Missionary Renegade: Normal Heights United Methodist Church from San Diego, California, United States with Reverend Brent Ross (Senior Pastor) "This Week in Worship: Baptism" for Thursday, 8 January 2015

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Normal Heights United Methodist Church from San Diego, California, United States with Reverend Brent Ross (Senior Pastor) "This Week in Worship: Baptism" for Thursday, 8 January 2015

What you'll find in this week's email:

This Week in Worship: Baptism
Faith on Tap: East County (Tonight! • 6:30p-8p)
Free Pancake Breakfast! (1/11 • 8:30a-9:45a)

I marry a lot of people every year. (Wait, scratch that…what I meant to write is that I perform a lot of weddings each year. Sorry for the confusion, Heather.) I likely perform 5-6 weddings a year and have been doing weddings for about 10 years. And one of the things I love the most about all of those weddings (besides getting to watch little old ladies dance to “Baby Got Back” at the reception) is how every wedding ceremony really reflects the relationship of the couple who are being joined. The couples with humorous, silly, light-hearted relationships reflect that in their ceremony and vows and event. While similarly, couples that are more serious or pensive have that “feel” to the event. I just marvel each time how much a couple’s relationship becomes crystalized in their wedding ceremony and ritual.

And really, this is what happens in ritual, liturgy or ceremony. These are always ways that “the spirit becomes flesh.” Rituals demonstrate or reveal what the relationship really is, and illustrates that to others. It takes the unseen and makes it seen. It puts into practice that which is as yet unspoken. Whether wedding, funeral, party or (as we will see this week) baptism, liturgy, and ritual show us who we are and what we hope to be.

And this week as I read our Scripture passage for Sunday, I was reminded of this in the context of baptism. In the story from the Book of Acts, we will meet several people who have different understandings of baptism. And although they are all members of the early church, some of their views on baptism indicate that they also have a different understanding of their relationship with God. Whether they view God as vengeful or punitive, it is really through a discussion about the meaning of baptism that they change their view of God.

That would be my prayer and hope for us this week as well. That we might, through the celebration of baptism with Elliot Sam Meduna and our discussion of its meaning, also allow our view of God to be expanded, adjusted, and changed. That we too, like those we will meet in the Scripture this week, would re-envision God’s grace in an even greater fashion so that once again the "spirit will be made flesh.” If you’d like to read our Scripture for Sunday, you can find it here.

Scripture Text Mark 19:1-7

Mark 19: Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord’s followers. 2 He asked them, “When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?”

“No!” they answered. “We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”

3 “Then why were you baptized?” Paul asked.

They answered, “Because of what John taught.”[a]

4 Paul replied, “John baptized people so that they would turn to God. But he also told them that someone else was coming, and that they should put their faith in him. Jesus is the one that John was talking about.” 5 After the people heard Paul say this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then Paul placed his hands on them. The Holy Spirit was given to them, and they spoke unknown languages and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in this group.

[Footnotes: 19.3 Then why were you baptized?. . . Because of what John taught: Or “In whose name were you baptized?. . . We were baptized in John’s name.”]

John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Mark 19:1-7

Verse 2

[2] He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

Have ye received the Holy Ghost? — The extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, as well as his sanctifying graces? We have not so much as heard - Whether there be any such gifts.

Verse 3

[3] And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

Into what were ye baptized — Into what dispensation? To the sealing of what doctrine? Into John's baptism - We were baptized by John and believe what he taught.

Verse 4

[4] Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

John baptized — That is, the whole baptism and preaching of John pointed at Christ. After this John is mentioned no more in the New Testament. Here he gives way to Christ altogether.

Verse 5

[5] When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And hearing this, they were baptized — By some other. Paul only laid his hands upon them.

