Many years ago, before I was ordained a priest, I bought a propane grill. And I did my homework in advance. I didn’t want to walk into Canadian Tire or Home Depot and just purchase the first shiny grill on sale. I had certain expectations about the size of the unit, grill grates, resting rack, starter system, ventilation, movability, etc., etc. I researched and researched until I became the laughingstock of my coworkers. “Can’t you just get on with it and buy the thing?” they’d ask me. Eventually, after several months of weighing all my options, I took the plunge and bought my grill. It’s been a great grill, but over the years there have been things about it that, despite all my research, I didn’t anticipate. For instance, the cover that came with it quickly wore out, and I’ve never been able to find a durable replacement cover that fits snuggly enough to prevent raccoons from squeezing underneath it for a daytime nap. Buying a propane grill is not a hugely consequential decision in the grand scheme of things. Even still, doing some product research is a good idea.  

Now, how would you prepare for something that you were told would cost you your entire life? Would any amount of research and preparation be enough for a decision that you know would impact your everyday existence and how you relate to everyone you encounter? Probably not. But that is exactly what happens at baptism. We embark on a new journey of life, commiting ourselves to follow the radical Way of Jesus. We don’t pay an entrance fee to do this. It’s not a cash transaction. It’s a life transaction. At baptism, our lives are given over to God and we’re welcomed into the great company of people who are striving to follow the Way of Jesus. I’m sure many of us here don’t remember our baptism—and that’s because it was others close to us (usually our parents) who wanted to ensure that we were raised in the Way of Jesus from an earliest age. That’s what’s happening today. In a few minutes, Madeleine and Xander, who are really too young to know what’s going on, will be formally welcomed into the family of God as they join the rest of us along the life path of Jesus.  

Do we know what that path will look like from start to finish? No—and all the advance research and preparation will never prepare us for everything that may happen in the Christian life. We do know it will have its episodes of joy but also moments of uncertainty and disappointment. Sometimes, just as in Jesus’ day, the joy and disappointment occur in very close proximity to each other. That’s exactly what the first followers of Jesus experienced. Today we’re celebrating Palm Sunday, which marks Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem for the annual observance of Passover. He and his follwers have journeyed on foot from Galilee in the north, southward, and along the way more people have joined them. They firmly believe that Jesus’ teachings and his remarkable way of relating to people, whether to elites or outcasts, is a clear indication that he is the long-awaited Messiah. They’re convinced he will somehow bring about a social transformation of the land, ending political repression and ushering in an age of religious authenticity. So, as Jesus rides toward the city on a donkey, his followers scatter palm branches and lay out their coats ahead of him, creating a path to the city gate. It’s a joyous moment of great hope. But how quickly those hopes were dashed! Within a few days Jesus is arrested, convicted of sedition, and executed. Hope quickly gives way to despair, but then hope reemerges after Easter.  

The new life that baptism gives us has its high moments of joy and hope. But there will also be times when persevering along the Way of Jesus seems too daunting or nonsensical. When Madeleine and Xander are older, they might wonder, “Why did my parents have me baptized? What were they thinking?” This is when it’s important to remember that baptism is never a solo affair. It involves an entire community, who pledges to offer support when the going gets rough. That’s one reason why people continue to meet in the building, week after week, year after year. We gather here to learn, to pray and contemplate, to act, and also to recommit ourselves to be a people embodying the life of Jesus, even in the toughest of times—and we do it all together. We care for each other, and sometimes we believe for each other when faith escapes some of us. Belonging is first priority; believing is what we wrestle with in the context of belonging.  

Today is one of those high points, as we welcome Madeleine and Xander on the journey. Let’s support them, and each other, as we all continue on the Way of Jesus, striving for justice and peace everywhere, and loving our each and every neighbor. It’s a high calling, but we don’t pursue it alone. We do it together, empowered by the same Spirit that empowered Jesus.