Anna was three. She loved to jump on the bed and into her daddy's arms. She would jump on the bed, higher, higher, warming up. And then she would start telling her dad what to do.
"Take a step back, Daddy! Another one...another one!"
"Is this far enough, Anna?" He would ask, beginning to get nervous.
"No! Not far enough! Another one!!" And then, finally, she was ready.
Daddy would hold out his arms and she would jump, without hesitation or fear, she would jump. She was like a bird, like a superhero flying through the air. She would jump and he would catch her, every time. It was their game. It was so much fun. He always got nervous but she didn't. She knew that he was there, solid and good. She knew that he would always catch her.
Last Thursday, I went to see George Weller in the hospital. George has been a member of this church for many decades. He was bright and chipper and sitting up in bed, in fabulous shape for 93. He was so happy to see me. We talked and prayed together and I found myself saying, "George, you are 93. If you should see Jesus come and open his arms to you, just go to him. It's OK. Just jump."
The very next day, I got a call from George's daughter. He was dying. Could I come and say the last rites? I drove over to the hospital, marveling that Jesus and come to him so quickly. I arrived in his room and he revived a bit, enough to tell me that he was glad I came. "Two days in a row!"he said. I should have felt sad, but I was not. I felt joyful. We gathered around his bed and joined hands. Into your hands, we commit your servant George, we prayed. And I whispered to George, "Great job! You are getting ready to jump!"
But then I knew that I needed to leave. People tend to get excited when I show up. He needed to not be distracted. He was getting ready to jump, after all. So I gave the family my cell phone and I left. It took him three more days to jump. Just a mystery. They are so much alike, dying and being born. I guess it is also a birth, to eternal life.
George's ancestor, Reginald Heber (1783-1826) wrote the famous hymns Holy Holy Holy from the Isaiah reading that we heard today. Coincidence? I don't think so. I think that is the Holy Spirit moving today, telling us that the one who sees and knows all things is with us, urging us to trust that spirit and to jump.
When God asks Isaiah who will go for him, Isaiah jumps. He does not know where he is going or what God is asking him to do, but he just decides to risk it. He jumps and he says to the angels, "Send me!"
Nicodemus was too scared to trust Jesus so he went to a Jesus at night, when no one could see him and no one would know that he went. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. He had a reputation. He did not want to send the wrong message, going to see this radical preacher. Nicodemus was not free to jump. He cared too much about what people thought of him, how to make his decisions, how to be popular. So he snuck to Jesus in the dark to ask Jesus some questions, to see if he was really from God.
Nicodemus asked Jesus about himself and about God and Jesus told him that if he wanted to see God, he must be born of water and the spirit. "You cannot see the Kingdom of heaven unless you are born from above," is what Jesus said. You must be born of water and the spirit in order to know God. You must make the change into another world. You must be born.
Born into what? That's the tough part. If you are to see the kingdom of heaven, you must be born into something that you cannot see. "The wind blows where it will," Jesus explained, "and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from. So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit." They must be born into something that they cannot see and cannot understand, but something that they can feel.
When we are baptized, we are born into something that we cannot see and do not understand. We are born to a life that no longer belongs to us. Outside these walls today, people are sliding down the urban slide, the largest water slide in the nation. But these three children are taking the biggest jump today. They are jumping into eternal life.
Olivia is wearing her princess dress today. She calls this church God's castle, which is perfect since she will be gaining an entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Spencer is our baby, happy and wonderful. Show him pictures of this day, the day of his birth to eternal life. And Jamari, his mom works in the nursery and he is big enough to carry the Holy Spirit dove out of here today.
All three of these children will encounter moments in their lives when they feel terribly alone, when they have to make difficult choices or risk great things. This world is changing fast and becoming Christian is much riskier than going on that water slide. They will grow up in a world where it is no longer standard or normal to actually go to church or be baptized. They may be questioned or even made fun of or ridiculed because of their faith. It may become harder to be Christian. Think of how many people have come here today to slide and how few have come to worship. We are taking risks. We are different. But if you have the courage to live the life of the baptized, Jesus will be standing there always with his hands open, ready to catch you when you are ready to jump.
