Breaking the Grip of the Rip

Kids, please check out this short video about rip current safety!

Have you ever encountered a rip current? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA:

"Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that are prevalent along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes. Moving at speeds of up to eight feet per second, rip currents can move faster than an Olympic swimmer. Panicked swimmers often try to counter a rip current by swimming straight back to shore—putting themselves at risk of drowning because of fatigue. Lifeguards rescue tens of thousands of people from rip currents in the U.S. every year, but it is estimated that 100 people are killed by rip currents annually."

Here’s what to do if you encounter a rip current:  

1. Stay calm 
2. Float 
3. Call for help
3. Swim if you can in a different direction than the rip current (parallel to shore). 

Jesus was a master at navigating rip currents. 

Jesus Stayed Calm

After his baptism in the Jordan, Jesus dove into the middle of some turbulent waters in Roman-occupied Judea. He stayed calm and undaunted by stormy seas. 

Jesus Could Float

Christ came as one of us to be immersed in life with us, to swim in the dangerous waters of life and show us how to float above life's swirling and whirling currents.

Jesus Called for Help

Jesus knew how to ask (his heavenly Father) for help when he needed it. He prayed often and taught his disciples to do likewise.

Jesus Chose to Swim in a Different Direction

Jesus was deeply immersed in the traditions of his Jewish culture, yet his call or mission seemed to be to challenge some of its practices. Jesus told his followers that he did not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but rather to fulfill them. He came to introduce a "new thing."

Baptism by John

In the ancient world, faithful Jews practiced ritual purification by wading in pools known as mikvehs. When John "the Baptizer" started preaching and teaching, he brought the same kind of baptism (in Greek, "immersion") to his students. The new thing here was that John was doing the dunking. John’s baptism was also a little different in that it emphasized repentance rather than purification. 

That Jesus insisted John baptize him despite his hesitation has puzzled the church. It’s curious, right? Why would God need to be baptized by a human? In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us John’s baptism will “fulfill all righteousness.” (Mt 3:13-17)

 It seems Jesus is doing some heavy-duty fulfilling and revealing. Jesus' baptism by water and the Holy Spirit identifies him as the Christ, revealing the nature of the Messiah’s mission: that he would be crucified, buried, and resurrected. Jesus’ baptism also reveals the Trinity in the baptism of the Son, the voice of the Father, and the descent of the dove, the Holy Spirit.

My Two Cents

It seems to me as though Jesus shows respect for his cousin John by asking to participate in his ritual. (We might think about this when encountering different faith traditions.) In the waters of baptism, we affirm to ourselves, our community, and God that we want to live like Jesus, a life in which God comes first, and we do our best to love everyone, even our enemies. 

Baptism is counter-cultural, and following Jesus can sometimes feel like we're swimming against the current. We might even feel at times like we're being pulled out to sea, away from the love of God and neighbor. Thinking about our baptism can remind us of the dangers of sin, which, like a strong rip current, can pull us away from God’s love. But our baptism reminds us that God is always here for us, no matter what. Baptism with water, regardless of our age at baptism, is for a lifetime! For followers of Jesus, Baptism can be kind of like an emergency first-aid kit!

In Case of Emergency

Curiously, the bible is a little fuzzy about who can administer baptism and how it is to be done, but the Book of Common Prayer mentions something called “emergency baptism.”  The rubric (directions) toward the end of the service states that “In case of emergency, any baptized person may baptize.” The rite also makes clear the essential requirements: use of water and the Trinitarian form, ie, “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (BCP, 313-314)

Remember...

If we ever feel like we’re caught in life's rip currents, we can remember the safety rules: Stay calm, call for help, try to float or swim, not fighting against the current but choosing a different direction.

We can remember Jesus’s baptism and his deep understanding and love for us. Through Jesus' baptism, we glimpse God's amazing creative power. We can remember our own baptism. In baptism, we are remembered - literally put back together - in Christ, through Christ, to be the Body of Christ in the world! Jesus shows us all this (and more!) in his baptism. And in his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus teaches us how to navigate scary waters and, ultimately, to overcome the world (Jn 16:33). 

Love,

Curate Connie💛