J. Barry Vaughn. The
baptism of Carellen Marie Graham. Christ Church Episcopal, Las Vegas, NV, Dec.
22, 2013.
Today we are baptizing
Carellen Marie Graham. I am going to explain baptism to her, but the rest of
you are invited to listen, too.
Carellen, I want to begin
with a quotation from one of the most important and best-known theologians of
the 20th century:
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to great
places!
You’re off and away!
The theologian, of course,
is Dr. Seuss. Somehow I doubt that his doctorate was in theology, because most
theologians I know would have to write an entire book to say what he says in
only four lines. But it’s hard to find a better explanation of baptism than Dr.
Seuss’s book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great
sights!
You’ll join the high
fliers
Who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind
because you’ll have speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang
and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll
be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will
top all the rest.
Carellen, today is the day
you launch out into a sea of adventure. Or (to repeat what Dr. Seuss says)
You’re off to great
places!
You’re off and away!
Don’t let anyone tell you
that the Christian life is safe and peaceful. In baptism your ship sets sail
and you leave the safe harbor behind and sail into adventure and adversity.
That may sound a little scary but remember this: you will never be alone. Look
around you. Everyone here is going along with you on that adventure. Today you
become part of what someone called “one family with a billion names.” Today you
acquire millions of new brothers and sisters on every continent, every
nationality, and every race. And especially remember that whether your ship
sails into the storm or the calm, Jesus is going with you on your journey
through life.
Carellen, we have several
gifts for you: First, here is a baptismal certificate. I’ve made it large
deliberately. I wanted it to be about the same size as the certificate priests
receive when they are ordained, because the most important ordination anyone
receives is the ordination all of us receive in baptism. In baptism, Carellen,
you are ordained into the priesthood all Christians share. All baptized persons
are ordained to proclaim the Good News; we are all ordained to reach out to the
lost and lonely, the hungry and the hurt; we are ordained to lift ourselves and
others into the healing and transforming presence of God through prayer.
Second, I will take some
water from the baptismal font and put it in a bottle for you to keep. Remember,
Carellen, that while life is always good, it is not always fun. Or as Dr. Seuss
puts it
I’m sorry to say so
But sadly, it’s true
That Bang-ups
And Hang-ups
Can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
In a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang can fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the
Lurch
With an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
That you’ll be in a Slump
And when you’re in a Slump,
You’re not much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
Is not easily done.
All of us go through
slumps, Carellen, but baptism gives us the resources to deal with slumps.
That’s why I’m giving you some of the baptismal water to take home. When you
find yourself in a slump, look at the water in this bottle, and remind yourself
that were baptized. In baptism you are given the gift of the Holy Spirit and
the Spirit can lift us out of any slump.
Third, we are giving you
this t-shirt. This t shirt is the equivalent of the white garment that people
in the early church wore for 50 days after their baptism. But on the front of
this t shirt it says that you are a Christian, a child of God, an heir of the
kingdom of Heaven; a disciple of Jesus; and a member of God’s royal priesthood.
All your life, people will try to make you forget who you are. They will try to
make you think you are something other than and less than the person God made
you to be. Don’t let them do that. A former bishop of Alabama used to say to
the people he confirmed, “Remember who you are and what you represent.” This
shirt will help you do that.
Fourth, when we go to the
font, Bonnie will light a candle from the Paschal candle and give it to you.
You’re supposed to burn it every year on the anniversary of your baptism. The
candle will remind you of the light that burns brightly inside you. You may not
always see that light, but it is always there. All of us go through dark places
from time to time, and when you do, light your baptismal candle and remember
that God’s light is burning in your heart.
Finally, we are giving you
a cross. Most Christian churches have crosses inside or outside or both.
There’s a large cross on top of our bell tower and many crosses inside. The
cross has many meanings. But the most important meaning of the cross is that it
tells us that God can take the worst possible thing that can happen to us and
turn it into something glorious. The cross is also a sign that shows us the way
to go when we get lost.
Sometimes, Dr. Seuss says
You’ll come to a place
where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted.
But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain
both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to go out? Do
you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How
much can you win?
And IF you go in, should
you turn left or right…
Or
right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and
sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m
afraid you will find.
For a mind-maker-upper to
make up his mind .
There’s a story about a little
girl who got lost in a big city. Fortunately, a policeman found her and walked
around the neighborhood with her, hoping that she would see a landmark.
Finally, they stopped in front of a big building with a cross on top, and the
little girl's face lit up, and she said, “It’s OK, officer, this is my church.
I can find my way home from here.”
Carellen, when you come to
that “place where the streets are not marked” (and all of us find ourselves
there from time to time), look for the cross and look for the church. The cross
will point you the way, and the church is full of people who will help you find
your way home.
You’ll get mixed up, of
course,
As you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
With many strange birds as
you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great
tact
And remember that Life’s
A Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be
dexterous and deft.
And never mix up
your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent
guaranteed.)
Amen.
