The Danger of an Open Table: Reclaiming Biblical Sacramental Boundaries

• Baptism [00:33:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines baptism as a sacrament and rite of passage, discussing its meaning as a washing away of sin and entry into new life, and contrasts adult baptism (human choice) with infant baptism (God's initiative).
• The Baptism of Jesus [00:34:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor questions why Jesus, who is sinless, was baptized, noting the lack of dialogue in Mark's account and the ritual nature of John's baptism as removing residue from broken relationships with God.
• Scripture Reading ([Mark 1](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+1&version=KJV)) [00:28:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor introduces the Gospel of Mark reading regarding Jesus' baptism by John, providing context about their familial relationship and the significance of the event.
• Baptism and Identity [00:34:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explores why Jesus was baptized despite being sinless, concluding it was to join the community of sinners and confirm his identity as God's beloved, establishing a pattern for believers.
• Receiving Love vs. Performing Love [00:39:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that while serving others (like the Ardmore outreach) is good, the harder spiritual task is letting oneself be loved and known by God without fear.
• Unconditional Grace [00:45:41 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using illustrations of a dying man and a young pastor, the pastor emphasizes that God's love is not based on resumes, achievements, or worthiness, but is a gift spoken over us.
• Divine Love and Identity [00:48:27 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts a conditional understanding of God's love with the radical, unconditional truth that God is 'crazy about' believers, using a quote from a recovery group member.
• Inclusivity of Grace [00:49:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor expands the scope of God's love to include enemies and those disliked, asserting that Jesus' baptism signals that everyone is God's beloved without exception.
• Communion as Universal Invitation [00:54:55 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor clarifies that the communion table belongs to Jesus, not the congregation or denomination, thereby inviting all present regardless of status.

• Sermon Illustration [00:30:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts visiting an antique shop in Greensboro where he saw a stained glass window over a door depicting the Holy Spirit and the words 'we are baptized into his death and baptized into resurrection to new life,' which he loved so much he wished he had stolen it.
• Sermon Illustration [00:37:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts a pastoral visit to a dying man who, despite being weak and near death, immediately tried to 'join' the church by listing his civic achievements (Kiwanis, VFW) to prove he wouldn't be dead weight, illustrating the human tendency to earn belonging.
• Sermon Illustration [00:42:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > A story about Methodist ministers on retreat who were asked to find their names in the Bible; a young, promising pastor wept because he could not find his birth name in scripture, highlighting the struggle to find identity in God's eyes.
• Sermon Illustration [00:46:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > A quote from Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber explaining that God called Jesus 'beloved' before he did any miracles or proved his worth, illustrating that divine love is not contingent on performance.
• Sermon Illustration [00:47:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > An anecdote from a recovery group where an addict declares, 'God is crazy about me,' distinguishing between a polite, obligatory love and an overwhelming, transformative divine love.
• Sermon Illustration [00:48:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts a story from a recovery group meeting where a wise man stated, 'God is crazy about me,' contrasting it with the weaker sentiment that God loves him 'kind of' because He has to.

• Pastoral Charge [00:32:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor instructs the congregation to personally verify the scripture reference (Romans 6:3) mentioned in the sermon.
• Pastoral Charge [00:45:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor asks the congregation to internally receive and absorb the words of God's love.

[00:00:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:00:16] Yeah, I did, I did.
[00:00:17] I took my mother on the line.
[00:00:21] She grew up in Paris.
[00:00:24] And Susan said, now I'm going to go to Paris.
[00:00:26] Where is she going?
[00:00:27] In Paris.
[00:00:29] The only thing I'm saying is, I can't do all that.
[00:00:33] I'm not going to do all that.
[00:00:35] Every, every day.
[00:00:37] I'm going to do all that.
[00:00:53] Thank you.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]
[00:01:23] well hey good morning you guys we would invite you to stand as you're able and sing with us while you're singing along um if you could say a prayer that a pastor would show up would that be
[00:01:52] awesome. Did somebody tell him we're down here? Is he in the building? He's here? He didn't get

[00:02:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:02:05] cold feet and stay home? Excellent. You guys can grab a seat. Good morning everyone. It is with

