Immersed in the Ways of God


This sermon can be listened to here

Gate Pa – 2nd Sunday in Advent- Year A = 2019 
Readings: 
Psalm -          Psalm: 72:1-7, 18-19
Reading-       Isaiah 11:1-10
Gospel -         Matthew 3:1-12                                        

What I want to say:Introduce Advent and baptism as time to be immersed into the values and practices of the way of God - living out God’s will being done on earth as in heaven. Use the video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtyA5bKvClU 
What I want to happen:
·        What does God’s will look like?
·        How does Advent help us live it out?

The Sermon

      1.     Introduction:

Advent
-         4 Sundays before Christmas
-         Time preparation
-         Temptation is to see it as time preparation Christmas
o   Like lent is for Good Friday and Easter
-         Much bigger
-         Time preparation for coming of the Christ
o   In history (includes Xmas but is whole Jesus thing)
o   In mystery (now)
o   In majesty (all God hopes for comes to be)
§  When God’s hope, joy, love, peace/shalom reigns

      2.     John Baptist

Being 2nd Sunday Advent we get reading about John the Baptiser
-         Each gospel writers present John in Matthews take on John has an emphasis on repentance
-         Often think repentance is about being sorry or feeling guilty
o   Like advent – a lot more to it
-         Greek for repentance - metanoeo/μετανοέω
o   Literally means “bigger mind”
o   Embracing different way of seeing world and living in that world
o   Letting go of the values and practices of the old age
o   Embracing values practices of way of God
-         What might that look like this Christmas?

      3.     Advent Conspiracy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtyA5bKvClU
-         How do you respond to that?

      4.     Baptism

-         Today we are baptising Charlotte Rose
-         Yvonne’s great grand daughter
-         What is baptism?
Ø Ask the question
Talk about story of our baptism symbol
As we symbolically immerse Charlotte into waters baptism
Immersing her into values and practices of God
Immersing her into Gods compassion for all
God’s generosity
God’s hospitality
God’s justice
God’s shalom/peace
-         Shālōm means: peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquillity
-         when a true state of ‘wholeness’ and ‘completeness’ exists, ‘peace’ reigns
as we baptise her
we pray that Charlotte will grow up shaped by these values
taught practices by Yvonne and others
-         that is one wonderful roles grandparents and great grandparents
joining in God’s work in bringing shalom

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