When I hear this scripture it makes me want to sit and enjoy being a Beloved Child of God, and so may you want to enjoy being a Beloved Child of God. Jesus heard a voice from heaven saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well-pleased.” While we may not hear an actual voice at our baptism, this is the same God who blesses and enlivens us as a Beloved Child of God.
A few years ago, though, I had a rude awakening about being a Child of God. My awakening came in the form of wondering if “Child of God” is something we should stay in or grow out of. And, maybe we should have grown out of being a Child of God a long time ago.
The awakening occurred when I read an
article by my primary mentor in ordained leadership, The Rev Dr. Rob Voyle of Clergy Leadership Institute. His article asked the question: What would happen
to us and to the world, if instead of being Children of God, we grew up and
became “Adults of God?”
Let me be clear, I am absolutely and
firmly convinced that like any child, to become an Adult of God you first need
to know you are a Beloved Child of God. But I’m convinced for most of us, this
knowledge of being a Beloved Child of God comes in bits and pieces rather
than as a whole or a startling revelation. The realization that we are Beloved
Children of God is a growing sense of the loving presence of God in our lives.
Jesus was blessed at his baptism by actually hearing the voice of God
tell him he was God’s beloved Son. Jesus heard the voice at his baptism and we also
are claimed at our baptism as Beloved Children of God.
We, too, are blessed by the knowledge we are Beloved Children of God,
but unfortunately we’re not always able to hear it as directly as Jesus did. Perhaps it is because for many of us, other noises get in the way of our
listening to the voice of God. Beloved Children of God get distracted. There
are so many voices calling them to work and play they aren’t always sure which
voice is the true voice: the One who calls us grow up from Beloved Children of
God to do God’s Holy Work as Adults of God.
So what does it mean to be an Adult of God? What differentiates or sets
apart an Adult of God from a Child of God? How do we grow from a Child of God
into an Adult of God? And how do we, as Adults of God, still retain that deep
sense of being beloved by God?
According to my mentor, to grow up and become an Adult of God, we need
to stop whining and do something. We need to stop blaming others and accept our
own part in whatever mess we’re in. Even if we think the only reason we’re
responsible is because we happen to be a human being. And, most importantly, we
need to accept our responsibility for being part of the solution.
God gives us the ability to make choices. Each day we are faced with
choices. We can choose to live in fear or to live in love. Growing into being
an Adult of God means choosing to live in love. Growing into being an Adult of
God means God's vision becomes our vision. St. Augustine once wrote when there
are two interpretations of scripture, we must always choose the interpretation
of love. And this is what we must do to become Adults of God. We must turn away
from fear and turn toward the love that embraces both the vision and action of
God. We must claim ourselves as Adults of God through our actions. Our actions
become seeking that love and discovering how can we make that love shine
brighter, not just in our own lives, but also in the lives of others and in the
world.
Today, on this Sunday after the Epiphany, when we celebrate the Feast of
the Baptism of Our Lord, we repeat our baptismal vows as we would if there was
a baptism to celebrate. When we repeat our baptismal vows we remember we are
incorporated into the Body of Christ as Beloved Children of God, called to
grown up as Beloved Adults of God. Listen closely as we repeat our baptismal
vows today and think about how these vows we have taken prod us, call us, and
urge us, to grow into the full stature of Christ, to become Adults of God.
These vows call us away from the self-absorbed life to a life that is God
absorbed.
We believe in a God who is not self-absorbed. We follow a Christ who is
not self-absorbed. If we want to grow into Adults of God we too must be people
who are not self-absorbed. We must become Adults of God who are absorbed in
God’s word and world, living out that word in the world. How will each of us,
knowing we are God’s Beloved Children, become Beloved Adults of God to the
world? AMEN.
The Rev Nicolette Papanek
©2016
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