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:06:41] great joy and excitement that I welcome you to worship service this morning and first thing I want to do is to introduce you to Reverend Kelly Carpenter. We're so happy and excited that he is
[00:06:53] here with us, and his wife Lynn is somewhere. I don't see her at the moment, but she will be joining us momentarily. But please join me in a round of applause welcoming Reverend Kelly.
[00:07:09] We look forward to great ministry with Kelly and many, many... Is it not working? It is on, yes.
[00:07:21] We look forward to great ministry with Kelly and many opportunities that he will have to be with us.
[00:07:27] I do want to let you know that Pastor Kelly wants to get to know each of us as individuals, and he would like to have a face-to-face meeting with each of us, one-on-one, if possible.
[00:07:39] So please call into the church office and make an appointment with Cheryl Vaughn to get on Kelly's calendar to meet with him for a few moments.
[00:07:47] He does want to get to know all of us individually, you know, who we are, about us, and why we are here at Ardmore.
[00:07:55] So, again, welcome, Kelly.
[00:07:58] A few announcements for this week.
[00:08:01] On Tuesday evening this week at 7 p.m., church council will meet.
[00:08:05] So if you're on church council, please plan to attend that meeting.
[00:08:10] Our clothing closet is really, really in need of any and all winter clothing.
[00:08:17] A more important need would be children's winter coats.
[00:08:21] But any and all winter clothing is certainly welcome at this time.
[00:08:24] They're running low on winter supplies, and it is cold weather now, as we all know.
[00:08:30] We will have a new Bible study beginning Wednesday this week, The Chosen.
[00:08:35] It will be from 630 to 8 in room 304.
[00:08:39] Next Saturday will be the Playground Party, which Jessica Dalton, our Christian educator, has started two years ago.
[00:08:45] So this will be the second anniversary of the Playground Party, and this is a wonderful event on Saturdays from 10 until noon.
[00:08:52] So if you have an interest, please come.
[00:08:56] If you know of others who have children, this is a wonderful thing to provide community support and enrichment in ministry for children.
[00:09:07] I think that's all of our announcements today.
[00:09:09] So now we will continue with worship with this wonderful praise group.
[00:09:12] This song will work way better if you guys will stand.
[00:09:14] Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[00:09:16] J.J., hold it, hold it.
[00:09:19] Chris Correll has an announcement.
[00:09:21] Sorry.

[00:09:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:09:22] Two quick ones.
[00:09:23] My name is Chris Correll, longtime goer to the 1115 service.
[00:09:27] If we could have a few folks hang out after service to take down all of our Christmas decorations, that would be greatly appreciated.
[00:09:35] And also, this is not the normal schedule for it, but we are having a worship committee meeting tomorrow night at 630 in room 308.
[00:09:43] If you are interested in joining that committee as a representative of this service, that will be awesome.
[00:09:50] We have a couple of folks now from this service that go.
[00:09:52] I am the co-chair of that committee.
[00:09:54] So if you are interested in that, I know it's kind of last minute for tomorrow night meeting, please reach out to me and we can hook you up with more information.
[00:10:01] Okay?
[00:10:01] Thank you very much.

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:10:02] And we now see that Reverend Kelly's wife, Lynn, is now with us.
[00:10:07] So, Lynn, would you please stand so that everyone can see you?
[00:10:10] We're happy to have you here with us, too.
[00:10:11] Thank you.

[00:10:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]
[00:10:13] now let's continue the worship those of you who are standing y'all are doing

[00:10:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:10:17] great great role models thank y'all

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[00:11:23] resurrection place my beloved bring me away cuz I want to feel your light on

[00:11:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:11:33] There's a sun coming up in my soul, oh in my soul. There's a sun, my soul, oh my soul. I see the Jordan. There's a sun, I see the Jordan.

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:14:43] always the right move it's good to see everyone um so glad you all came i uh wonder just because of this service if maybe you all came with some joys with some concerns that you might like to
[00:15:03] share anybody have any good news that they feel like everybody ought to know some some joy meredith ah all right very good see i thought you were going to say that the finance committee was
[00:15:24] meeting today. I see how it is. Any other joy? Yes. Oh, thanks. Thanks. Okay. It's a little commercial. Yes, Jane. Good. Any other, how about some concerns? Any other concerns you may be carrying with you? Some friends, some family, people remember? You all know Jan Dixon? She said
[00:16:07] that she's starting chemotherapy on Tuesday.
[00:16:10] She was here today for the other service, so I remember Jan.

