“Water and Spirit”
What our Confirmation Class could teach Nicodemus
Sermon Preached by
The Reverend Rick Tamas
Sunday, February 8, 2004
Text: John 3: 1-15
Good morning! I am The Reverend Rick Tamas, Minister of Youth here at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church and I am very pleased to be preaching here this morning.
This is my first sermon here at Eaton Memorial.
Am I nervous? Are you kidding?
I had to ask my confirmation class to be here today for moral support. In fact, earlier in the week I asked these students to send me an e-mail that contained the three points they considered most important for a good sermon. And I would like to say that every one of those e-mails has contributed to this sermon.
Thank you very much for your thoughts, your insights, and the time you took to share them. I am sure that they will help keep me on track. I plan to refer to them throughout the sermon to show how well I was helped and encouraged along the way.
There is one request, though, that I may not be able to include in this sermon, and that is for a half-time break of cookies and root beer. I think the Worship Committee and Sanctuary Guild may need to discuss that a bit. But I will certainly try to use the other suggestions that you have made.
E-mail #1: “The intro should grab the congregation's attention.”
I hope that this introduction does grab your attention, because the confirmation class is very special to me, as is the class of last year that came out and supported us with prayer at our contemporary service a few weeks ago. I thank them so much for that, and I hope to do more with both groups in the near future.
E-mail #2: “Don't be boring! Use expression.”
That's a pretty tall order. I think I am going to have to stretch into these.
E-mail #3: “Hi Rick. Here are three things I think are important in a sermon: It should be short. It should be interesting. It should be about God. Amen.”
That is beautiful.
Let us pray. Dear God, may your wisdom be in our minds, your compassion in our hearts, and your Word on our lips. Amen.
Baptism Sunday! What a time to celebrate! Friends, family, community - all welcoming a new member into Christ's church this morning.
The apostle Paul tells us to rejoice with those that rejoice and today is definitely a day for rejoicing - as we celebrate with the families of Jack Howard Stevenson and Megan Marilyn Townsend baptized today.
As the youth minister, it is part of my responsibilities to lead the orientation sessions for baptisms and new members. I enjoy meeting with all the new members, getting to know some of the highlights from their faith journeys and listening to their questions. One question that is often asked by young parents is: “What does baptism mean?”
The Report on Christian Initiative (adopted by the 30th General Council, 1984) states that baptism, regardless of the candidate's age, is the sole rite of initiation into full membership in the Christian Community.
I was going to explore this question further by reading from UC Manual, But then I picked up this e-mail from one of the confirmands:
“A good sermon should use vocabulary that I can understand.”
An excellent point.
However, I think that I can read the following passage in a way that many of you will be able to understand.
From the Basis of Union we read,
Baptism with water into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is the sacrament by which are signified and sealed our union to Christ and participation in the blessings of the new covenant. (2.16.1; p.17)
Let's make note of two things: One: our union with the body of Christ; and this morning, as a congregation, we welcomed Jack Howard Stevenson and Megan Marilyn Townsend into the world-wide body of Christ. You heard me say those words of welcome. Two: baptism celebrates the blessings of God's covenant and God's grace.
In confirmation class we learned that symbols can be very rich with many meanings. Our class loves to paint, draw and doodle. While we were doing some art work on symbols, we learned that water represents not only the gift of life here on earth, for we need water to survive, but in baptism, water symbolizes something much more: the living water of creation that Jesus speaks of in the gospels. (John 4: 10)
Last week, I met two inspiring youth leaders at the Calvin College Symposium on Art and Worship in Grand Rapids, MI. In their book, Sunday Morning Live, Jane Vogel and Mary Sytsma speak of the rich images that God invites us to paint “through the watercolours of baptism.” Isn't that a vibrant description? Some of the images they speak of are washing and cleansing, rebirth into a new life (or as the apostle Paul says in Rom. 6:4, a “newness of life”), and initiation into the body of Christ.
