Today is a day full of promise, a beautiful day as we are gathered in this community of St. Johns. That promise will become even more evident as we participate in the celebration of Baptism and reception in this service today. It is a day full of promise and full of promises. We will be saying two covenants one the Baptismal covenant in the form of the Apostle's creed, and the United Nations Environmental Sabbath Covenant - where we will also speak of renewal and refreshment.

Covenant is a word we do not often use today. In early history the Hebrew word berith - had could mean different types of promises but these promises always involved two or more parties - relationships . Sometimes they marked new relationships or a change, an evolution in a relationship.

The reading from the Hebrew scripture - the first book of Samuel, speaks of the covenantal relationship between David and Jonathan:

When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.

Here there is a covenant of fealty, a Promise of loyalty of love. This covenant is symbolized by Jonathan giving all his protective, in fact all of his possessions into David's keeping - total trust. This placed responsibility upon David in turn. With a covenant there is promise and responsibility - it is not a passive or completed action- it active and ongoing, living and changing. The baptisms we celebrate today while it is complete membership in the body - is not the end of a journey, but only the beginning, the transition and change in relationship to God who is was and shall be always present but in present in new way in the lives of Benjamin, Elizabeth and Laura. But not just of the children: it is a covenant for all of us, for everyone - these are universal covenants - not just between the children and their parents and God - but all of us entering into new relationship to them, to each other and to God - intricate relationships which form the Christian community. A community that makes promises and then lives out those promises - supportive of each other encouraging calling to task, always loving.

When the word covenant is used in the scriptures to speak of the beginning of something new - it is not the obliteration of what came before. We do not start from scratch but this new creation is a continuation of what came before. This is a new beginning, new genesis: we take all what we have been, all of what we are - all our potential - and are recreated.

The environmental covenant marks promises and responsibilities to the earth on this the environment Sabbath - Here too there is constant rebirth and creation for us and we learn the consequences of past actions, learn to live respectfully with the earth today and look to the future.

In the reading New Genesis - the very title can be translated as "new beginning". It calls us to be reborn- as in baptism - and we find in it the same elements as are found in the baptismal covenant:- spirituality and respect - human dignity - we are not called to be super spiritual therefore lord it over others or the earth - to have dominion over in the Old Testament sense is being responsible for the protection and care of the earth - to encourage its growth and transformation. In the New Testament this idea expressed in stewardship. We do not own what you are responsible but look to its love, care and up keep. We are like parents to creation. Parents do not own their children but are responsible for them at different stages: parents are called not to be overbearing or smothering but empowering - encouraging growth and interdependence. A family is a community; a community that takes responsibility; a covenant community.

In the earliest times of Jewish history covenants with God were made with vows, then there would be a ritual - a sign act expressing an understanding of what had occurred and that it was also mystery - that would continue to unfold in understanding. Baptism is not a prize for good behaviour or reciting some lessons - nor is it some kind of celestial insurance. It is the sacrament, the sign act of becoming a member of the body of Christ.

Water is the baptismal symbol of death and rebirth - beginning anew in Christ; Water, as we heard the disciples discover in the gospel reading this morning... has a power all its own. The disciples during the storm are in awe and fear of the power of nature, of the power of the storm and the water - but they end the story in awe and wonder at the presence and power of Jesus who asks "Why did you fear? Do you have so little faith? Water can be both life giving and death dealing and is a universal symbol of rebirth, cleansing and beginning anew.

After being baptized by water in the name of the Trinity, Laura, Elizabeth and Benjamin will be sealed with the oil; marked as belonging to Christ (as Christ's own forever) and then the light is given to symbolize the passing from dark to light - These are all sacramental acts - we belong to a sacramental tradition - We are not simply a group of like minded volunteers gathered together - we believe that baptism is more than simply joining a club - This not a mundane institution within which our children have some sort of legal right to be baptized. We are responding to the call of God, moving within us , filled with wonder and seeking understanding: We are Ekklesia 'the church' called together. We are united in belonging to Christ - and we are his people; joined in a sacramental, covenantal community. A Covenantal community is identified by their shared commitment -Jesus is the ultimate sacrament - sign of God's presence in the world then the covenantal community are another sign of God's presence in the world.