They were baptized — They were baptized twice; but not with the same baptism. John did not administer that baptism which Christ afterward commanded, that is, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Sermon Story "Baptism" for Sunday, 11 January 2014 by Gary Lee Parker with Scripture Text Acts 19:1-7

I have heard this story over and over, but each time I get a different idea from this text. Here we have the Apostle Paul meeting some believers, but they had not heard of the Holy Spirit as well as being baptized by John. sometimes there is my wondering how they could have not heard of the Holy Spirit because when John baptized he also taught that there is someone coming after him who will baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire. We also have hear in the Scripture that Paul desire to baptize them again in the Name of Jesus. There is confusion because of the years since this was written and even in one of Paul's letter he states that there is only one baptism, plus Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19-20 was to baptize people in the threefold name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Now, today there is one denomination that only baptizes in the Name of Jesus while another does not even water baptize while most baptize in the threefold Name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Then there are some churches that only baptize adults in immersion while other churches baptize infants with either sprinkling, pouring or immersion. The churches that only baptize adults will re-baptize people who have been infant bapized for many reasons while infant baptism churches will not re-baptize similar the text from the Letter to the Ephesians while some reformers called the Anabaptist will freely rebaptize because they believe adult baptism is the only manner of baptism saying the John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan believing that he baptized by immersion, despite some of our movies, and Jesus was immersed when he was baptized. Which brings us to a question why Jesus was even baptized since John's baptism was for repentance and Jesus was without any sin because he is fully God as well as being fully human? Anyway, I am reminded of being raised in the Nazarene Church who believed in both infant baptism and and adult baptism with baptism being by sprinkling, poring, or immersion dependant upon the choice of the pastor and/or person being baotized. There was a family whose mother was baptized as an infant within the Methodist Church who had her first son being infant baptized in the Lutheran church while her other two children were not baptized because when she came back to the Lord in the Nazarene church the pastors only practiced themselves adult baptism by immersion, so the mother left it up to God and her other two children. The one child was baptized after she got married and joined the Methodist church while the last child was part of a Southern Baptist Church and was baptized as an adult by immersion. Whatever way one may believe, the key is to respect the other person's and church's personal conviction and practices. I am glad I am part of a church that does beleive in infant baptism as well as confirmation classes for the child so that they may take on their baptism for themselves in a confirmation ceremony and even a baptism remembrance. How do you understand baptism for yourself? How do you understand the reasoning for Jesus being baptized? How will live out your baptism if you have been baptized or desire to be baptized? May we sing the song "One Faith" by Michael Card & John Michael Talbot

1. He is the good Shepherd

And He’s laid down his life for His sheep

So out of many nations

He’s gathered one fold and one faith

2. And He has built His church

On the rock foundation of faith

On apostles and prophets

Who shepherd the people in His place

CHORUS: There is one faith, one hope, and one baptism

One God and Father of all

There is one church, one body, one life in the Spirit

Now given so freely to all

3. And He gave to Simon Peter

And to all the twelve

The keys of the Kingdom

So darkness shall never prevail

4. But some of the shepherds

Have pastured themselves on their sheep

So He has come out against them

And scattered His people of faith

CHORUS: There is one faith, one hope, and one baptism

One God and Father of all

There is one church, one body, one life in the Spirit

Now given so freely to all

5. In good pasture

He will shepherd His people

On the mountain top

He feeds His sheep

He will heal the poor and afflicted

To the prisoner He brings release

CHORUS: There is one faith, one hope, and one baptism

One God and Father of all

There is one church, one body, one life in the Spirit

Now given so freely to all

6. Yet He’ll not forsake His people

He’ll claim His sheep for His own

He’ll send out His Word to the nations

Regather His people back home

7. For He is the good Shepherd

He’s laid down His life for His sheep

So out of many nations

He’s gathered one fold and one faith

CHORUS: There is one faith, one hope, and one baptism

One God and Father of all

There is one church, one body, one life in the Spirit

Now given so freely to all

CHORUS: There is one faith, one hope, and one baptism

One God and Father of all

There is one church, one body, one life in the Spirit

Now given so freely to all

Our new East County chapter of “Faith on Tap” meets tonight! “Faith on Tap” is our monthly casual discussion group combining great beers with approachable discussions about theology and faith, and this month we will talk about the idea of “new beginnings” in our lives and the Bible. For more information and directions, please email Alisa Wentzel at sugie1980@gmail.com!

This Sunday, from 8:30a-9:45a, we have a free pancake breakfast! Come to serve, talk and eat! Start your Sunday stress-free, by letting us feed your family. Feel free to stick around and check out our Sunday School & Worship Service afterwards. If you’d like to help out with these breakfasts during any month, just email Nancy atnancy@nhunited.org!