St John the Baptist  (Luke Ch 1:57-66,80)

Today we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist and what greater way to celebrate it than the baptism of Amy and Daniel, part of that long line of Christians` baptised over the last two thousand years.

The beginning of the Gospel reading reminded us of the problems of choosing the name.     You may have a list of names but until you see your baby it’s often difficult to decide.    How much easier it should have been for Elizabeth and Zechariah – the first born son would be called after his father.    But Elizabeth had been visited by an angel and told his name would be John, and against the wishes of the relatives she stuck with it.     Zechariah, who had been struck dumb by God knew he had to act and he wrote down the name John, and at that moment his speech came back.

He could speak again because he had listened to the Lord – if we do not hear the word of God we cannot speak it, and that is true for us if we do not listen to God we cannot proclaim the Gospel.

John The Baptist grew in faith, became the last prophet called by God and he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, he baptised people in the river Jordan, and one of those people was Jesus our Saviour, who taught us the real meaning of Baptism, the gaining of new life through water and the Holy Spirit.

In Baptism parents and God-parents are called on to answer questions on behalf of the child being baptised.

But it is more than that, it is not just for today,  they are called on to listen to God, listen to the gospels, the stories about Jesus and pass them on..      For small children need someone to help them understand the Word of God, to bring the Gospels alive, to show them the meaning of God’s love for us.

Let us compare how babies develop with our journey to faith.    As babies come to recognise their parents, so we come to recognise  God in our lives, and if we could see God face to face I am sure we would see the same smile of delight that a baby sees when it acknowledges it’s parents for the first time.   For God is our parent, who loves each one of us more than we can know and all he asks of us is that we love him and serve him.   

Babies become toddlers, then children and finally adults and this also mirrors our journey of faith.    As we grown we become mature enough to understand what following Christ means and we become confirmed into the Church, as Karen, Alice, Laura, Olga, Toby and Wally were on Tuesday, and we welcome them as they begin the next part of their journey of faith.   

This journey of faith in which we turn to God for guidance, to the family of the church for support and as young people to our parents and God-parents for the love and understanding that sustains faith as we continue our journey towards the Kingdom.

‘The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness  until the day he appeared publicly to Israel’  for us that day is when we leave the wilderness of our earthly life  and as our brother David has done we appear in our heavenly home to meet Jesus face to face.  

Amy and Daniel we welcome you as you join each one of us on our journey of faith.

Amen.