Worship at Abiding Presence

I had a great time preaching and leading worship at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Burke, VA this weekend. I have been a member of this congregation for 21 years, and am so thankful for the faith formation I received with, in, and from this community. Here is a manuscript of the sermon I delivered (more or less). I also chose to use powerpoint, and would love to hear feedback about the images (whether they were a distraction or an enhancement) from anyone who was there. Please share your comments and questions, I'd love to hear from you!.

I was talking with my grandmother at the beginning of the week, and I asked her what her plans were for the weekend. She told me that there were two movies they wanted to go see, “It’s Complicated” and “Avatar”. I could more or less understand wanting to see “It’s Complicated”, because I know they really like Meryl Streep, and I know my grandmother is pretty good at convincing my grandfather to see any movie she wants to see, but I was really surprised to hear that “Avatar” was on their list of movies to see as well. [p] Now, I don’t really follow what’s happening at the movies, or in pop culture at all for that matter…but I know that “Avatar” is the latest 3-D film, and I’ve heard it’s pretty good. But somewhere, somehow, I had gotten the impression that it was more a movie for younger generations. [p] Frankly, I was surprised my grandparents had even heard about it. So, I asked my grandmother why they were interested in seeing it.

My grandmother went on and on about the reviews the movie had received, and about everything her friends had said about it. She reported that her friends said that the special effects were so good that “they make you forget you’re sitting in a movie theatre, and make you feel like you’re right there”. She claims that when a character in the movie is flying around through the air, you feel like you’re flying too. And when someone is galloping through the jungle, you feel as though you’re right there too. [p] Now I’ve heard that the movie also has a great plot, and good actors, but her main draw to the film is the special effects, and the way they promise to pull the viewer into the movie and make you feel like you’re part of the story as well.

The fascination we seem to have with being “present”, or at least feeling like we’re present, in a fantasy world kind of surprises me, but I think it speaks to our acknowledgement of the power that is found in physical presence. We like to feel like we’re part of a story, whatever the story may be, and feeling like we’re physically present in the story seems to make us feel like we’re a part of it. [p] While “Avatar” may be the latest, and perhaps greatest, adventure in 3-D worlds that promise “come alive” to the audience, my grandmother reminded me that we’ve been creating 3-D movies for quite some time. She recalled the 3-D movies of the past, and the cool red-and-blue bi-colored glasses that went with them. A little bit of research revealed that the quest to create films 3-d films, where the audience felt as though they were physically present with the characters in the story began as early as 1890!

From the very first 3-D feature film, the “Power of Love” in 1922 until, and I’m sure beyond, “Avatar”, filmmakers and computer science engineers have strived to perfect the technology necessary to make the audience feel as though they are part of the story, like they are participants in it. [p] I maintain that this quest is powered by our acknowledgement of the power of presence, and our belief that the story is much more interesting if we feel as though we are a part of it.
In today’s text from the Gospel of Luke, we encounter two important examples of the power of presence—and not a virtual or 3-D presence, but real, live, can’t-be-created-by-even-the-most-sophisticated-technology presence. [p] In today’s Gospel, we hear of the power of the presence of Jesus coming to the people to be baptized, and we hear of the power of the presence of the Holy Spirit descending in bodily form, like a dove, upon Jesus.

We are told in today’s Gospel reading that the people were questioning in their hearts whether John could be the long-awaited Messiah. John, knowing their questions, tells the crowds that no, he is not the Messiah, but that one, even more powerful than he, is coming. As John has promised, Jesus does come to be physically present with the people. And not only does Jesus come, but he is also baptized alongside of them.

Remember that John offered and proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins: these crowds had come to John to be baptized because they knew that they were sinners, and they sought forgiveness. Jesus, who was himself without sin, had no need for forgiveness, or for John’s baptism, but chose to be present with these people at their baptism, and chose to be baptized alongside side of them. [p] Jesus’ physical presence with the people at their baptism testifies to Jesus’ commitment and devotion to the people, as well as his desire to physically experience everything—birth, baptism, life, and death—that his people experienced.
We encounter the second example of the power of presence in this text after the baptism of Jesus and the crowds, when, as Jesus “was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove”. [p] The Holy Spirit has certainly been at work in Luke’s Gospel before Jesus’ baptism, but it is not until this moment that the Spirit is said to come directly and specifically to Jesus. [p] The Spirit has helped prepare the way, and the people, for Jesus’ birth and ministry, but this is the first time that the Spirit is made present, in a very physical way, to Jesus.