[00:16:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:16:18] Yeah.

[00:16:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:16:44] Yep.

[00:17:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:17:02] Prayers for the caregivers.
[00:17:04] Thank you.
[00:17:05] Yes.
[00:17:11] Yeah.
[00:17:26] Robert's recovering from what?
[00:17:29] A car accident.
[00:17:30] Might go, might not.
[00:17:37] MG.
[00:17:38] Yeah.
[00:17:45] Right.
[00:17:46] For Jim Savage, Lauren Lundgren.
[00:17:49] I think, is Lauren home?
[00:17:52] No, Jim, is Jim home?
[00:17:54] Jim is home.
[00:17:55] Lauren is still there in the hospital.
[00:17:58] Yes.
[00:17:59] Any others?
[00:18:15] I don't know if you all do this or not.
[00:18:17] When you get to the concerns, sometimes it feels like we're casting a pall over things, but it actually is just to remember that the world outside is often dangerous, and we don't know what we are all carrying with us.
[00:18:32] And so, would you join with me and let us spend some time in prayer together.
[00:18:48] Gracious God, you are our creator.
[00:18:50] you made us to love you and to love one another. That is the way we are wired and we are made and yet you call us beyond just to love our neighbors and those who are familiar.
[00:19:10] You call us to love our strangers, to love even our enemies, to let your love stretch us beyond our capacity we are always and ever so grateful that you love us just the way that we
[00:19:30] are but too much to let us stay that way god we ask on this day when we begin to remember the baptism of jesus and we remember how the gospel all got started and going we pray for
[00:19:50] that very same spirit that filled jesus with power that same spirit that empowered him to heal the sick and set captives free. That same spirit, may it overwhelm us and empower us to follow in his way as well. God, you heard the cries from us, echoes of those who may be in deep
[00:20:16] pain because of cancer treatment, because of broken bones, because of accidents that have taken place. We find ourselves somewhere between two hospitals where patients are in constant need and for those who care for them. I ask God that you will remember that fifth grade student
[00:20:45] experiencing such a painful loss of a parent, but even during a difficult time when everyone else is in the midst of celebration. God, we give celebrations for people who have new jobs, New starts to life.
[00:21:08] We pray for those who are without work.
[00:21:12] We pray for every soul that sat in these same seats in this place as they came in here on Thursday, seeking some food, some clothing, some company.
[00:21:26] And we give you thanks for all those who use their hands and their feet and their presence to show and demonstrate your love.
[00:21:39] God, we ask that you transform us today, that you make us mindful of your presence, which is always in our midst, that you transform the fears and reservations that we have, make them into gratitude and resolution,
[00:21:54] and help us to become a beloved community, ready to embrace and carry each other.
[00:22:04] We live in a world that is filled with moments that are unpredictable.
[00:22:12] We remember those who are caught in the crossfire in Gaza, those who are caught in the crossfire in Ukraine.
[00:22:21] And we ask that once again the Prince of Peace be born into this world and begin that process to move us and to heal the deep wounds of grief that we may have felt from the death of loved ones
[00:22:38] and the death of strangers even far away.
[00:22:43] Be with us in this time of worship.
[00:22:45] Fill us with your love.
[00:22:48] Help us take what we hear today and let it fall from our head, come down into our hearts, extend in our hands, be seen in our eyes and ears so that we may be the body of Christ
[00:22:59] for this your world.
[00:23:01] This is our prayer and we make it in the name of Jesus Christ.
[00:23:05] Amen.

[00:23:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:23:05] Thank you, guys.

