Mark 1:4-11
One of my quirks, if you want to call it that, is that I think people should play by the rules. Whether it is a board game or card game, sport or hobby; whether it is following a mask mandate or self-quarantining, I believe that people should follow the rules. That is only fair and just and reasonable. Following rules – obeying laws – is how we maintain order in our society and peace in our homes.
We all operate within a number of covenants, or agreements, or sets of rules. A covenant may be defined as a binding and solemn agreement to do or keep from doing a specified thing (Webster’s Dictionary). It is also a kind of formal contract. There is the Covenant of Marriage, in which partners make certain promises or vows to each other. There are contracts that are made between individuals or businesses in which certain things are to be done, whether construction or repairs.
There is also a covenant between citizens and the government, most obviously seen in the United States Constitution. The Constitution promises certain things to citizens: according to the Preamble, we are insured Domestic Tranquility, Common Defense, General Welfare, and the Blessings of Liberty. In return, citizens agree to abide by the laws and principles laid out in the Constitution. And for over 200 years, this covenant has worked.
On Wednesday, we saw that covenant attacked by a violent mob who occupied the United States Capitol. They were there to protest the certification of the election results by the Congress, one of the oldest rites or duties that they perform. Because their candidate did not win the election, the mob was there to try and overturn the results of the election. This is a serious violation of the rule of government laid out in the Constitution. We have a means of providing for a president every four years, and that process was followed. When a group or party does not win an election, they are not to try and change the results through force. That is not how our country works. Covenants only work when people follow the rules; and the Constitution only works when citizens agree to follow its procedures.
This morning we celebrate another covenant: the Baptismal Covenant. According to our United Methodist Book of Worship, “The Baptismal Covenant is God’s word to us, proclaiming our adoption by grace, and our word to God, promising our response of faith and love. Those within the covenant constitute the community we call the Church…” Through baptism, “we are incorporated into the Church, which is the body of Christ, and made one in Christ. Because baptism initiates us into Christ’s whole Church and not only into a denomination, United Methodists recognize all Christian baptisms and look upon baptism as something that should unite, rather than divide, Christians.” “Baptism is an act that looks back with gratitude on what God’s grace has already accomplished, it is here and now an act of God’s grace, and it looks forward to what God’s grace will accomplish in the future. While baptism signifies the whole working of God’s grace, much that it signifies … will need to happen during the course of a lifetime.”
In the Baptismal Covenant, candidates (or parents), make certain promises to God, and receive certain promises from God. In baptism, as in any sacrament, we receive God’s grace and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. And we renounce evil and wickedness, agree to be a part of God’s inclusive church, and agree to support the church. The congregation also makes certain promises to God and to the candidates, agreeing to support the candidate (or parents) in their development in the Christian faith, to nurture them, and to uphold them.
Periodically, we are encouraged to reaffirm our Baptismal Covenant. That happens whenever we have baptisms that take place during worship. And it also happens on other special occasions, such as the day we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. That day happens to be today! In today’s worship service you can find the rite for the renewal of our Baptismal Covenant.
I really like what Mary N. Pugh wrote about baptism in the Connections commentary: “Baptism is about love! It is given to the church as a way to express God’s love to all people who seek it. It is the entry way to the church, yes, but it is primarily and always an expression of God’s profound love. No matter who we are, we may be baptized. No matter what we do after we are baptized, we are still baptized. God’s love does not rub off when we are badly behaved.”
We could all do with a dose of God’s love today. We would do well to remember the promises we make – or that were made for us – when we were baptized. And we should keep in mind the promises we make to support the church. Baptism calls us to a certain way of life, a certain quality of life. And it connects us with every Christian in the world in a huge family of faith. We receive God’s love. We live in God’s love. And we are to share God’s love by loving one another. That is how I look at the Baptismal Covenant.
