+Good morning, my name is Cathy Dempesy Sims and I’m Bishop Franklin’s Canon for Connections. That means I get to go to a different church every Sunday, getting to know the nuances of each parish and helping congregations with anything I can.
I’ve been working with Deacon Pat and Kale for the past month or so as you move into the next step of your life as St. Matthew’s. It was important to Bishop Bill and to me that I be present with you on the first Sunday of this new phase…and what a great blessing that I get to do a baptism as well!
When I was a parish priest I had a tradition for the sermon on baptism days---the sermon would be in the form of a letter to the newly baptized. I’d like to continue that practice this morning.
Dear Kaleb,
We’re so happy to officially welcome you into the church today. God loves a baptism so I have no doubt that our creator God is smiling extra wide upon us this morning.
Today is often referred to as Doubting Thomas Sunday, because each and every year, on the Second Sunday of Easter, we read the gospel story of Doubting Thomas.
Here’s the thing you need to know Kaleb, Thomas gets a bum rap! There is nothing wrong with doubt!!! Kaleb, in your life you’ll have many moments of doubt, of confusion, even of anger. You’ll wonder if you really can love everyone, everywhere, always, no exceptions. It’s not always easy! But regardless of the times you may DOUBT, remember that God ALWAYS loves you and God knows that you believe.
This is what people forget about Thomas. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe that Jesus could be raised from the dead, he believed it. But believing something could be true is different from seeing that something is true. I don’t think that Thomas doubted Jesus could be alive, I think he was just so heartbroken at Jesus’ death that he wouldn’t allow himself to accept that it was true until he saw it for his own eyes.
And you know what Kaleb? I get that. In your life there will be things that you believe are possible but you might not be willing to accept have actually happened until you see it. Like the Bills winning the Super Bowl…we believe that it’s possible, we pray that it happens soon but until we see Mr. Pegula holding the Vince Lombardi trophy and we have a parade down Delaware Avenue, I don’t think any of us will allow ourselves to fully believe it.
This is where Thomas gets a bum rap--- there’s nothing wrong with needing to see something before fully accepting that it’s true---seeing as the final step to believing ---isn’t a bad thing.
You see, one of the things we must absolutely, positively do, as Christians, is to show people that we are Christians.
There’s an old hymn called, “They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love.” It’s a perfect name for a song, because it is exactly what we, as Christians, are called to do. This idea--- that people will know we are Christians by Our Love is so important Kaleb that I never want anyone here to forget it. And a baptism is a really good reminder.
In a few minutes everyone here is going to make all sorts of promises for you….and in doing so we’ll “renew” the promises that are fundamental to our faith and absolutely key to our understanding of what it means to be a Christian.
• We will promise to keep believing in our Creator God.
• We will promise to keep believing that God came to live among us in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. We’ll promise to believe everything that happened to Jesus in his life, in his death, in his resurrection and in his ascension.
• We’ll promise to believe that the Holy Spirit lives and moves among us, creating communities of faith that are designed to change the world.
• YES, Kaleb, we promise to change the world.
And you know how we do that?
• By following the teaching set forth by the apostles--by coming to church and breaking bread in community and doing our daily prayers.
• By, when we make mistakes, and trust me Kaleb we all make a LOT of mistakes, when we make mistakes, apologize and return to God for the forgiveness and love God always, never any exceptions, gives to us.
• By seeing Christ in everyone whom we encounter, even those people who anger us, frighten us or make us uncomfortable.
• By always making sure that peace and justice are available to everyone, everywhere, always.
• And, finally, to proclaim by word and example all the Good news we have received through Jesus Christ.
“Proclaim by word and example.” Kaleb, that’s just a fancy way of saying, “showing people---everyone, everywhere and always----that we are Christians.” And how do we do that? “By our Love.”
So, dear Kaleb, as we welcome you into the fullness of the church on this day, as we seal you with the Holy Spirit and mark you as Christ’s own, forever, you are helping us to remember that the only way the world will know the incredible, awesome, never-ending, no exceptions, always available to everyone everywhere forever love of God is if we show them.
If we show that love in all that we do, there will be no doubt that Love, the source of all that is good in this world, is being spread by us, through us and between us.
Kaleb, remember that you are loved, not only by all of us here today, but by your Creating, Redeeming and Sustaining God. Take that love and show it off!
This is the message Thomas teaches you today and all of the wonderful people who make St. Matthew’s a beacon of hope on Seneca Street in the City of Buffalo and beyond: they will know you are a Christian, by your love, by your love.
Welcome to the fold young man and may God’s blessings flow upon you today and forevermore. Alleluia and Amen.
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