FIRE AND WATER

Walt Disney's "The Lion King" opens as animals from all over the African savanna gather to meet a new prince, the recently born cub of the Lion King.

Raike the Baboon, like a priest or shaman, anoints the cub's forehead with the juice of a fruit and the dust of the ground.  He then takes the cub, holding him high before the gathered animals and presents little Simba to them.  A shaft of sunlight breaks through the clouds and beams down upon the cub.

Simba's life journey has officially begun.

A long, long time ago, another prince, the Prince of Peace, came to the Jordan River and presented himself to John the Baptist and asked to be baptized.  As Jesus rose from the waters of the Jordan, God introduced him:  "This is my son, with whom I am well pleased."  Then Christ was anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.  This was the same Holy Spirit that took the form of a mighty wind and anointed the gathered disciples with tongues of flame on Pentecost, about three years after Jesus' own baptism.

After that, Jesus officially began his public ministry.

When we were baptized, the minister or priest called us by name and baptized us with water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  We were claimed by God as God's own, introduced to the gathered congregation, and welcomed into the fellowship of the Body of Christ.

In some faith traditions, the baptized person is then anointed with oil and the Holy Spirit invoked.  In our tradition, we use the words, "The Holy Spirit work within you ..."

Baptism is the the outward sign of God's inner work in our lives.  By grace through Jesus Christ, we are reborn by water and the Spirit, by Holy Fire and cleansing mercy.  At our baptism, we publicly begin our journey as servants and disciples of Christ.

Jesus said, in John 15:8:  "My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples."

Fruitfulness is a mark of discipleship and of a Christian life.  To be fruitful is to cultivate an inner life with God which results in the outward impact we have on the lives of others and on the conditions of this world.  The vows made at baptism are promises to produce fruit in our lives.  We are only able able to keep these promises when we allow Christ to work through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So, remember your baptism and be thankful because of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Remember your baptism and be fruitful, for you are born of water and the fire of the Holy Spirit.

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