[00:27:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:27:46] You guys are smooth on the instruments.
[00:27:49] You do not want me playing with you.
[00:27:54] Sometimes I hit the chord, sometimes I don't.
[00:28:01] So I'm getting used to this service, right?
[00:28:03] And I'll figure my way around it, way in it.
[00:28:09] So today is the day in the church calendar year where we remember the baptism of Jesus.
[00:28:18] We do it every year.
[00:28:20] And the Gospels tell us various versions of that story.
[00:28:24] So I'm going to read to you the story from the Gospel of Mark.
[00:28:29] But before I get to when Jesus gets baptized, we're going to talk about who Jesus was baptized by.
[00:28:35] And we don't get any biography, but we know from the other Gospels that, you know, John the Baptist and Jesus were cousins.
[00:28:43] And, you know, you may have heard maybe a passage about Elizabeth meeting up with Mary and the child in her womb was about six months pregnant.
[00:28:55] That child did a backflip when meeting Jesus' mother, Mary.
[00:29:03] And a great celebration was happening even before his own birth.
[00:29:09] But they don't talk.
[00:29:11] It just happens.
[00:29:12] And so, join with me and listen as I read to you Mark 1, verse 4, and verses following.
[00:29:21] John, the baptizer, appeared in the wilderness and proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
[00:29:29] And the people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him.
[00:29:35] And they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
[00:29:40] Now, John was clothed with camel's hair, a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
[00:29:49] He was very organic.
[00:29:52] He proclaimed, the one who is more powerful than I is coming after me, and I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.
[00:30:02] I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
[00:30:10] So in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
[00:30:15] And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart, the spirit descending like a dove on him and a voice came from heaven you are my son the beloved
[00:30:27] with you i am well pleased the word of god for the people of god thanks be to god would you pray with me god may the words of my mouth and the meditation of the hearts of all of us be acceptable
[00:30:46] in thy sight oh god our rock and our redeemer amen years ago i went to an antique shop in Greensboro. I'm not going to tell you which one because I still hope to go there
[00:30:58] because I saw something in that shop that I really wish I would have stolen for the sake of Jesus. I walk into this room it's a big room and antiques and stuff are everywhere little dividing walls because it was a consignment place and so people
[00:31:16] had various things for sale. You know you had the kind of stuff like old cigarette advertising and soda bottles whose names I had never heard before, lots of furniture, vintage farm equipment, that kind of a thing.
[00:31:33] And I didn't see anything I really wanted or needed or even knew what it was.
[00:31:39] But I turned around, and I decided to go ahead and leave.
[00:31:42] And as I was leaving, right there on the door that I came in, over the top of it was mounted a picture.
[00:31:49] It was a stained glass window.
[00:31:54] The stained glass window had an arch over the top of it.
[00:31:58] And it was just like this window here, but a stained glass.
[00:32:01] It was arched like that.
[00:32:03] And it was a window that would have been in a church that you would have walked under into the entrance.
[00:32:09] And I had. I walked into it. I wasn't in a church, but there it was.
[00:32:14] And I loved that window.
[00:32:16] It had a descending dove and it had flames kind of flying out of it and a sign of the Holy Spirit.
[00:32:22] And then it had words that started on one side and it said, we are baptized into his death and baptized into resurrection to new life.
[00:32:34] Now that comes from the Apostle Paul, Romans chapter 6, verse 3.
[00:32:39] Look it up.
[00:32:40] And in that verse, Paul is talking about baptism.
[00:32:44] And the image that he has is that we are baptized into the death of Christ.
[00:32:49] It's almost as if you're being dipped all the way under the water into a watery grave.
[00:32:54] But you're risen, pulled out of the water into new life.
[00:32:58] Baptism is an entryway into the Christian faith, into the Christian community.
[00:33:04] And that window over the top of the church entrance was a way you crossed the threshold from one dimension of life into another, from a life that may have been overwhelmed with sin and addiction
[00:33:17] and all kinds of struggles and problems into a world of new life.
[00:33:22] I love that window.
[00:33:23] Should have stolen it.
