18 Nov. 2007 Baptism St. Mary’s, S.I.     I BAPTIZE WITH WATER; BUT AMONG YOU STANDS ONE WHOM YOU DO NOT KNOW, EVEN HE WHO COMES AFTER ME, THE THONG OF WHOSE SANDAL I AM NOT WORTHY TO UNTIE.  HE WILL BAPTIZE WITH WATER AND WITH THE SPIRIT.”     THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PARENTS; I WONDER HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD WILLINGLY AND WITHOUT HESITATION GIVE UP YOUR NEWBORN CHILD FOR ADOPTION WITHIN WEEKS OF HIS OR HER BIRTH?  THAT’S A DIFFICULT QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN CONFRONTED BY MANY.  I IMAGINE THAT THERE MIGHT BE VERY FEW OF US, EVEN UNDER THE SEVEREST OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO CONSIDER SUCH AN ALTERNATIVE.     AND YET, IT IS OUR CUSTOM TO HAVE OUR CHILDREN BAPTIZED, USUALLY AT A VERY EARLY AGE.  AND THOSE OF US WHO HAVE HAD OUR CHILDREN BAPTIZED, HAVE, IN FACT, GIVEN THEM UP FOR ADOPTION.  AND TODAY IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN.     WHEN ___________ WAS BORN, ___________AND___________ BECAME PROUD PARENTS, AND TODAY, AS COUNTLESS THRONGS OF CHRISTIAN PARENTS HAVE DONE FOR CENTURIES, THEY ARE GIVING HER UP FOR ADOPTION IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.     WHY DO THEY DO THAT?  BECAUSE JESUS SAID, “TRULY, TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.... UNLESS ONE IS BORN OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.     LIKE THE REST OF US WHO HAVE CHILDREN, __________ AND _________ WANT THE VERY BEST FOR CHARLOTTE.  THEY WANT HER TO KNOW LOVE – THEY WANT HER TO BE AT PEACE – THEY WANT HER TO LIVE IN JOY.  THEY DESIRE ONLY GOODNESS FOR HER.  THEY ARE WILLING TO AND ALREADY HAVE, MADE SOME SACRIFICES FOR HER: AND TODAY THEY ARE, IN EFFECT, MAKING THE GREATEST SACRIFICE.  THEY ARE GIVING HER UP TO BE REBORN AS HIS ADOPTED CHILD.     WHY TO THEY DO THAT?  BECAUSE THEY KNOW, AS I KNOW, AND AS I HOPE WE ALL KNOW; NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE CARE – NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE LOVE – NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE GIVE OR SACRIFICE – WE ARE GOING TO FAIL IN PROVIDING THE THINGS WE DESIRE MOST FOR OUR CHILDREN.     MONEY CANNOT PROVIDE PEACE.  LOVING CARE CANNOT INSURE HEALTH.  TEACHING CANNOT GUARANTEE FULFILLMENT.  SACRIFICE CANNOT PROTECT US FROM THE ULTIMATE REALITY OF OUR TERMINAL CONDITION.  ALL OF THE GIFTS OF LOVE THAT WE BESTOW UPON OUR CHILDREN WILL FALL SHORT OF PROVIDING THE VERY THINGS THAT COUNT MOST IN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT.     SO, IN LOVE, WE JOYFULLY OFFER OUR CHILDREN FOR ADOPTION – WE SHARE OUR PARENTING WITH GOD THE FATHER, THE GIVER OF PERFECT GIFTS.  IN RETURN, GOD GIVES OUR CHILDREN NEW LIFE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND THEIR NEW BROTHER, JESUS CHRIST.  GOD GIVES OUR CHILDREN A NEW SPIRIT – TO GUIDE THEM IN THAT RELATIONSHIP AND GOD GIVES THEM A NEW DESTINATION AS HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.     THOSE ARE THE GIFTS THAT CHARLOTTE RECEIVE TODAY AND THAT EACH OF US HAVE RECEIVED THROUGH BAPTISM.  IT REMAINS, HOWEVER, THROUGH THE GUIDANCE OF PARENTS, GODPARENTS AND THE FAMILY OF THE CHURCH, FOR CHARLOTTE TO CLAIM THOSE GIFTS.     WITH LOVE, GOD WILL EXTEND HIS HAND TO CHARLOTTE TODAY, AND THEN WITH BOUNDLESS PATIENCE, HE WILL AWAIT HER RESPONSE. THROUGH THE WITNESS OF HIS SON, AND THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD WILL ENCOURAGE CHARLOTTE TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS THAT WE BEGIN HERE TODAY.     THROUGH THE LOVING FELLOWSHIP OF THE CHURCH, GOD WILL FOSTER A DESIRE IN CHARLOTTE FOR THAT FINAL SURRENDER THAT HER PARENTS COULD NOT AND CANNOT ACCOMPLISH FOR HER.  AND SHE WILL CLAIM HER NEW LIFE IN CHRIST FOR HERSELF. ON THAT DAY HER BAPTISM WILL BE COMPLETE – HER REBIRTH ACCOMPLISHED.     AS WE CELEBRATE WITH CHARLOTTE TODAY, MY FRIENDS, ASK YOURSELVES, “HAVE I CLAIMED MY BAPTISMAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD FOR MYSELF?  HAS MY REBIRTH BEEN ACCOMPLISHED?”  OR LIKE THAT OLD MAN, NICODEMUS, ARE YOU STILL SEEKING AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, “WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?”     THE ANSWER HASN’T CHANGED.  “UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN OF WATER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.”  THIS IS A MATTER OF HEART AND SPIRIT.  IT IS NOT A MATTER OF RESOLVING DOUBTS – BUT A MATTER OF LETTING GO OF DOUBTS.      IT IS NOT A MATTER OF MY WILL, BUT OF GOD’S WILL FOR ME.  IT IS NOT A MATTER OF BEING WORTHY, BUT A MATTER OF LOVE.  IT IS NOT A MATTER OF BEING PERFECT, BUT OF BEING FORGIVEN.  IT IS NOT A MATTER OF MY MAKING A SACRIFICE, BUT OF GOD’S SACRIFICE FOR ME     IT IS NOT A MATTER OF THE STRENGTH OF MY FAITH, BUT OF GOD’S AMAZING GRACE.  IT IS NOT A MATTER OF MY GIVING, BUT OF GOD’S GIVING FOR ME.  “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.”     THAT IS THE INHERITANCE THAT AWAITS CHARLOTTE.  THAT IS THE INHERITANCE THAT AWAITS ME.  THAT IS THE INHERITANCE THAT AWAITS ALL WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR BAPTISMS – WHO HAVE TURNED TO JESUS – WHO HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.     I KNOW OF NO OTHER WAY TO CLAIM THAT INHERITANCE.  I KNOW OF NO OTHER GOD WHO OFFERS THAT INHERITANCE.  AND I KNOW OF NO OTHER INHERITANCE THAT I WOULD RATHER HAVE.  AMEN.