A Sermon by The Rev. Dan Rondeau

Perspective

The Rev. Dan Rondeau

St. Margaret's Episcopal Church & School

"Thanks to the Lord and call upon His name known among the peoples see that they remember that His name is exalted."

I ask for a show of hands how many people saw the font and said "oh, no." Looked at their watch right away, how long is this going to take? And then I hope that that was just a fleeting thought - go right through your mind - and then said "what a great thing, we’re going to have a baptism today." Well, the truth be told, the baptism was at 8 o’clock. We actually had families with infants at 8 o’clock service and so Charles and Kristie Porter presented their daughter, Addison Grace Porter to be baptized just an hour or so ago. We baptized her, welcomed her into our family and it should be obvious by now that the readings were chosen with the theme of baptism in mind, also we’re honoring graduates who somehow got split up, that wasn’t the plan but somehow it will work --- honoring graduates who have completed part of the journey and are about, with God’s Blessing, to initiate a new part of their journey. As well, we are going to remember some who have started a new ministry here a little bit later in the service.

So all of this sort of conspired together to, on this Sunday which is also Father’s Day. And the first part of what I want to address to you is on perspective -- one perspective is to look at the font and say "o.k. how long is this going to take?" Another is to say that we are welcoming a new member into the family -- and what I want to suggest is that we are faithful.

As you’ve heard the readings this morning, we’re faithful. So take that issue of perspective, how many of you were here, I think it was called the "big hole." It was just scooped out earth that was getting ready for construction. That was one perspective. You had to imagine what the structure would look like, and then came girders and beams and stuff - and it was a little hard to imagine how all of that was going together to become a sanctuary - a space to worship God -- and when it was built, of course it is magnificent

You can see that it is laid out in a "cruciform." That is, it’s laid out in the form of a cross. If your perspective is going up or down on Highway 74 or even if you are pulling into the parking lot, that perspective that this is a cruciform building is not there -- you can’t see that it’s a cruciform building. So perspective does make a difference. Over in our Fellowship Hall there is a picture, at some point someone flying over this in a small airplane, took a picture. And from that perspective, this structure is magnificent, you clearly see the cruciform, you see the cross. I understand from those who have had the privilege of flying over in a small plane at night and the building lit from within, as the light shines from the skylight into the sky, it’s really dramatic. So perspective really does make a difference - and I hope in the fellowship time, you will see that aerial picture of our church and see how big a cross this is on our landscape.

Perspective does make a difference. So back to baptism, the perspective, how long - if you take the long view what we do here frequently, in terms of baptizing stretches back one person at a time, one moment at a time, one year at a time, one mile at a time. Stretches back from this font, all the way back to the Word of God. To the words recorded by Matthew that once long ago, on a mountain top, Jesus gathered on a mountain top with 11 and commissioned them to go from that mountain top, preaching and teaching, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and assured them as they left that mountain top, that He would be with them.

From that perspective, when we gather around this font, we stretch all the way to that mountain top in Galilee, we are with the 11 hearing Jesus say, "go into all the world, the whole world, preaching and teaching and baptizing." It is an assumed mystery that stretches between this font and that mountain top in Galilee. Stretches back from 2007 to that day that Jesus gathered with the 11 and it’s quite a privilege to be here to be able to baptize people like Addison Porter earlier this morning. From that perspective, I hope you understand as a family, we are faithful.

Going back to my words in January, called, and chosen, and gifted and loved, we are called to hear the story as recorded by Matthew. Called to here it over and over again, called to hear that in our generation we are here gathered to baptize. We are to go into the world, preaching and teaching. We’re chosen to be a living reminder of this story. It didn’t die on that mountain top long ago. It’s alive in you and me. Alive in our graduates as they go out from here to the adventures that lie next. We’re chosen to be a living reminder of God’s grace and as you heard the apostle, we’re gifted. We’re gifted first with faith to be able to hear the story and go into the world and then each of us has unique gifts and at least two of our graduates are going to share their gifts of voice with us later in this ceremony. And they have gifted us in other ways too. As teachers, we are called chosen, gifted and love, and each of you I know, witnesses that to our graduates. Witnesses that those who come to worship with us, witness that to each other.

