Word Made Flesh

Charlotte Collins Reed
Christ Church Episcopal
December 26, 2021

Christmas 1 

          “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.”  In John’s gospel, the story of Jesus begins with these words.  The story begins, not with Jesus’ birth, but with the words “In the beginning.”   John’s gospel takes us all the way back to creation, then spends the entirely of that gospel describing the way God’s grace and truth were revealed through Jesus.

          Into that story, the story that begins with creation and continues through the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we will baptize Sofia and Anabella this morning.  In baptism, we are joined with the Word made Flesh in his death and resurrection.  Jesus’ story becomes our story and we become part of that story. Jesus’ miracles become our story.  Jesus’ teachings become our story.  That does not mean that we are capable of doing everything that Jesus did.  We certainly do not become Jesus in baptism.  But in baptism, Jesus’s story becomes part of the very fabric of our being.

How, then, do we live as people in whom the Word made flesh now dwells and through whom the grace and truth of God is revealed? 

          Our baptismal covenant, which we renew at every baptism, spells out for us some of the ways Jesus calls us to live as people who are joined with him through the waters of baptism.  Our baptismal covenant tells us that as people of grace and truth, we are to continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers.   We commit to gathering for worship, prayer, and study so that we are strengthened for this life by connecting with God and each other in these ways.  When we make mistakes, we don’t run from God and the community of faith, but we turn from those mistakes and try again.  As people whose story is joined with that of Jesus, we seek and serve Christ, the word made flesh, in all people.  We proclaim the good news of God in Christ with both our words and our actions, taking care that our words and our actions send the same message.  And we respect the dignity of every human being.   Through these actions, we strive to live as people of grace and truth showing the world that the Word made Flesh continues to dwell among us.

          Into the fellowship of the Body of Christ, into the story of the Word made flesh, into the community of people who strive to live as people of grace and truth, we baptize Anabella and Sofia this morning.     Amen.