May 30, 2004; The Day of Pentecost Readings: Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:4-13; John 20:19-23; Psalm 104:25-37.   The Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith Sealed by the Spirit The Day of Pentecost is often called the birthday of the church. The Holy Spirit came to lead the disciples as they began to work out what it would mean to follow Jesus even though they could see him no longer. Jesus had risen from the dead to be their Savior; he had ascended into heaven to intercede for them; Jesus had promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide them. The disciples were working out their understanding of community as the body of Christ in the world. On this day, we remember that Jesus would not leave the disciples comfortless. The Holy Spirit—the Holy Comforter—came with great power into the world—to guide those who seek to follow Jesus, and to bring others into fellowship with God through Christ. Today we are baptizing five individuals. Pentecost is designated as a day for baptisms and for good reason. Through baptism a person becomes a Christian. Through baptism a person becomes part of the church—part of the church’s story and part of the church’s witness to the world. Every person is loved and cared for by God. Through baptism, one is drawn close to God’s heart through Jesus Christ. As that first day of Pentecost showed, everyone has access to God through Christ in a way that is personal and forever. Whatever language you speak, God speaks that language too. After a person is baptized, I make the sign of the cross with oil on that person’s forehead saying "you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever. The Holy Spirit is here with us today. It is the Spirit who brings us to this point and takes forward by grace. It is the Holy Spirit who takes individuals and unites us as the body of Christ forever. The mark of baptism can never be erased. We who have been baptized are marked as Christ’s own forever. No matter what we do—no matter what anyone does to us—nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. What a delight and joy it is to welcome John, Justin, Molly, Mya and Demon into Christ’s fellowship on this day. Through your baptisms today you remind us of the power of the Spirit. Your baptisms are a gift to all of us in many ways—one of which is by providing a visible demonstration of the Holy Spirit in action. On this day of Pentecost, we remember the power of the Spirit to touch our lives and to transform our world. We remember the power of the Spirit to unite us for good. We remember that we are a family not by our own design, but because the Spirit binds us to each other through our Savior Jesus Christ. As Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians, in the one Spirit we are all baptized into one body. We are united, but not in a way that negates our individuality. Rather our individual gifts are valued equally because they all come from the same Lord. There are a variety of gifts—we hear in first Corinthians, there are a variety of services and activities. All are valuable and can be used by the Spirit for good. There will be people try to evaluate you based on their criteria. It is important for us all to remember, especially those who are still young and in school, always remember that you are of value—great value. You are God’s wonderful creation. I met with a financial planner this week—very worldly thing for me to do. Hey, being spiritual doesn’t mean we should not be practical. Right? Even during that very practical tutorial on mutual funds and retirement plans, I couldn’t help but think theologically. The financial planner asked me at one point in our conversation, "What is your net worth?" Hmmm. I’m a priest...I was in school forever....What is my net worth? "Priceless." There are a variety of gifts but the same spirit. There are a variety of services, but the same Lord. There are a variety of activities, but the same God who activates all of them in everyone. You are priceless to God. Your value cannot be measured by any worldly standard. The Spirit seeks to bring you close to God for your fulfillment and to be a gift to the world. Through baptism we are marked as Christ’s own forever and we are priceless to God. God is not going to let us go. God seeks to unite us for our common salvation. Today John, Justin, Molly, Mya, and Damon become united with God through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. They become part of the body of Christ—to their benefit and to ours. Baptism is an intensely personal experience; but it is one we celebrate in community. The Spirit touches each of our lives and brings us together. The personal and the communal find their unity through the Spirit in the life of the church. On Pentecost, we remember the start of the church. We remember, and, today, we continue the church’s story as we welcome persons into Christ’s fellowship. There is one Body and one Spirit; There is one hope in God’s call to us; One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism; One God and Father of all. Amen.