So here we are, already at the 3rd Sunday in Advent, a day where we rejoice with joy and singing, and today we have even more reason to rejoice, as we come together for the baptism of Amelia!
That wonderful reading from the Old Testament must surely have given each of us a sense or a feeling of delight and elation with its beautiful language: ‘the desert shall rejoice and blossom’ and ‘the crocus shall rejoice with joy and singing’. Words such as majesty and glory are used. We are asked to be strong and not fear and we hear the joy as miracles happen. How can we fail to be uplifted, how could we not want to be together worshiping our incredible God when we hear such wonderful and uplifting messages from our Bible?
As Advent continues, so we continue with our spotlight on different journeys of faith and it’s fabulous to think that today, as Amelia is baptised, so too starts another journey with God – and we hope and pray that Amelia will walk beside God throughout her life. In fact, we will all make promises on her behalf, that we will support and nurture her in that journey.
It is also very pertinent that today we hear John the Baptist speaking in our gospel reading. Jesus actually talks of John as the greatest man on earth, someone special, an embodiment of Old Testament philosophy. Of course, we know that John baptised Jesus – another reminder of the significance of baptism. In fact, I suppose for me, baptism is where my journey with God started, even though, like Amelia, as a baby, other people made promises on my behalf. However, I am so glad that they did, allowing me that opportunity to be part of God’s family right from being a tiny child.
But what about my journey with God since? [My answers to this are based around a series of questions asked on the day in church.]
How did God speak to me about becoming a priest?
I’m not convinced he did, certainly not straight away anyway. I grew up in the era when School was predominantly Christian – we learnt a little about other faiths, but we prayed, sang hymns, had Bible readings – and occasionally I’d go off to church with my Mum on a Sunday. I don’t recall church as exciting, just something to be done and I quite readily drifted away from it as I got older and then married a non-Christian.
The worry for me is that I could have stayed in that place! But God had other ideas. I became a Brown Owl and my monthly trips to church for ‘colour parade’ became a time of sanctuary – I felt a pull to be in that place, but I didn’t know why.
In time when my daughter was baptised at 9 months old – she’s 24 now, I knew that the promise I had made on her behalf had to be upheld, and so the two of us started to go to church, just on a Sunday, a couple of times a month.
When my daughter was about 7 a new vicar arrived, small, dynamic and utterly God focused. Things began to change very rapidly and within days she was pushing me to sign up for her new Alpha course. My answer was No – why on earth would I need that? I’m a Christian, I come to church… She persisted, “Look at the list”, she said, “everyone signed up are from the same family. I need you, you must sign up,” and so I did. I learnt some of the nuts and bolts of Christianity, the food was good and I returned diligently week on week.
There was going to be a special spirit day as part of the course; it happened to be the same day as I was taking the children to see Disney on Ice in Birmingham! However, somehow, I made it for the morning session before rushing off. But God knew I was only there for a short time and I was completely filled with the Holy Spirit – I couldn’t get up from my seat. That day my relationship with God changed, it became personal, and I firmly believe that was a great turning point in my journey as a Christian.
How did I know this was God speaking to me?
Life moved along and I became more involved in church activities, I then had the opportunity to train as a teacher. Throughout all of these years my faith grew and grew, I knew Jesus as my absolute rock, even throughout the difficult times. It was only when I moved to teach at a new school that I felt God was seeking my attention in a more demanding way.
I couldn’t get away from God! Everywhere I went his voice was loud and clear, he was asking me to pray for the weak and broken in that neighbourhood. The request was persistent. And so I went, come rain, come shine, off into that community every day, praying without ceasing – being obedient to God. I couldn’t not do it, it felt like there was a piece of elastic between God and I and very gently he was tugging on it. In time God started to wake me in the night with words, pictures, scripture and hymn verses and bright lights – I was driven to get out of bed and kneel in prayer – one night my name was called out verbally. It was so very personal that I couldn’t share what was happening with anyone; I knew it was God but I had no idea what it meant. During this time, I was given a very clear image, more than once, of me administering communion in an outside space – the place was familiar, but the people were unfamiliar – I tried to make sense of this and of the other things, but I just couldn’t, things just felt chaotic and in free-fall.
So, what happened next?
Eventually, with prompting, I blurted out everything that was going on with God to my Vicar. We arranged to meet later that week and talk things through and from there I began to speak with many more people, particularly Vocations Advisors – to help me to understand what God might be calling me to do or to be. I told and re-told my story, over and over – but also during this time other things started to happen. I received an email from a longstanding non-Christian friend – it said ‘I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that you are taking steps to work for the church, good luck with that journey’ – a totally out of character message. A lady I had worked with for less than a year waited until things were quiet one day, and asked me if I had ever considered doing a different sort of job. I was rather taken aback, asking if she didn’t think I was very good at the one I was doing! Her answer: ‘well I just think you should be a Vicar’. This kind of thing happened again and again, mostly from non-Christians, and none of them knew anything of what I was going through.
I soon learnt the art of patience. We don’t always have to know how things will turn out, we can, and need, to be open to the now – every tiny little bit of my journey was a step forward – a step forward in utter faith. God had spent years transforming and growing that faith in me – his child – now I had to follow it blindly and trust completely.
The miracle of faith is incredible, a source of joy, a reason to rejoice, but it can also be hard and demanding. When God calls, and he calls all of us but not always in the same way, we need to be obedient in listening to discover what he is calling us to. Jesus came quietly and humbly to carry out his role, no one expected a Messiah to come in this way! Can we come humbly before our God, listen, and do as he wills?
The miracles we heard about in our readings were a sign of the reign of God in the world, and it’s clear that these miracles happened among a whole range of people, different classes, cultures, ages and ability – mostly the downtrodden. Jesus set out to include the excluded – and I feel very much that this is part of the role that God has called me to.
Jesus came quietly, and humbly carried out his role – now his presence needs to be apparent through those of us who belong to his body. He looks to us to fulfill his mission here in this world, here in this city and a non-negotiable part of that is including the excluded. I hope and pray that my journey continues to move forward and as it does my ministry can be to all – inclusive not exclusive, bringing God’s healing and love to all who need a share of it. Another reason, I feel, to rejoice!
Service: Reverend Rebecca Yates 11th December 2022. (St John the Baptist Church Peterborough UK)
Referenced Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10 / James 5:7-10 / Matthew 11:2-11