I found it interesting that in the early church, Ash Wednesday (which is coming up very soon, along with the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper) was traditionally the beginning of a time of preparation for baptism. Those preparing to receive the sacrament were called catechumens, and they were either converts from other religions or those wanting to renew their vows. Their preparation involved many months of study, of fasting and penance to prepare for life as a Christian.
I can imagine the confirmation class thinking, “It's a good thing I was baptized as a baby. I don't think I could have handled months of fasting, penance, or more study!” It is true, we live in a fast-paced, busy world, and things were a bit slower back then. However, the search for “who we are as Christians” has had us asking the same questions for many years.
There are many adults here and at home who are also asking these questions, and that is a good thing!
Who am I as a Christian? How do I use the gifts of the Spirit in the body of Christ? They are good questions to ask. They are important questions to ask. And they are not always easy questions to ask. I can imagine a biblical character such as Nicodemus asking such questions.
I would like to refer to the e-mails from the confirmands again and say that most every one said that “a good sermon must tell a story, and not just any story - a story that is relevant to our lives. It may use metaphor or moral, but it must mean something to us.”
I think that the story of Nicodemus is very relevant to our lives today. Let's have a look.
He was known to those in the community as a man of great authority and wisdom. Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin and held great power. To some people, he was also known as a teacher. People would look up to him. It is also important to know that Nicodemus was a Pharisee. The word Pharisee means “separated one,” and that probably meant someone who had separated themselves from the corruption of the world around them in their zeal, in their love for the biblical law.
There was an historian who lived about 2000 years ago by the name of Josephus. And Josephus said that the Pharisees “appear more religious than others, and seem to interpret the laws more accurately.”
As the story begins, we learn from scripture that Nicodemus went to see Jesus. He went at night. Perhaps he wasn't quite sure whether he wanted to be seen with this man, though he had heard amazing things about him.
Now imagine the scene, Nicodemus calls out to Jesus. He says, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.”
Jesus replies to him, “I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
Nicodemus is not quite sure that he heard Jesus correctly, “Born from above?! How can anyone be born from above? - especially after growing old!”
Jesus continues, “I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.”
Nicodemus says to him, “How can these things be?”
Jesus answers him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”
“Heavenly things?” “Water and spirit?” “Born from above?” What is Jesus saying?
Nicodemus was a brilliant man of his day, and yet he wrestled with these words of Jesus. I think that Nicodemus is a phenomenal character in the Gospel of John. We hear of him three times, and each time his character unfolds and develops through his words and actions. In this scene, we have seen him struggle with the concept of identity. Yes, Nicodemus knows that he was born of water from the womb, but what of this “being born of water and spirit?” Jesus doesn't say water or spirit. He says water and spirit.
Nicodemus tries to put it all together like the pieces of a giant puzzle.
Do you like doing puzzles? I have two young nephews who love puzzles and are they good at it! My father is also amazing with puzzles. He is currently doing the biggest puzzle that I have ever seen. It is a 4,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that will be about 40" x 60" when completed - and it is more than half-way done! It is a beautiful scene of an English cottage in the countryside. It has stone walls with a thatched roof and beautiful flowers all around. But 4,000 pieces! (I think I would need more than a break of cookies and root beer!)
I find it exciting that in the Bible we have such a powerful, dramatic scene involving a “separated one” trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, struggling with the very essence of separation itself. Nicodemus has separated himself from worldly things, and he considers himself a religious man, but he doesn't get this water/spirit connection.
My confirmation class gets it! (Right? Yes.)
So what is Nicodemus' problem? Is it really such a puzzle? Or is Nicodemus looking in the wrong places?
Maybe it is so obvious that he just doesn't see it.
I love water! I like to swim and do dishes - all the fun things we do in water. But what happens when we stay in water too long? We get pruny, wrinkled, and water-logged. Our bodies are 90 per cent water, but if that is all there is; if all we see is water, snow, slush, sleet and freezing rain, without the sunshine, we get a little depressed, don't we? We find ourselves continually surrounded by water. How does water become something more? How does the Spirit break through?
If I were to ask you to think about “separateness” or being “disconnected,” what would that mean to you? Think about it in terms of family, or community, or in relation to God. Wouldn't we feel:
· off balance, off centre?
