Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 10 January 2010, first Sunday after Epiphany, by the Rev. Phyllis Wong. The scripture readings that day were Isaiah 43:1-7 and Luke 3:15-17; 21-22.


Opening prayer:
God of love, may your word inspire us and the spirit leads us to your truth. Amen.

Introduction
Have you noticed any change in the altar that is different from last week? (What are missing? --- bingo: yes, the Christmas tree, the Poinsettia 聖誕花, the wreath of candles) The removal of all the above from the altar indicates that the Advent and the Christmas season is over. The season of Epiphany begins this week according to the church liturgical calendar.

Epiphany comes from the Greek word ‘epiphaneia’ or ‘theophaneia’, meaning ‘appearance’ or 'manifestation’. Epiphany reveals the divine presence of God through human flesh in Jesus Christ. The feast of the Epiphany on January 6 symbolizes Jesus Christ, who was the man born to be King, took on the human flesh to be identified with humanity. This is also an unfolding season that honors the public life and witness of Jesus Christ. Epiphany starts with the baptism of Jesus by John in the River Jordan.

Today is the first Sunday after the Epiphany and the Baptism Sunday to celebrate and remember our Lord Jesus’ baptism and to reflect on how it is related to our life of faith. Our church has also arranged baptism sacrament for sisters and brothers who wish to receive baptism on this special day.

The meaning of baptism and its significance
Christian baptism is the sacrament of initiation into a life in Christ. It marks the beginning of the journey of faith and discipleship that lasts throughout one’s life.
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The person who is baptized is usually called a ‘born again Christian’. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 3:22, a dove was used to symbolize the Holy Spirit. When we read the ancient biblical text, dove was a symbolism pointing to Noah in the Old Testament (Genesis 8), who sent out a dove to search for dry land after the flood. Dove is thus a symbol of re-birth. Therefore, baptism has a meaning of rebirth. The rebirth of Christians in baptism is completed by Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Baptism is significant to a person who has decided to be baptized. Baptism induces a commitment for a start of a new life. That’s why we used to call people who are baptized born-again Christians. They are new creations with a different life path which is engaged fully in our Lord Jesus Christ. In 2 Cor 5:17, it says “so if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything has become new!” Baptism is thus an important sacrament for the baptized to declare a life commitment to God to follow Jesus’ words and deeds, to obey God and fulfill his will and mission.

A new life in Christ through baptism
Baptism is also symbolized as the washing of sins in life. In Luke 3:3, it described a scene in which John the Baptist went to the region around Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. From Apostle Paul’s teaching in his early church ministry, he had also highlighted to his followers that God’s forgiveness has washed away our sins for those who are truly repent. (1 Cor 6:11) Those who are cleansed and pardoned by Christ receive in baptism a fresh start in life and a new ethical orientation. Christians have to reflect always on their own attitude and behavior. Self critical examination and a willingness to seek forgiveness and to change is important when a person begins to engage in a new life in Christ. In Hong Kong we live in a very busy world we therefore have to make additional efforts to reserve some time for silence with God, to hear his word and understand his will to us and to the world that we live in.

Baptism is portrayed as a rebirth by the Holy Spirit and the baptized Christians receive this gift of Spirit. (John 3:5; Acts 2:38) The descent of the Holy Spirit in baptism gives the baptized power to lead a life in Christ. We Christians have to remember and live in faith of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism also goes with the joining of the baptized to the church as a new member. Incorporation is another indication of baptism in the New Testament. The baptized Christian is united with Christ and Christ’s body the church. The newly baptized will then be united with other members of the body. (Eph 2:19, ‘so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God) Members in the community of faith are all equal and should receive each other with respect. (Galatians 3:28) The joining of new members to a faith community is a great joy as they are new blood to the body of Christ that bring life and energy. While the new members find way to involve deeper in the community of faith, the current members receive them warmly and help them to grow in Christ.

Jesus’ baptism: I would like to talk about Jesus’ baptism
Jesus has no sins but he took the initiative to let John baptized him like other people who seek forgiveness of sins through baptism. Why? The participation of Jesus has demonstrated his full identification with humanity which is broken and difficult.

.A new life in Christ through baptism, the very first thing that we learn from Jesus was his incarnation to the world and identification with humanity. In Jesus’ ministry, he healed the sick, befriended with the outcast, preached the good news of liberation to people who were enslaved. Jesus never stayed away from people. All his words and deeds had given us good examples to follow.