We are one, holy catholic and apostolic:
One - united in Christ,
Holy - united through the Spirit,
catholic (small 'c') - universal: for all people totally inclusive
Apostolic: following the traditions of our beginnings in the early church.

These traditions which do change and grow but we do not deny where we come from; we embrace it and move forward as did the first Jewish followers, who became followers of Jesus Christ: the Way - adapting their Jewish heritage, guided by the Spirit, active, alive and continually growing in understanding.

This being Church, being the Body of Christ - which shows or manifests the presence of God on earth - is not a fait a complis in Baptism...We begin in Baptism. Once baptized, this unrepeatable - sacrament 'sign act' indelibly marks us as a Christian regardless of denomination/tradition. We are sealed as servants belong to Christ at the beginning of the journey of faith...

Of course in the case of children being baptized - their parents are answering the examination and making declarations on their behalf. These questions are not meant to be hurdles in the path on the journey; not obstacles but thresholds from which they are led to question deeply, to reflect- and it is not just the parents who are expected to do this. The sponsors, the whole community, will all say the baptismal covenant together - and then, today, we will also repeat together our covenant with environment. As a community, a family, we are all called to renew our covenant of rebirth; The words we will be using include: renew, refresh, restore- rejoin, care, protect celebrate, rejoice and sing. We will recreate a community which promotes peace and justice - we will remember and there will be healing and renewal.

These are actions, promises - as I said before - a covenant is active living promises, reciprocal agreements responsibilities on each side - We are not just watching {Karen, Derek, Nancy, Bruce, Fiona and David and their sponsors }make promises - We are making promises too. We are committing to support and help - We all have some experience of God and this is our response - This is an opportunity for us all to deepen our experiences of God, of creation, of life - It is like we are all becoming parents for the first time - discovering anew the things we thought we knew - and just when we think we have nailed down - it changes! A simple walk can turn into a journey of wonder and exploration -there is an unfolding, and we share and expand the experience. We are to explore experiences of God in community at our own pace. Reflecting an inner call not outer conformity

Each of our journeys has some elements of in common and other that wholly unique to ourselves. As Christians we never travel alone - we are accompanied by God and by our community - joined though our common bond - our baptism, joined the Body of Christ - This community is called to support, to be open, to love, to teach and to learn, to grow and be transformed. This is not always easy.

When I was 17 I wanted to be a nun and to get away from irritating family members and parents who, imagine, thought they knew better than I did! I imagined the life of nun as quiet, contemplative reading meditation and peaceful. Fortunately (for me and the sisters!) I knew a group of Sisters in Oakville - and one of them set me straight: the convent was like my family: not pperfect, argued and worked - they did not spend all day reading and meditating! Well, I decided not to be a nun if it was not that much of an escape. Now I have three teens who, in addition to being thankful I did not become a nun!) - can you imagine they think they know everything and my parents just smile.

No, transformation is not always easy, and repeating these covenants together helps us to hold the values espoused more truly. Both the Baptismal and Environmental are about relationships - with God with each other with the earth. These relationships are fluid - they may be at times unequal with one taking care of the other, then grow to be more equal - then change again when the carative roles are reversed. In the case of the earth we sometime care for creation and it cares for us as well. Sometimes we harness the energy of nature and sometimes it is well beyond our control. Always in all cases we are treat each other and nature with respect. We are in relationship with each other and with the whole of creation; bound to each other and as in the reading we heard today we should:

Love passionately be Endless astonished and always open; Treat all with respect

We are called to be filled with awe, and respect what we do not understand - rather than simply fear it and try to control it - We are to walk together so as not to be afraid when we encounter differences - community can allow us to experience difference and newness with joy and wonder rather mistrust and in fear attempt to make conform to what we already know. A covenant community does not limit us, or bind us in a restrictive way - it frees us to rejoice in all our difference because we recognize Christ in everyone and everything and called to live and manifest that presence of God - to our wider community of the whole earth.

We will close the Baptismal service with a prayer. A prayer which asks God to strengthen the candidates' inquiring and discerning hearts - the courage to will and to persevere, spirit to know and love God - and the gift of joy and wonder in all God's works - or as the New Genesis reading says: To be Endlessly astonished at the act of breathing, thank God for the tremendous gift of life; we are not new born from nothing, we need to know where come from; where we are and our potential to be fully alive. To Act, Think, Love; to be convinced of eternal life and resurrection.