[00:33:25] should. We might ask the question about what baptism is. It is a sacrament. It's one of our big sacraments. It's a sacrament where human beings and God come together. It's a rite of passage between the relationship between God and humanity. If we're an adult and we're deciding to
[00:33:46] be baptized, the person makes a conscious choice. So that's the human side, claiming God. Emphasis upon that side of the covenant, but as Methodists, we practice infant baptism, and the child is not ready to make a choice.
[00:34:02] God chooses us in that moment, right?
[00:34:08] God takes the initiative, already has claimed the child.
[00:34:13] The emphasis is upon God's side of the covenant.
[00:34:16] Baptism is a sign for those of us who have kind of weak imaginations or forgetful minds of the relationship between God and others.
[00:34:25] It's a reminder of us.
[00:34:27] So today we try to remember our own baptism as we think about Jesus'.
[00:34:32] Here's a question.
[00:34:34] Why does Jesus get baptized?
[00:34:38] Now, y'all, I know I've been studying ancient Greek, and you know that the word baptism actually literally means washing, washing.
[00:34:47] And, of course, the image there in baptism is it's the washing away of sin and moving towards new life.
[00:34:55] But it's not literally about hygiene.
[00:34:58] I mean, it could be.
[00:34:59] It's used that way at times in the New Testament.
[00:35:02] But it really meant, I mean, you know, after all, Jesus was baptized in the muddy Jordan, right?
[00:35:08] Not exactly hygiene.
[00:35:10] John's baptism was a ritual washing.
[00:35:13] And it was about trying to remove the residue that comes from the broken relationship that human beings have with God.
[00:35:20] All of that stuff that is still clinging to the soul.
[00:35:24] But why does Jesus do it?
[00:35:27] You know, Jesus, we think of Jesus as the one without sin, true God from true God, in whom there is no darkness at all.
[00:35:35] All of those kinds of things that we brought up.
[00:35:38] Why does he need to be baptized?
[00:35:41] To make things stranger, if you look in the Gospel of Mark, the passage I just read to you, the event of his baptism is kind of just matter of fact, like it happens.
[00:35:49] There's no dialogue between John and Jesus.
[00:35:52] no talk of being cousins or John's being unworthy.
[00:35:57] In fact, in Mark's story, it's not even clear that the heavens actually did tear apart or that the spirit really did come down like a dove or that there was a booming voice.
[00:36:11] It's not clear that anyone else heard it or saw it other than Jesus in Mark's gospel.
[00:36:19] It's not clear that Jesus needed to be baptized.
[00:36:22] It sort of happens, and then Jesus goes out in the wilderness on a vision quest.
[00:36:29] But why did he do it?
[00:36:31] I don't know.
[00:36:32] But I think that he chose not to stand outside of the moment, to join in this opportunity to join with other people in this transforming journey.
[00:36:42] Jesus joins a community of those who want to turn away from sin and embrace new life.
[00:36:49] And we don't hear anything from Jesus until, in Mark's gospel, John is arrested.
[00:36:57] And then Jesus comes proclaiming.
[00:37:01] Lynn and I used to live in Chicago, and I had one of the strangest pastoral visits I've ever had.
[00:37:08] I was asked to go see somebody who was a cousin of a member of the church.
[00:37:15] He said he's very sick.
[00:37:16] He just got news that, you know, he's dying, and he's very, very weak.
[00:37:21] but he really requested that you come and see him and and then you know this church member warned me said now kelly he's a joiner he's probably going to ask to join the church it's like okay
[00:37:35] yeah so i go and uh it was a dark night it was very cold it was very wet um kind of like last night and uh i went uh found the place met his wife at the door and she showed me into the room
[00:37:48] where he was, you know, lying in bed.
[00:37:51] He was weak.
[00:37:52] He was thin.
[00:37:53] And, you know, he was really seeing death coming at him quickly.
[00:37:58] So we shook hands and we talked, introduced each other, ourselves.
[00:38:01] And then he, you know, before I got to say anything religious, you know, or even really ask him how his health was or anything, he immediately says, I have been a lifelong Kiwana.
[00:38:13] My father was a lifelong lion.
[00:38:16] I was the president of my neighborhood association, and I was the treasurer for the local veterans of foreign wars.
[00:38:26] He just went on and on.
[00:38:28] And he says, and if you had had me, I'd like to join your organization.
[00:38:37] Isn't that odd?
[00:38:38] It was the oddest thing I'd ever seen.
[00:38:39] You know, he just, you know, launched right into it.
[00:38:42] And I assured him, I said, well, yeah, we can make that happen, you know.
[00:38:47] And, you know, so I told him about membership dues.
[00:38:50] No, I didn't.
[00:38:51] I didn't do that.