It is after the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus that a voice from heaven declares “You are my Son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased”. [p] The physical presence of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life affirms Jesus’ identity as the Son of God, and affirms God’s approval of Jesus. Giving Jesus, whom the angels have already declared to be the Messiah and Savior, a stamp of approval may seem a little odd, perhaps a little superfluous. [p] But if Jesus is indeed fully human, and if Jesus shares all of our human desires, as the Scriptures say he does, then we can imagine that some part of Jesus needed to hear that he was pleasing in the eyes of his Father. [p] Isn’t that what we all want to know? In the depths of our hearts, don’t we all want to know that we’re okay, that we count for something, that we are loved? [p] I believe that we do all need to know that we are “okay”, that we are even “good”, and I believe that Jesus needed to hear this message as well. [p]

And Jesus did hear this message. Anointed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, Jesus hears these words of affirmation and, after receiving this anointing and affirmation, he is able to begin his work of teaching, caring for the sick, welcoming the outcast, and tending to the poor. [p] By the power of the presence of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ identity is affirmed, and he is equipped to carry out his earthly mission.

[p] The affirmation Jesus receives after the Holy Spirit powerfully descends upon him is something which I long to hear. [p] While the idea of the Holy Spirit descending upon me in bodily form like a dove seems strange, and makes me a little uncomfortable, to be honest, I would love to see the heavens open and hear a voice saying “You, Caitlin, are my daughter, my beloved. With you I am well pleased” or even simply “Caitlin, I recognize you! I know who you are, and with you I’m not too upset!” [p] As strong as our faith may be, I believe we would all love to hear God speaking directly to us, calling us by name, and declaring that we are loved, that we are worth something. [p] Hearing this voice would surely remove any doubts we have about God, right? I think we would all love to be pulled into this story in such strong, real way that we could clearly hear the voice from heaven calling to us “You—_________, _________, ________, _________, you are my Child, my beloved, and with you I am well pleased.”

Well, perhaps if technology continues to progress at the rate it’s progressing, in a decade or two, maybe we will be able to put on some special glasses, sit in a movie theatre, and hear God calling to us each individually, or at least feel as though we hear God calling to each of us. If the creators of “Avatar” can make my grandparents feel as though they are galloping through the jungle, or flying around the planet of Pandora, perhaps they can make us all feel as though a voice from heaven is calling out to us, affirming our identity, and our worth in God’s eyes, and inviting us into God’s story. [p]

Of course, I don’t really think that’s going to happen. [p] And the truth of the matter is that it doesn’t need to. [p] The truth of the matter is that God has already provided a way for us to hear God’s voice calling to us, and a way for us to be drawn into the story. [p] God has provided a way for us not only to feel as though we’re part of the plot, part of the God’s promises, but God has provided a way for each of us to actually be a part of the plot, a part of God’s story—and it doesn’t require any special glasses or computer animation.

[p] God invites us into God’s story through the freely and abundantly given gifts of water and Word. Through the sacrament of Holy Baptism, we receive the power of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and we receive affirmation of our identity as beloved children of God. [p] As we are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we are set free from the power of sin and death, and raised up to live in new life with Christ. In baptism, we are made acceptable to God, we are named as a Child of God, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and marked with the cross of Christ forever—in baptism, we receive God’s words of approval for all eternity.
Through the water and the Word, we are able to hear “__________, __________, _________, ___________, you are my Child, my beloved. With you I am well pleased”. Through the water and the Word, we are drawn into Jesus, and standing with Jesus, we, too, receive the gift of the power of the Holy Spirit. And just as the presence of the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus for his ministry, so too does the Spirit empower us for our ministry. As the Spirit provided Jesus with the gifts He needed to bring about healing, provide hope, teach and share God’s love, so too does the Spirit provide us with the gifts we need to share the healing, hope, and love that God has first revealed to each of us in Jesus Christ.

I don’t doubt my grandmother when she says that the new technology, computer animation, and special effects of Avatar are unlike any we have seen before. I believe her when she claims that the animation and visuals are so good that you really feel like you’re present in the story, and I respect her desire, our desire, to feel physically present in these fantasy worlds some times. [p] But I give thanks that, through water and the Word, God has provided each of us with a way to actually be live participants in God’s story, in God’s world, in God’s real world. Through these elements, God has called us by name, God has called us beloved, and God has given us God’s approval.

While the event of baptism is itself a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the gifts God gives to us in our baptism are good for our entire lives, and we are invited and encouraged to remember these gifts each and every day. Every time we encounter water—whether it’s as we wash our faces, get caught in the rain, or clean the dinner dishes—we are invited to remember our baptism and to remember the affirmation we have received from God through our baptism. We are invited to remember God’s promise to be physically present in our lives, and God’s invitation to participate, through the power, calling, and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, in God’s story, in God’s world. And that’s an invitation that will never be out-dated, old fashioned, or surpassed by new technology. Thanks be to God. Amen.