Easter 3 26th April 2009

I was taken for a suicide on my day off.

I went on the train to Eastbourne and walked the Seven Sisters to Seaford crossing the Cuckmere at low tide. Great day.

Interesting day. I was catching my breath here (show book) at Beachy Head, lying on the grass checking my iPhone. Two chaplains came up to check on me. Was I sending a farewell e mail they wondered? I’ve been your Rector for less than a month so suicide watch was a little premature!

Anyway another Rector came into conversation with the chaplains. Parson Darby was Rector of Beachy Head in the early 18th century and led the campaign for the first light house. He was so distressed at the people dying through shipwreck on the rocks he hollowed out a cave, Darby’s Hole, and lit his own little light in it. The Rector spent many a stormy night in it. He saved 300 sailors altogether and died of pneumonia in the end.

The Rector lit his little light to prepare the way for the big light’s coming as it did from 1828.

This morning we’re baptising Archie and Olivia (infants). We’re lighting a little light until the big light comes, what Paul calls the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Jesus bids us shine with a pure, clear light, like a little candle, burning in the night. In this world is darkness, so we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.


Baptising an infant is saying to God. God we love you and want our child to grow into that love. That’s why the parents and godparents will be telling God they want to turn to him, repent of their sins and renounce evil this morning.

From our side baptism is a commitment to God and God’s people. From God’s side it’s the lighting up of a life.

God has not only given us life. He’s given us his life in Jesus if we’ll but take it and that light is the light of our lives as Christians.

In the first reading Peter reminds the people that the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus …the Author of life…killed by them but raised from the dead by God. In the second Gospel reading we heard from the Lord Jesus himself how it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations.

We can have the light and joy and peace of God in our lives and families today because yesterday, so to speak, Jesus died and rose.

More than that God sent his Son. People said No to him and crucified him. God said yes to him and raised him again at Easter.

This is why in baptism we say yes to Jesus and no to the world, the flesh and the devil.

What on earth am I talking about?
Jesus bids us shine with his light. To set us alight he needs our permission.

You and I are made by God. We are also made for God.

We’re made to belong with God for ever in his never-ending family, the holy, catholic church.

We’re made to have a purpose for living and a reason for dying.

We’re made to be part of a universal movement of the Holy Spirit that’s helping this world become God’s world again.

If God has given us life he’s offering us also his own life.
This can be lived within us but we need to make space for it.

Actually it’s more severe – we need to die to our old lives so that the new life of Christ can live in us and light us up!

A Brazilian pastor has a good line in adult baptisms. If he has three baptisms he gets the local undertaker to lend him three coffins. At the start of the baptism service he gets the three candidates to lie in their coffins and puts the lids on without screwing them down.

Shortly afterwards he knocks on the lids and they all jump out to go with him to be buried in the waters of baptism. Just like we read in Paul’s letter to the Romans chapter 6 in baptism we were buried with Christ.


Don’t worry we won’t be using coffins in future baptisms – it might put some people off. Horsted Keynes isn’t Rio!

Nevertheless the point stands – Jesus died in our place to live in our place and if we want him to live in us we have to die to self and rise to the life of the Holy Spirit.

Parents and godparents you’ve chosen the very best path for your children but like the best paths it’s a costly path.

Just as Rector Darby kept that light burning to rescue shipwrecked sailors you will need to keep the light of Christian faith burning in your household.

At the end of this service you’ll be given a candle to remind you of this an the whole congregation will say to you shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.

Your own unselfishness will help that. So will your readiness to admit your need of mercy for your shortcomings or sins.

Yes, that word sin? You’re going to say you repent of it in a moment. What do we make of that?
Did you know the word sin comes from archery? The arrow that drops short of its target sins.
It’s hard to show your children what sin is unless you admit you have it yourself!

Wrong thoughts, words and deeds can be obvious. The things we don’t do but could do – or should do. That’s another story. Much of my own sin is what I don’t do, those lost opportunities.

Working in Sussex the last 8 years I’ve picked up a bit on people who’ve hit the target from a Christian point of view. Rector Darby was one – he worked for the coming of that lighthouse.

Another man knelt on Brighton Beach in 1852 to give his strengths to God for carrying the good news of Jesus to China. Today the Chinese Church is thriving because a man like Hudson Taylor gave his all to God 150 years ago.

God lit him up! And lit up others! Jesus bids us shine with a pure, clear light…you in your small corner and I in mine!

What corner does God want you to shine in, or your children? Horsted Keynes or China? Waking the world up to the environmental crisis? Transforming British politics with gospel light? Bringing new movements of compassion and the service of the elderly? Freeing young people from the bondage of drug addiction into transformative purpose for life? Or helping build the church here, by doing s stint as one of our Sunday Club leaders!

This morning infant baptism lights a little light in Archie and Olivia but that light has enormous power! No one can predict where the Spirit will lead these young people but if they’re kept close to Jesus who died and rose for them the world will be changed.

As we leave church this morning we re-enter our forward journeys through life. There are best and second best and third best and far from best forward courses in life.
If you want to get nearer to the best remember your baptism, remember the hand of God upon your life. Seek his will. Take your options to him so he can sift what’s actually most important from what looks good or lucrative from a worldly aspect.

Turn to Christ. Repent of your sins. Renounce evil – day by day, hour by hour.
That’s the worthwhile way