Today we join with Ken, Elsie, Amelia and their family to welcome their new baby into the family of Christ.  It’s a great joy for us as the Christian Community here in Epping to share in this important moment in Lotanna’s life – the beginning of her pilgrim walk with God which will not end until she sees God face to face in Heaven.  At the moment this journey is unknown.  We cannot know what is ahead for her; what direction her life will take; what she will make of the opportunities which will be offered to her; how she will find joy and happiness and fulfilment; how she will cope with times of sadness and uncertainty.   Just as each one of us must accept each day as a gift from God and make the best of it so Lotanna will continue to be given this beautiful gift of life, a day at a time.  No doubt, like us, she will sometimes waste this gift and sometimes she will do wrong things with it, but also, like us, I pray that she will discover that God’s love for her doesn’t depend on anything she does or doesn’t do.  God’s love, too, is a gift – and it is this gift which will shape her life and lead her towards the source of Love, God Himself.

There are all sorts of theological thoughts behind what Baptism does; what it is for; and how it commissions us for a life of service and of loving in God’s name.  At Lotanna’s age, as a baby, little of that will have very real meaning for her though, hopefully, as her Godparents together with Ken and Elsie, make their promises in Lotanna’s name and as we share in the making of those promises, we will be reminded of what it means to be a Christian, a follower of Christ.  Indeed, we have some inkling of what it all means in the passage we heard from Paul’s letter to the Philippians – that beautiful passage which reminds us of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus.  Jesus is the God who stoops to share our human lot, saving us from within – Paul speaks of this as emptying himself – of spending himself totally for our salvation. He was born in human likeness  and in this humanity – God made Man – he humbled himself and became obedient  to the will of His Father.

For Jesus that meant accepting death on a Cross – the Cross which became, through our Lord’s Crucifixion the symbol of God’s triumph over all the dark things in the world and in human lives – and it speaks of God’s infinite love for us.  How much does God love us? Well the answer is in that cross – it’s totally self-giving.  It’s absolute.  It’s freely given and it cost God everything to show us this.

And out of the  Cross flows the Victory – sealed by the Resurrection; confirmed by the Ascension and leading us to worship and work in the name of Christ Jesus confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.  It is when we dare to look at what God has done for us and when we become truly thankful that we respond.  And there is only one response to God’s love – become love yourselves.   All that is at the heart of this Baptism and it is why we place on the forehead of the newly baptised the indelible mark of Christ – the sign of the Cross.

And it is then that we hear some very thrilling and beautiful words which take us to the very heart of the meaning of Baptism.

Christ claims you for his own;

receive the sign of his cross.

 Christ claims you for his own – just think how stupendous those words are.  They remind us that we do not have to do anything to receive the love of God in our hearts, or his grace in our lives – they are part of that free gift of love which sustains us and enriches us and assures us – nothing can get in the way of God’s gift of love – it is poured into us freely, graciously and completely.  All we have to do is present ourselves before him to receive it – or in Lotanna’s case be presented to God by her parents and Godparents.

Whatever else we might take away from this service; no matter how much we ponder on the richness of the imagery of blessed and cleansing water; of lighted candle showing that we must be lights for God in a darkened world; of words spoken in faith about our belief in God – no matter how we ponder on those central parts of our faith – at the very heart of this sacrament – this sign of God’s grace in our lives – is the stupendous truth –

Christ claims you for his own.  The Cross stakes that claim and marks us out for God’s special love.

In more ancient times, at the festival of Rogation, churches would go in procession around the boundary of the parish.  It is called Beating the Bounds – and as they processed, crosses were erected around the boundary.  They marked out the parish – they staked the claim that this was God’s land. It belonged to him.  So, the cross we will trace on Lotanna’s forehead will mark her out as God’s territory – as God’s redeemed; as God’s special child – belonging to him.  For His part,  He will love her – love her to bits – love her totally.  That’s the heart of Baptism (as it is the heart of Confirmation at which we hope she will eventually confirm her acceptance of God’s love for her.)

At the beginning of her life’s journey she is being given a gift – the Cross of Christ with all that it means – to tell her that God’s grace and love is now hers.  That’s why we are here today sharing in this joyful occasion though, of course, we who have been Christians a little longer that Lotanna also know that the love God gives us is not just for ourselves alone but is for sharing with others as we proclaim the Lordship of Christ over and within our lives. 

Every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord  

means every life should be a sign – a walking Sacrament – of that total victory and triumph of cross-like love over the world of darkness and sin – certainly that – but also of a better, more exciting way of living out the gift of life that God has given to us all.

We pray that by being here with Lotanna today we might not only remind ourselves of the Baptismal gift and the baptismal call to a life of worship and service, and strengthen our resolve to live that out in following Jesus – but also that Lotanna may discover God’s gift for herself – the Gift, indeed, of himself.  Let our prayer for her be that she should live up to her name every day of her life – Lotanna – which means- Remember God.