We Become the Words that Form Us; A Baptismal Sermon on Prevenient Grace

13 Pentecost, Cp15,August 18, 2013

Jeremiah 23:23-29  Psalm 82

Hebrews 12:1 – 14  Luke 12:49-56

  Everyone take a deep breath?  Why do we breathe?  We need oxygen to live.  We take it into our lungs and it goes into our blood and carried throughout our body.  So air becomes us when we breathe.

  Why do we eat and drink?  We need food and drink to run our bodies just like a car needs gas to run.

  When we eat and drink, food and water become us.  So if you’ve eaten lots of pizza, how come you don’t look like a pizza? 

  Well, pizza gets changed into energy; pizza has sugar, fats, carbohydrates and protein and these are the kinds of fuel that we need to make our bodies healthy.

  So we become our breath and we become our food and drink.

  Do you know what else we become?

  We become our words.

  We don’t eat or drink words.  We don’t breathe words but we do hear words and we read words.

  And words go inside us  and they make and they form us.  We become words.  Words educate us and teach us.  Words take over our bodies because our bodies speak a language through our actions.  If I hit you with my fist, what is my body saying to you?  If I hug you or smile at you what is my body saying to you?

  Today, we are baptizing Hailey and we are promising to help form her life by the words that we give to her.  The words that we give to Hailey will become her.  So it is very important that we give Hailey our very best words because we want to help her become the very best person that she can become.

  What good words are we giving to Hailey today?  First we are telling her that God loves her and cares for her and so we are going to love and care for her too.  We are telling her that God forgives her so that she does not have to be perfect from the start of her life.  We are telling her that God has given her some very special gifts that she can develop and when she finds her gifts she will help make us better.  We are telling her that her life has special meaning and purpose.  We are telling her that she has freedom and that she can choose many wonderful things in life.

  Hailey can not understand all words yet but she can already understand the body language of the people who care for her.  She can see their smiles; she can feel their touch; she can know that people who love her are giving her food and bathing her and protecting her.  Hailey is already receiving the good body language of the people in her life.

  So do you see how Hailey is becoming the words that she comes to hear and take in?

  You and I are the words that we take in.  We need to take in good words so that we give out good words to Hailey and to each other so that we help each other perform the best body language of all.  The language of love and care for each other.

  So this is what we’re doing today.  We are promising to give Hailey and each other the best words in life.  Why?  Because we become the words of our lives and we want to become the very best words of life.  And we become the very best words in life when practice love and kindness and care.

  Let us say together: Hailey, we give you our very best words today.

We give you love.  We give you kindness.  We give you care.  Welcome to the family of Christ.  Amen.