[00:38:54] But I loved the way he did that because he started off by really telling me that he wasn't going to be dead weight.
[00:39:05] He was joining it, and he would take ownership for it.
[00:39:09] Now, he had never stepped foot in a church in his entire life.
[00:39:13] He probably did not know what baptism was, right?
[00:39:17] And so I had to assure him.
[00:39:18] I said, look, we really don't need your resume to be part of this group.
[00:39:24] And, you know, if there was a way in the future where you felt healthy enough to come, we can do that.
[00:39:32] But we can do it here, too.
[00:39:33] So that was sort of our meeting.
[00:39:36] But I just loved that.
[00:39:38] He was ready to go to work and to be accountable.
[00:39:44] You know what the hardest thing is to do?
[00:39:46] It's not what you think.
[00:39:47] Like, you know, it's not about going out and loving other people.
[00:39:54] You know, I was so moved, you all.
[00:39:56] It's just more than the people that we have here, about the same size, probably a lot more.
[00:40:01] We had people fill every single one of these seats here on Thursday night.
[00:40:06] And they came for food and they came for clothes.
[00:40:08] And Ardmore made this dramatic expression of what it really means to be about church, following in the way of Jesus.
[00:40:16] It was all, and the best part of it all was that it was done with love.
[00:40:20] You know, feeding people who were hungry, giving them clothes.
[00:40:23] I was very, very impressed.
[00:40:27] But that is really not the hardest thing.
[00:40:31] It's not the hardest thing.
[00:40:32] The hardest thing to do is to let ourselves be loved.
[00:40:40] That's hard to do.
[00:40:42] It's easier to love someone else than it is to let ourselves be loved.
[00:40:48] Somebody once said that it's not the hypocrisy of religious people that keep people away from church.
[00:40:54] It's the fear that God might really know who we are.
[00:40:59] Don't get me wrong.
[00:41:01] Hypocrisy of church people.
[00:41:02] We have driven away lots of people from the faith.
[00:41:07] But there is a deeper fear, a fear of that intimacy, about maybe we're not sure we want God to know us too much.
[00:41:17] Maybe we're afraid that God might not like what God might find.
[00:41:25] So baptism for Jesus, you know, it was a confirmation of his identity.
[00:41:30] He heard this voice.
[00:41:31] He claimed it for himself.
[00:41:32] He was full of power and light and love.
[00:41:35] And as he heard it, you know, Jesus, thank God, Jesus would no longer take sins as separation from grace.
[00:41:42] That was the big thing.
[00:41:44] He had decided it.
[00:41:45] In baptism, Jesus came through the doorway of baptism, just like, you know, going under the threshold.
[00:41:52] And we leave one way of living to enter into another.
[00:41:56] That's really what our baptism means.
[00:41:57] We're crossing over, over a world that may be really bent on addiction and success and competition into a new realm, a new realm where we hear that echo of the voice from heaven, that you are my child, you are beloved, you are the one in whom I am pleased.
[00:42:19] I want to share a story with you.
[00:42:20] I heard it was about a group of Methodist ministers, I think, and they were all on retreat together. They had gone through a few days, and when they came to the last day, the evening before
[00:42:31] the last day, the retreat leader gave everybody an assignment. He said, I want you to go back to your rooms, and as you're getting ready for bed tonight, I want you to look through the Bible and
[00:42:40] to find your name in the scripture. Now, some people's names are in there, right? Like David, John, Mary, Sarah, okay?
[00:42:51] You can find them.
[00:42:52] Find that name, find that story and what it means.
[00:42:55] Now, if you don't have a name that appears in the Bible, look for someone, a character in the scripture that reflects your nature.
[00:43:03] So they did.
[00:43:04] Went to sleep, got up the next morning.
[00:43:06] When at breakfast, it was buzzing.
[00:43:08] I mean, people were talking up a storm because of all of the things that they had.
[00:43:12] They were sharing these stories and the meaning of it.
[00:43:14] And it was just, you know, a beautiful, rich moment.
[00:43:16] They were called back to a session.
[00:43:18] They continued to tell the stories, and the retreat leader noticed that there was a young man sitting off by himself.
[00:43:25] It was a young pastor.
[00:43:28] He's one of those pastors that everybody knew.
[00:43:32] He had been so enthusiastic about the whole retreat.
[00:43:36] Everybody knew that that guy was going somewhere.
[00:43:38] He might be a district superintendent, maybe a bishop someday, you know?
[00:43:42] But he was quiet that morning, unusually so.
[00:43:47] And the retreat leader said, what's going on?
[00:43:49] Do you want to share with us?
