26 July 1998
Today we have the privilege at each service of welcoming a new member into the household of God. At the 8 o'clock service we welcome an adult, Shannon Flemer, and at the 10 o'clock we welcome a little toddler girl, Samantha Garcia. Shannon comes with her husband and her little daughter, who have both been baptized, and Samantha is brought by her mother and father; so today two families bring their loved ones to join our church family. And our church family is part of God's larger family.
Clearly there is a Head of this family. One not far removed not just some old man on a fluffy cloud way far up in the sky but accessible, one who hears.
In fact, in our Old Testament reading, Abraham contends haggles with God. Abraham is respectful, but persistent. God has decided to destroy the city, but Abraham bargains hard. Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? He even dares to admonish God: Far be it from you to do such a thing... Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?
God agrees, but Abraham is far from ready to quit. Let me take it upon myself to speak to the LORD, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five? God agrees to the new lower number. But Abraham persists, keeping his foot in that open door. Suppose forty are found there. That works, and Abraham comes back for more. Oh do not let the LORD be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there. Again God answers yes. And Abraham continues to negotiate: Let me take it upon myself to speak to the LORD. Suppose twenty are found there. That works. And Abraham comes back yet again: Oh do not let the LORD be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there. And God agrees one more time. And then the Bible says, And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham. One wonders if He wasn't greatly relieved to escape at that point!
But the point is that God did hear and answer. When Abraham came knocking (perhaps banging would be a better word for it!) , God opened the door to conversation and a new direction.
That is also the point of the story Jesus tells the disciples about prayer in the Gospel reading. Again, someone comes knocking on what seems originally to be a closed door, but eventually that door is opened. Jesus says, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
The door will be opened. Will what is on the other side always fit our preconceived notions of what we'd like to see? Not necessarily. But the door will open. Even the tiniest, most timid knocking will be heard. And when we cannot even muster the strength for that, we can take heart from Romans 8, which reminds us that we are members of, and have an Advocate within, the family of God: For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba, Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God...
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
So part of the "moral of the story" in both the Old Testament and Gospel readings today is to keep on knocking! To keep on being in conversation with God, and there will be a response.
But there is also the other side, which also brings these two families today: God also knocks on our doors, the doors of our inmost hearts. Recently a friend gave me a book about religious artwork, and one of the stories was about the famous painting of Christ standing at a door knocking. The book notes that the door has no outside latch it must be opened from the inside. Christ comes and knocks at the door, but does not force it open. He waits for us to open to Him. And when we do, he welcomes us into the family.
Baptism is an important step in that process. Our catechism tells us that Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ's Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God....
The inward and spiritual grace in Baptism is union with Christ in his death and resurrection, birth into God's family the Church, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit.
In a few minutes, in preparation for the baptism, you will be asked, Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support this person in her life in Christ? That's part of welcoming. And the answer we will give is a NICE LOUD SOLID YES! Individuals are baptized, but they are baptized in the context of our community, and it is our job as the community to support each other in our journeys of faith.
After the baptism, you will be asked to welcome the newly baptized.
May that welcome be warm, true, and ongoing, full of the open doors and open hearts given to us by the movement of God in and through all of our lives.
When we knock, God answers. The Refrain in our bulletin for today says, When I called, you answered me: O Lord, your love endures for ever.
When God knocks, let us answer in love, for God and for each other and for all God's children, that reflects the love we have been so generously given.
And now we celebrate the opening of the door of Baptism.
[Genesis 18:20-33; Psalm 138; Colossians 2:6-15; Luke 11:1-13]
The Rev. Lois Hart
26 July 98