· a sinking feeling - we don't float, we don”t go with the flow (a sense of heavy water)
· definitely, we would feel alone
Now what comes to mind when you think of “being connected” in terms of family, or community, or in relation to God?
· I feel a sense of belonging
· a sense of comfort, and assurance
· of promise and covenant
· of call and response
· a sense of the body of Christ
· all the characteristics of baptism are present here
So why doesn't Nicodemus get it?
E-mail: “Make it real in our lives.”
Maybe this is Nicodemus' way to make it real in his life. Remember, he has not been baptized and maybe this struggle is a way of preparation. Making it real for us is such an important step. And I found myself struggling like Nicodemus, especially when I read the next e-mail.
E-mail: “Make sure you say how people can achieve the goal outlined in your original message.”
Oh, great! I thought. How am I going to do that? How do I bring this all together? Then I noticed an article in Friday's newspaper. The headline read: “Warm spirits beat the blues.” I read on and discovered that the article spoke of a psychologist, Julie Hill, “the Blues Doctor,” literally singing the blues away to help battle Seasonal Affective Disorder.
She is intentionally putting Spirit into her actions. And I thought, maybe there is something here I could use. We have certainly had our share of snow, rain, slush and cold weather. Putting Spirit back into our lives is certainly what we need!
Well, I was thinking that I had my sermon pretty well wrapped up, and then I picked up the next e-mail: “The message of your sermon needs to be connected to scripture.”
Yes, out of the mouths of confirmands…
So I looked up “singing the blues away” in my biblical concordance and I couldn't find a thing. And I was so close. I started to get this sinking feeling. Yes, I felt a bit disconnected. What was I going to do? How was I going to relate this to scripture?
Singing the blues away - that's a good start, but I needed to take this further. How do we become aware of spirit in our lives; and make a lasting connection? Well, I prayed, and I listened. Then the title of a book I had just recently been given came to mind, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. I have not yet read it, but I noticed an excerpt printed on the back cover that spoke of God as “the eternal one life underneath all the forms of life.”
What is love? “To feel the presence of that life.” The very next thought that came to my mind were the words of Jesus, “I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) And I thought, Jesus did not say “I was” or “I only will be” but he said “I am” here with you today, now.
He said to the disciples at the Last Supper, “I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:27) And the flood-gates opened up and the waters rushed forth as if flowing to the sea, and all the “I am” statements from the Gospel of John flowed with it:
John 6:35: “I am the bread of life”
John 8:12: “I am the light of the world.”
John 15:1: “I am the true vine.”
John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd.”
John 10:36: “I am God's son.”
John 10:38: “I am in the Father.”
Then Matthew sums all this up beautifully,
Matt 28:20 “And remember, I am with you always.”
NOW, Jesus is with us.
NOW, singing the blues away has a spiritual connection when we invite God into what we are doing. When we welcome the Spirit into the events of our lives, whether it is cooking breakfast, writing computer code, playing basketball, doing homework or singing and dancing in a Broadway show.
NOW, multi-tasking has a whole new dimension. And it is such a powerful reality in our present culture. We multi-task at school, at work, at home, at church.
NOW, we can be aware of Spirit and what we are doing at the same time. When we are mindful of the Spirit, we are tuned in. Jesus is right here, multi-tasking with us in the world-wide body of Christ.
Before I conclude this morning, I would like to read to you one last e-mail.
E-mail: “The conclusion should bring all the parts of your sermon together. It's really important.”
Okay, we covered a number of points this morning. We began by looking at baptism and the question of our identity as Christians. We learned that the covenant of baptism celebrates the fullness of God's grace. When Jesus was baptized, he received the Holy Spirit and was declared God's beloved; and it marked a new beginning in his ministry. In our baptism, we are also claimed, called and commissioned. What we experience in baptism is this genuine relationship, this genuine communion between water and spirit, as the promise of God's covenant, as the assurance of God's love, as the presence of God's Spirit, in the here and NOW. Amen.
This is a verbatim transcription of the original sermon.