[00:43:52] He said, last night I looked for my name in the Bible, and I was up all night.
[00:43:59] I could not find it.
[00:44:01] I couldn't sleep.
[00:44:03] I looked through all the places you suggested, all the places I knew where to look, but it wasn't there.
[00:44:08] It was my name.
[00:44:09] The name I was given from the day I was born was not there.
[00:44:13] It was the name my father gave me.
[00:44:15] It was not good enough.
[00:44:24] In the midst of this circle of chairs, you know, this man took his hands and put them over his head, and he sobbed and he wailed.
[00:44:35] And a minister, a wise old minister sitting in the back who had been a superintendent, she stood up.
[00:44:44] She motioned for everybody to join her, and she walked behind this young pastor who was crying, and she took her hands through the air and motioned for everybody to join her and they came down upon this young man's head
[00:44:59] and said, you are God's beloved child in whom God is well pleased.
[00:45:14] Can you just let those words wash over you?
[00:45:18] Can you just let them sink down deep inside?
[00:45:21] I don't know where you're from or what you heard growing up and maybe you never had a sense of being anyone's beloved, which makes it even harder to hear those words as words that we can hear.
[00:45:35] But those words are from heaven spoken to Jesus are the words that are also spoken to us.
[00:45:41] Jesus opened it up for all of us.
[00:45:43] God loves us just the way that we are and thank God too much to let us stay this way.
[00:45:50] Whether you've been sprinkled or dunked, baptized as an infant or when you grew up, got to let those words from heaven echo inside. You are God's beloved. God is pleased with you.
[00:46:05] Do y'all know Nadia Bolsweber? She's a Lutheran pastor who's got two sleeves full of tattoos, so she wears her clergy shirt and shows off her guns, you know. She's, you know, part Lutheran liturgical snob, part goth princess, and she talks about this better than anybody I
[00:46:28] you know, she says these words. She says, the idea of being loved completely apart from what I do or do not do. It's perhaps the things that we all most want in life. And yet the possibility of it,
[00:46:41] just knowing that the possibility of it stings a little bit. In this time of year, when we're resolving to improve ourselves, resolving perhaps to already failing to be more awesome, more beautiful more disciplined which is of course as a way of saying more worthy of love and she says
[00:47:01] this you know god did not say this is my son in whom i'm well pleased because he proved it to me that he deserves it he's had quiet time with me every single morning he always reads the torah
[00:47:15] and this boy can heal a leper that is not what god said nope she says as far as we know jesus hadn't even done anything yet, and yet was called beloved. This is why we echo this at an infant
[00:47:33] baptism. Before that child can babble to themselves, yes, they hear these words. She continues, and she says, you know, baptism was most certainly an act of God upon you. I mean, even if you choose to get
[00:47:50] baptized, it's still an act upon you. She quotes a man from a recovery group meeting who entered a discussion. There was a discussion that sprung out between these addicts, and it was about their God of their understanding of the higher power. And this one wise man, he says, you know, I don't
[00:48:09] know about you, but I want you all to know that God is crazy about me. I mean, she says, you know, God loves me, kind of, because, you know, God has to. I'm one of God's kids. But to say that,
[00:48:24] to say that second thing.
[00:48:27] God is crazy about me.
[00:48:30] I don't know.
[00:48:32] That's different.
[00:48:34] That's a kind of love that, I mean, when you know that, it'll break your heart and it'll make it even bigger.
[00:48:47] Ardmore, I want you to know that you are more than good enough.
[00:48:55] That God is very well pleased with you.
[00:49:00] God loves you just the way that you are.
[00:49:02] Too much to let you stay that way.
[00:49:03] But the reality is that God is crazy about you.
[00:49:07] Crazy about you.
[00:49:09] We are God's delight.
[00:49:13] And you knew it was coming.
[00:49:15] I'm going to say it, okay?
[00:49:16] But unless you forget, I mean, God is crazy about you.
[00:49:20] But God is crazy about all those people out there, too.
[00:49:26] God is crazy about all the people that we think are really not good enough.
[00:49:31] The people that we don't agree with and argue with a lot.
[00:49:34] The people that we don't even like.
[00:49:36] They are God's delight and God's beloved.
[00:49:41] They may not know it.
[00:49:42] They may not claim it.
[00:49:45] But because Jesus is sharing this blessing with us, that's what we know.
[00:49:53] Jesus passed through under the threshold of baptism, went back into the world to echo the message that was given to him.