In our community in HK and many parts of the world, we have seen many Christians engaged in different missionaries by leaving their home countries and go to a foreign land to serve the local people over there. Mother Theresa is one of those who is so familiar to us. The compassionate love of Mother Theresa to the poor and the sick has moved many people. There is another example closer to us that I would like to share this morning. He is our friend, Tobias Brandner, Gabi his wife is our member in KUC. Tobias was my teacher when I took my theological course at Chung Chi Divinity School. Tobias obtained a PhD in theology and comes from a developed country --- Switzerland (a place where many people including myself dream of going). Tobias is teaching in the Chung Chi Divinity School right now. But he is very passionate to serve in the prison’s ministry. When he first came to Hong Kong, as far as I knew he served full time in the prison ministry. Now he still goes there regularly. I had once joined a visit to the prison led by Tobias when I was his student in Chung Chi. I observed that the prisoners were very pleased to see Tobias visiting them. Tobias’s friendly visit demonstrated his love to the people. His mere presence indicates his acceptance to the prisoners who have been discriminated and despised by many people of the society. The prison is a long way away that takes an hour and a half hour for a single trip. For a return trip, it takes three hours. You can imagine it is quite tiring. But Tobias does that regularly. He does not only go by himself but he also organizes theological students to go together, to bring love and joy of God to the friends in prison. Therefore, a simple presence is a great recognition and support to others especially those who are marginalized and neglected. The presence of love requires efforts and heart to give, of course.

Last Friday, a demonstration was held outside the LegCo building to stand against a vote for funding the Express Rail Link from Guangdong to HK. Several Christian Organizations, such as the HK Christian Institute, the Justice and Peace Committee of the Catholic Diocese, and the Justice and Social Concern Committee of the HK Christian Council were involved in this action. (I was recently elected as the chairperson for the Justice and Social Concern Committee of the HK Christian Council) Therefore I went there to show my support. The way the Christian groups participated was to set up an ‘add-oil counter’ by providing free water, bread and spring roll to people coming to support the action. Bruce went to the LegCo in the evening as well. I expected the evening on Friday could be very cold. But it was less cold than I expected. I saw a woman who brought a big container of hot red bean desert to the ‘add oil counter’. She said the weather was cold and she thought that people might need something hot to eat so as to keep them warm. I was moved by her generous ad thoughtful action. The Christian groups were also social witnesses to God for bringing love and care through the distribution of food and drink. The presence of the Christian community has indicated the church’s stand for justice, in terms of a stand on the side of the vulnerable and the marginalized people such as the residents from Tsoi Yuen Village: some of the residents who came to the demonstration that evening were elderly. They came to fight for keeping their homes and refuse to move because they take Tsoi Yuen Village as their home. Evacuation of residents from Tsoi Yuen Village is only one of the issues related to the construction of the Express Link proposed by the government, there are other issues like the huge budget for such construction and the routes that were chosen. The proposed budget is 66.9 billion. There are many queries from the public for this rail construction. There are different views for the Rail Project, one of those is not to construct Express Rail at all, while an option by another professional network offered an alternative proposal that costs less financially and creates less social cost. But the government wants to get the funding approved as soon as possible by the LegCo. The support and presence of people from diverse backgrounds for a common purpose of public good and justice that have impacted another miracle in HK, namely, that the LegCo meeting has to be deferred, again.

This Rail Link Project induces a lot of controversial issues and problems yet to be resolved, they include the proper use of public fund, suffering of the mother earth as the natural environment may be damaged when the construction is carried out, vulnerable residents who have little bargaining power when they are asked to move their homes for the rail construction. Churches in Hong Kong should be concerned about this and take actions for justice.

When we say people start to engage their life in Jesus through the baptism. Baptism is therefore never a simple individual gain for a better life. On the contrary, it is a life of giving to others and a concern to the community as a whole. Jesus’ baptism reminds us that Jesus took up the call from God to engage in the world fully and to save all humanity.

A new life in Christ is not something that remains in theory or just kept in the mind. Change requires our willingness and prayerful actions.

James 2:26. “so faith without works is dead.” We have a good model in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is given to believers and it is a powerful sign to help Christians to revive and grow. The pulpit fall today is white for this is to commemorate our Lord’s baptism. The liturgical color white implies newness and hope in the year to come.
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Today, we have three candidates to be baptized. Amongst us, there are many sisters and brothers who had been baptized some time ago. For baptized Christians, we had all responded to God’s calling with commitment in our baptism sacrament.

To conclude my sermon today, I would like to quote a teaching from a leader of the Reformation in the 16th Century, Martin Luther. He said Christian should live each day with the same calling and grace as the day he or she was baptized, to dutifully carry out his or her life commitment at the baptism.