This sermon was preached at the Baptism of a baby named Rylee.
By The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor
What is a sacrament?
In the church, a sacrament is defined as an “outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” Put in more understandable terms, a sacrament is something that we can see that points to something wonderful inside us. And that wonderful thing is grace, a gift given to us by God without any restriction. Just a free, wonderful, amazing gift of love, that is placed inside us.
Today, as we baptise Rylee, she is receiving a sacrament…the visible sign is the water and the gift she receives, the gift of grace, is becoming part of a new family, the body of Christ. And the most remarkable thing about this sacrament is that Rylee doesn’t have to do anything special to receive it…God loves Rylee exactly as she is, loves her so much that God gives her a family that will love her too.
Each one of us here, who have also been baptised, have also received this gift. But for a lot of us this is difficult to accept. Do we believe that we are loved exactly as we are? That there is not a single thing about us that we have to change for God to love us, for others to love us? For so many, receiving any gift, let alone one with not a single condition, can be a challenge. We can be very cruel to ourselves, thinking we are awful, we are unlovable, we are unworthy.
But baptism reminds us that God does not see us in this way, God loves us as we are. God pours God’s blessing into our lives and God doesn’t ask anything from us in return.
And with God’s love at the heart of Baptism, this is what Rylee will experience as she grows up. At some point in her life, Rylee will know difficulties, will have hard things happen that will make her feel sad and alone. When she is struggling, we are called to remind her of the gift she receives today…that she is so truly loved and she is never alone. She is part of a Christian family that includes not only her parents and siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, but also all of us here, every Christian across the globe. No matter where she is, Rylee will always have people who love her, who remind her that God loves her too.
And being loved, receiving such a special gift, asks something of Rylee. That as she grows up, she spreads this love beyond herself to others. Rylee is a blessing to this world and her call is to go out and bless others, to love those who are different, to embrace those who have nowhere to go, to be a beacon of light in the darkness. Because the gifts Rylee receives in her Baptism are not just for her to keep to herself, but for her to share.
So today, is a very special day for Rylee, when she will receive a sacrament, God’s amazing gift of grace, of love, placed within her, a wonderful, new, gigantic family, who will always remind her how loved she is, what a blessing she is. And as we gather to celebrate Rylee, welcome her into our family, we are reminded of our own baptism and what God has given to us…because anyone who receives this sacrament, has the love and blessing of God, has a Christian family too, and is truly a blessing to this world.
Amen.
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