each and every day, ask that your eyes may be opened. Notice the blessings of God.
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Pay attention. Be astounded, says Mary Oliver. Because life really is a most amazing thing! An awesome gift.
Sometimes I think there’s not a lot of awe left in the world. In our desacralized time, drained of holiness, filled instead with all kinds of superficial things – not God. Things that take us farther away from God …
Notice. Be astounded!
Then talk about it. Don’t just keep it to yourself. Tell others what you see. Because only as we speak and share and point and write and offer our vision to the world can others see it too.
How else will our children, or our grandchildren, ever know about these things we treasure?
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Reflecting on this passage, Karoline Lewis, a professor at Luther Seminary in Minneapolis, notes how Simeon and Anna both shared what they saw in Jesus. They didn’t hold it in. They opened their mouths and out it came, as simply and naturally as can be. It wasn’t forced. They bore witness. They couldn’t help it!
Some of us, says Lewis, find it easy to share news about the latest restaurant we may have visited. But when it comes to the really important things in life, deep matters of soul and spirit, we hesitate. Why is that, I wonder?
Pay attention. Be astounded. Talk about it. Be poets. And prophets. Be Annas and Simeons. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!”
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I guess that’s what our story today invites us to do. When the light of the world comes to us … whenever we catch even a glimpse of it out the corner of our eye, let’s stop and take it in. Let’s embrace this new life that’s come into our world. Hold it tenderly. Treasure it.
And don’t keep it to yourself! Hold it out for others. Bear witness to the reign of God in word and deed.
Let God’s life continue to flourish and grow – in you, in all creation. May gratitude be in your heart and praise be on your lips, today and always. Amen.
[1] Fr. Andrew Greely, quoted in email list from Imago Dei Christian Communities, December 26, 2024.
[2] Kelly Latimore, https://kellylatimoreicons.com/pages/about, Accessed December 27, 2024.
[3] This poem appeared in Red Bird by Mary Oliver, published by Beacon Press, 2008. Shared here: https://readalittlepoetry.com/2014/09/10/sometimes-by-mary-oliver/, Accessed Dec. 26, 2024.
“Embodying God’s Spirit”
Luke 1:26-45 (December 22, 2024)
Lindsay and I are expecting the imminent arrival of our fourth grandchild. Which is hard to believe because, when I first came three years ago, we had none, zero. Since then, however, things have changed.
If you happened to see our daughter Katie, last Sunday, you may have noticed. She’s certainly not small! The due date is December 28th – for what it’s worth. Really, it could happen any time. We’ll keep you posted.
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https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=59104 [retrieved December 16, 2024]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giotto,_Lower_Church_Assisi,_The_Visitation_01.jpg." width="340" height="86" />
Our scripture reading for today features two pregnant women – Elizabeth and Mary.
Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah, had been serving in the temple when an angel of the Lord appeared to him. For years, they’d been praying, waiting, hoping for a child. Now this angel announces their prayers have been heard! When he goes home, Elizabeth gets pregnant, and the story of John the Baptist begins.
Mary’s story also starts with a visiting angel, who greets her and tells her she is favoured. The Lord is with her!
The angel explains that she’s been chosen to have a special child. And that her relative, Elizabeth, is already six months pregnant. “Nothing,” said the angel, “will be impossible with God.”
Mary hi-tails it to the hill country. She knocks on the door of Elizabeth’s home, and when it opens she sees one very pregnant woman standing there before her.
It’s true, what the angel said. This God is working in the lives of two ordinary women in a very extra-ordinary way!
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Two women, Elizabeth and Mary. They share a special bond. I’m reminded of our first pregnancy. Lindsay and I were a young couple. My long-time friend and his wife were also expecting.
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I remember them visiting in our home. And these two women standing in front of each other, bellies protruding, faces smiling. It was a happy time for all of us!
The women shared their challenges of being pregnant, their hopes for how and when these children would be born. It was a point of connection.
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Any shared experience can be like that. When you first move into a place, maybe there’s another newcomer, and you discover you have some things in common.
I remember being in hospital, several years ago. It was a worrying time. I’d just had surgery for cancer. My doctor was not only a skilled surgeon, but a caring human being.
One day he came into my room. “There’s someone I want you to meet,” he said. He walked me down the hall, and introduced me to another man, a little older, who’d just had the same operation.
The next few days we visited back and forth, talking about what we knew and what we didn’t know, and finding encouragement and strength in our growing friendship.
I’m thankful for that connection. Whatever we’re going through in life, companionship with others makes it so much easier.
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https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=49490 [retrieved November 29, 2024]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pontormo-visitation-after-restorationRGB.jpg." width="324" height="90" />
At first glance, Mary and her kinswomen Elizabeth, appear as two very different people. Mary is quite young. Probably a teenager. Elizabeth is much older. Her hair is grey and wrinkles mark her face.
Elizabeth, for years, had borne the shame of being barren. In that particular time and place, having children was expected. And when it didn’t happen, people wondered why. “It must be the women’s fault,” they said. “Cursed by God,” they assumed.