[00:50:00] And as we'll see in the coming weeks, Jesus got busy quickly, immediately, showing us that everyone is God's beloved.
[00:50:10] No exceptions.
[00:50:16] In the name of God, who is our creator, our sustainer, and our redeemer.
[00:50:22] Amen.
[00:50:27] Baptism.
[00:50:27] Now we're going to communion.
[00:50:29] It's another sacrament.
[00:50:34] Come on up here, Eddie.
[00:50:46] So, I know you all don't sing the responses, right?
[00:50:55] But do you know the responses?
[00:50:57] We're going to have them up there, right?
[00:50:59] Or not?
[00:51:00] Okay, never mind.
[00:51:01] I'm going to do this.
[00:51:03] If you know this, follow along.
[00:51:05] Here we go.
[00:51:06] The Lord be with you.
[00:51:07] And with your spirit.
[00:51:08] Lift up your hearts.
[00:51:09] And with your spirit.
[00:51:11] It is right and good to give our thanks and praise to God always and everywhere.
[00:51:16] Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, and so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join an unending hymn together.
[00:51:27] We say, as the angels have said all throughout scripture, holy, holy, holy Lord, you are the God of power and might.
[00:51:36] Hosanna in the highest.
[00:51:37] blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord God you are holy and blessed is your son Jesus Christ and by the baptism of his suffering, death and resurrection you gave birth to your church
[00:51:49] you delivered us from slavery to sin and death and made with us a new covenant by water and the spirit on the night in which Jesus gave himself up for us he took bread he took the bread, he blessed it, he broke it
[00:52:05] and he gave it to his disciples and said take eat this is my body which is broken for you do this in remembrance of me when the supper was over jesus took the cup and after giving thanks to god gave it to the disciples and said drink
[00:52:23] from this all of you well this is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me and so we remember
[00:52:36] the great acts of jesus christ and we uh we remember them and offer ourselves we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving that is our living sacrifice to be in union with christ as we proclaim a mystery of faith christ died christ is risen christ will come again you knew
[00:52:58] that one good we ask god to pour out a holy spirit upon all of us here and upon these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and the blood of Christ so that we may become the body
[00:53:11] of Christ redeemed by his blood. By your spirit, God, make us one with one another, one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at a heavenly banquet
[00:53:24] through your son, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit in your holy church. All honor and glory is yours now and forever. Amen. Prince, would you join with me in the prayer that Jesus taught us to
[00:53:37] pray together. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses
[00:53:53] as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
[00:54:08] All right, friends.
[00:54:25] This is the way we're going to do it.
[00:54:27] We're going to feed the musicians first.
[00:54:32] And afterwards, we're going to call you all up, come up here by the center.
[00:54:35] I'm going to give you a piece of bread.
[00:54:37] We'll give you one of these little cups.
[00:54:40] And you can return by the side aisles.
[00:54:43] And is there anyone here that needs to be served in the pew?
[00:54:48] Y'all can walk up here.
[00:54:50] So, friends, I want to get this very, very clear with you.
[00:54:54] Make this very clear.
[00:54:55] this is not the table of this congregation.
[00:55:00] Sorry, Ardmore, it's not.
[00:55:01] It's also not the table of our denomination.
[00:55:05] This is the table of Jesus, which means all of you who are here are invited and welcome to come.
[00:55:12] The body of Christ broken.
[00:55:44] Can you play with one hand?
[00:55:45] The body of Christ broken.
[00:55:58] Mitch, the body of Christ broken.
[00:56:00] I'll get you last.
[00:56:10] The body of Christ broken.

[00:56:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:56:26] the body of christ broken for you it's me now right you're supposed to tell me these things

[01:02:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:02:51] jerry friends when you go from this place you must remember that you are beloved you are the delight of god's eye god is crazy about you and know that you're going with some deep responsibility
[01:03:12] that once you figure that out even a little bit then you can start letting other people know that they are beloved and you do so through word and through deed so go from this place beloved
[01:03:25] and share your belovedness with others who are also God's that God is crazy about them too we go with God who goes with us in the name of our creator our sustainer and our redeemer
[01:03:38] Amen