About 16 years ago, little C was up here with his parents, for a parent child dedication. Some of you might remember this family, members of this congregation who moved back to Kenya with their children, C and A more than 10 years ago.

One of the strange gifts of the pandemic was this family reconnecting with the congregation. As we had church online in our homes at 11am in the DMV, we could see on our screens, young C and A in Nairobi, at 7pm. So it didn’t seem too strange that about a year ago, mom reached out to ask if Michelle and I, as the family’s pastors, would have conversations with the now-teenagers, about baptism.

I am happy to talk about faith – and baptism anytime, anywhere. But practically, what might this mean? What if these beloved youth in Nairobi decided they wanted to be baptized? How could we do that? And then there are the ecclesiological questions, that is the “how we do church” questions. For Mennonites, this is an important part of baptism, choosing to become part of the community in a real way. It is a spiritual choice yes, but also a very concrete commitment with our bodies and our involvements. How are we church when oceans and thousands of miles separate us? 

In some ways the pandemic answered some of these questions. In the 21 months we gathered online, we found ways to worship, we found ways to learn together and learn from each other. We had communion, committee meetings, small group meetings, we even sang together – sort of. Now each Sunday we welcome those who join us online, from Nairobi, Utah, L.A., Puerto Rico, PA, and locally. If this is the new way to be church, what does that mean for baptism?

Michelle and I talked together about the request. Then we talked about it with the pastorate since they are the sounding board for us as pastors. We even took the question to our pastor friends and peers in Allegheny Conference. How are we to understand baptism today? Does baptism have to mean membership in the congregation? It usually does for Mennonites. What does baptism mean if the person is not in the same place, can’t be a participant in the congregational body? And how do you do baptism online?

Mom let us know that her father, a retired American Baptist pastor, had been meeting by Zoom with his grandchildren to talk about faith and baptism. Soon it was Michelle and my turn to meet with C and A. We shared our own faith journeys and what baptism means in the Mennonite context. It was interesting to hear about C and A’s experiences going to a conservative Christian school in Nairobi. It was a gift to hear their questions, and their insights. Eventually it became clear that C wanted to pursue baptism.

So I talked again with C, and his parents – and his grandfather. Grandpa and other family members were flying to Nairobi in December. I sent them some ideas for a “Mennonite” baptism. When the family all went to Mombasa, C was baptized by his grandpa in the Indian Ocean on Dec 14. Since C and his family are part of this congregation, it seems important that we witness, even if on video 4 weeks later, C’s commitment and baptism. 

(show video)

This baptism in the Indian Ocean was not a private event. Did you see what was happening in the background? Other families were playing in the ocean. I wonder if that is how it was when Jesus was baptized, very publicly in the Jordon River. Many people were baptized of course, but perhaps there were also people washing clothes, fetching water, bathing, onlookers wondering what was going on.

So what did baptism mean then and what can it mean now? John the Baptizer announces the coming Reign of God, and calls for people to repent; to change their hearts and their lives. As the people come forward, as Jesus comes forward, they all receive the water of baptism. It is a sign that they are ready to change their hearts and lives, to be part of the reign of God.

But really, change their lives? What change can these poor Jewish people make in their lives? They are living under an oppressive empire that does not value them, that hardly sees them as people, much less deserving of dignity. They don’t have many choices in life. But baptism gives them a choice. They can choose to turn inward and claim their own worth as a child of God. They can turn outward and claim the worth of those around them. They can choose to build a community together.

Jesus not only claims his own worth, he hears a voice from heaven. He has the mystical experience of hearing a voice tell him that he is beloved. That he is chosen. That God’s favor rests on him. What a way to start his ministry, knowing without a doubt, that he is beloved.

This week the world witnessed the murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis by ICE, (and nearer to home in the Hyattsville area there were more than 7 kidnappings by ICE.) Maybe some of you saw the interview with Rev. Kenny Callaghan, who is the pastor at All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church. This church, created by and for LGBTQ people, is located in the historically queer neighborhood where the ICE agent shot Renee Good, who was a woman married to another woman. 

In the interview, Rev. Callaghan tells the story of walking to his church building Wednesday afternoon and seeing a young Latina woman surrounded by ICE agents. He walks over to support her as people all around chant “We are not afraid.” He tells the ICE agents, “Leave her alone. If you have to take someone, take me.” And so they do; they put a gun in his face, zip tie him and put him in their vehicle. Then the taunting begins: “Now are you afraid?” He says he is not. They leave and come back several more times, each time asking him if he is scared yet. Each time he tells them, “No, I am not afraid,” until they finally release him.

My friends, that kind of courage is remarkable and it is not automatic. It is not some kind of magic bravery. That kind of courage comes from knowing you are beloved of God, it comes from being rooted in Love. The waters of baptism are a tangible sign that we are choosing to plant ourselves and grow in the Love of God. And we do not do that alone. In baptism, we join the Beloved Community. The gift of baptism is that we are welcomed into a community of such Belovedness that we are empowered to take risks on behalf of other people. 

When I met with C we talked about baptismal vows. I offered to him, what I offer others, several different ways to articulate the commitments we make in baptism. C chose a newly written set of vows from #935 in the hymnal. You might have heard his grandfather ask him this question: “Will you live without giving into violence and take risks for what is good?” That is a big promise for a 17-year-old to make. This kind of love is not instinctual; is a habit that takes conscious practice. Blessings to you C as you practice living into the way of Jesus, the Way of Love.

Today, we dedicate ourselves to the way of Jesus – and we celebrate C choosing that way for himself in baptism. Some of us were baptized decades ago, some more recently, and some have not experienced the waters of baptism – yet. As we celebrate and mark this occasion with Charlie we have the opportunity to remember again that we are all God’s Beloved. God delights in each of us.

If you would like to receive that affirmation and blessing today, you are invited to come forward while we sing the next hymn. Michelle and I will offer you a blessing of water and the reminder that you are God’s beloved. 

May we all live into this gift and be strengthened by the promise that we are God’s Beloved, God’s delight.