Roger summarized it in this way. For all that has been; thanks, thanks for Jesus on that mountain top, thanks for the 11 who heard that message and thank you for the 11 who left that mountain top, preaching and teaching. Each of us coming here with fathers and grandfathers or uncles; men who in our lives passed on the faith to us, for that has been; thanks. For all that will be; for the story doesn’t end here.

One of my favorite prayers, shared with you in January written by Richard of Chit Cheshire, the second part of that, "almost merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may we see you more clearly, love you more dearly, follow you more nearly, day by day." We’re faithful, remember that.

Graduates, in a few minutes, we’re going to honor you and that’s a joyful moment for us and hope it’s a proud moment for you and I’m pretty sure it’s a proud moment for your parents, but each of participates in some small way in that, and we’re glad. Our prayers today, the prayers of the people, are actually a thanksgiving prayer for lay ministry, men and women who use their gifts to serve others. So, as you hear those prayers as you stand with us, my hope is that it will be an extension of the Apostle’s reading that you’ve heard this morning from Ephesians. Everyone graced, everyone gifted, everyone called to share that with others so that the body of Christ will be built up. I hope as you hear the prayers that we share for you specifically, as you participate with us in the prayers that we share from this pulpit, you will be reminded that you are indeed gifted and blessed. You are gifted. I believe that, your parents believe that, this community believes that, I pray that you will believe that. And I pray too that each of you will continue to do what you have done among us; share those gifts, share those gifts with others, to all of you, let the prayers of this morning be an invitation and an inspiration. You who have chosen some ministry, just by your example witness to our graduates, may you be invited to continue along that path, may you be inspired to continue along that path, -- may you understand how this connects you to the Apostle Paul , his letter to the Ephesians -- you’re part of a living story in what you do and what you say does make a difference and as you see our graduates before you, I hope you understand how big a difference it makes.

Graduates, we believe that you have more to offer, more to offer us, more to offer the new communities that you will join shortly, as you grow in grace and wisdom. You’re going to receive a gift from us, a prayer book that has a Bible in it. I hope that as you receive that and picture this moment, as you remember the font was in place here, to take the long perspective, one that you are a faithful part of a living story. That you were called and chosen and gifted and loved, not only here, but wherever you go.

Once again, I love the little refrain, "for all that has been; thanks. For all that will be, yes."

So, graduates if you would come forward at this time and Shivaun if you will come forward and help me with this part -- not all of our graduates are here they are already busy -- can you believe that? Yes, so if you’ll come and stand in front of the altar here. Again, the gift you are about to receive, the Book of Common Prayer, the book, the prayer of our family, and you’re part of our family no matter where you end up in the next week or month or year. I hope that you’ll see that the prayer is a common prayer, common to all of us here no matter where you are those prayers are for you. And the Bible in a way is a family album, it has snapshots, people like Paul , like Jesus, like the 11 that were there; snapshots and now you are a part of that, a part of that family album, you’re part of that living story so I hope as you pick up the prayer book and Bible you will be reminded of this moment, people who are wishing you well, God’s praying you well, and you will go with God’s Grace into the future. So the prayer that Shivaun is about to give you is from our baptismal service, it not only gives thanks for the gift of the waters of baptism and hopefully give you direction in the days to come. And so Shivaun if you will offer this prayer for our graduates: those who are here present, and those who are working, Let us prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and by the Holy Spirit, you have bestowed upon your children the forgiveness of sins and have raised them to the new life of Grace, sustain them oh Lord in your Holy Spirit and renew in them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and persevere, a spirit to know and to love you and the gift of joy and wonder in all your work. Amen.

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