Mary, on the other hand, is scandalously pregnant! It’s something completely unplanned, and not by the one she’s betrothed to. Her trouble is of a different sort. If word ever got out, well … talk about shame! She could be stoned to death.
Two different women. Two very different circumstances. Both pregnant. In both of them, the mysterious power of God is at work! That’s the key! The Holy Spirit moving in their lives. New life, given by God, coming to be.
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I think there are two miracles to celebrate this morning. The first is what Christmas is all about: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
The second person of the Holy Trinity, which is to say God’s own self, found a place in the life of Mary. God entered our world, fully and completely. The Creator of all became part of creation!
There’s a great mystery here, as we ponder how this could ever be. That divinity would clothe itself with human flesh and blood! That the Almighty would set aside power and might, accepting the limitations of earthly time and space. Walking with us. Entering into our joys and sorrows. Emptying self to become servant of all!
Now that’s a miracle, if ever there was one!
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Emmanuel, God with us. Whatever we go through, God is neither distant nor far away. Jesus reveals the presence of God among us, bringing down to earth the love of our Creator. Healing our brokenness and division and hostility. Embracing and reconciling. Redeeming us from sin. Loving us – just as we are!
It begins with Mary being open to the angel of God, offering her consent, saying “Yes! … Let it be with me according to your word.”
Thank goodness for Mary. Thank goodness for Jesus. Thank goodness for the Spirit that brings new life.
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That’s one miracle, the most important one, by far. Christmas celebrates the incarnation of God.
But there’s a second miracle. Can you see it? It’s right there in front of us … in the person of Elizabeth. The Holy Spirit is working in her life too! Her child will bear witness to Jesus.
I love that place in the story, when Elizabeth opens the door of her home and Mary is standing there. And suddenly the child within Elizabeth leaps for joy!
I guess all mothers feel their babies kicking and moving around. But the timing of this is uncanny! Just as Jesus appears, tiny, unborn, John gives an extra-urgent push against the womb.
Then, Spirit-filled Elizabeth prophecies: “Blessed are you, Mary! And blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
She opens the door and welcomes Mary in. Elderly Elizabeth, who couldn’t have a baby (or so it was said), opens her dwelling to this young woman who is pregnant (much too early, before her marriage is complete).
Elizabeth shelters Mary from the gossip of her home-town neighbours, who may be wagging their chins and pointing fingers.
There’s a bond between these two. Borne of pregnancy, and family relationship. And the Spirit! They lived together for three months. That’s a lot of time! Rising in the morning, doing household chores throughout the day, spending long evenings together. Talking, sharing, wondering, hoping.
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Tell me this? Who walks with you on your journey of faith? Who is your spiritual companion?
Is this easier for women, than for men? Some of us do tend to keep things more to ourselves. All I know is that every one of us needs a friend. None of us are meant to walk through life alone.
Who helps you make sense of strange things? Whose door do you knock on? Whose door could you knock on? With whom do you share your secrets? Who would you trust with precious things?
Companionship is a great and wondrous gift! I think it’s the second miracle in the story. Just as the life of God came to dwell in the womb of Mary. So the Spirit indwells Elizabeth. The love of God seeks to becomes embodied in our human flesh and blood.
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The church, we say, is the “body of Christ.” Something like a second incarnation. We are all baptized, says the apostle Paul, by the Spirit of God, into one body. (1 Corinthians 12:13)
And this body is amazing in all its diversity! No more Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free. These parochial identities we cling to, slowly disappear. We are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
The church is no mere social club. The Church is a community created by God. Birthed anew. Spirit-filled, we’re called to follow Jesus.
In our story today, older Elizabeth embraces younger Mary. I love this intergenerational mingling. Young and old together. Two different women. Yet both are bursting with new life. Both have allowed the Spirit of God to work within them.
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Two miracles! The incarnation of God in Jesus. And the ongoing embodiment of God’s Spirit in the wider community of faith.
One of our home-grown Saskatchewan theologians, Ron Rolheiser, has written of our need for “a God with skin on,” that is, a God who is physically real and touchable. This is such an important part of what it means to be human.
As members of the body of Christ, we ourselves have a part to play in presenting God to the world. Made in his image, “we are entrusted to reflect all that he is: love, grace, peace, joy, kindness, mercy, justice, hope, acceptance, inclusion, healing, goodness.”[1]
A listening ear, a caring touch, a hot casserole, a plate of cookies, a phone call, a visit, a card, a prayer, a ride to an appointment, a simple smile. In all these ways, we can represent the “God with skin on.”
Like Elizabeth and Mary, we are companions on the journey of faith. The Spirit of God is working in them … and in us!
Thanks be to God for these wondrous gifts we receive and celebrate at Christmas!
[1] Mandy Bayton, “‘God with skin on’: Learning to live as the body of Christ,” https://www.christiantoday.com/article/god-with-skin-on-learning-to-live-as-the-body-of-christ/131062.htm, Accessed December 19, 2024.
