- BAPTIZE EVERYBODY? -
ince 14, 1987, 11:00 act, worship Service
John Mi. Buchanan
Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago
soripture ©

“Deuteronomy -4:32-40
Matthew 28:16-20

“Go therefore and imake disciples of all nations. baptizing them..."
nee : 7aMatthew: 2s: 19 (RSV)

Tobive onthe basis ofthe: maxim: =. that cone ‘should -be: wary of folk:
who Know -the whole truth about anything: political: parties, music, religion
or the best-ever baseball. team to take the field. ~The reason: for my:
wariness-is that; in fact, P already knows the: whole truth about politics,
musiey religion jand two years on-the Near North Side: has. not changed my
confidence “in' the trith about: the best: ever- baseball team. In vthat ooo
dynamic is avfascinating-and Sometimes disturbing ‘story — suggested by. :
words of: Jesus = "Go therefore: and: make disciples: of: all nations, baptizing
them so" ;

2 : Spee os : ong os : errreae igh xe
—V Hate -you ever wondered what it's: like to be on the receiving-end of at
Christian evangelism, particularly the more combative type; to be -told in: :
essence. Chat. the. God: in whom-you believe; towhonm“youhave been praying,

from whom. ¥o uchave received comfort, sustenance, and-meaning; doesn't

exist? t- wander what it's like to be informed that the religious :

ceremonies which lavecsiven: order and symmetry. to. Aife are: superstitious

paar: rituals:

I have learned ‘through ‘experience that to tell someone that his/her
beliefssare-utterly- wrong is-not.-a:good:-way -to begin a conversation..“I
know thatowhen someone does that to me,:>some of my: least. attractive |
characteristics ‘are stimulated -and awakened.: I hear-the faint: but. clear.
trumpets call to battle; my conversation partner. “becomes an “opponent: and:
verbal -combat--is about: to begin. I have: learned * ‘through experience. that if
my purpose is ito share my" truth with another ‘human being, the best® way to
begin is to relate somehow .to the truth the other. person” possesses: -to
acknowledge that the other has access to truth, to respect the other,
particularly that ‘truth to which the other: clings tightly and which gives Wee

order tohis life, ive. his religion. is ee dae 2 Sl
“I: have coneluded* that -to be. onthe receiving: end of some: of» ‘the “more :

belligerent: Christian evangelism is to be relegated to the status of
spiritual vinbecility,” or at -best;: ignorant“ immaturity... And 1 further ~
conclude and propose to you, thatthe evangelistic zeal which: assumes ‘that
we havevall othe: truth and others: have none of the truth and that Jesus:

wants us lo turn everyone into Christians just like us, regardless. of how

owe. do-it, seriously diminishes-and. misrepresents the:-God- around whom the

whole-enterprise. is supposed to boyo lve. fiis. also. the prelude usually ta
beal-histovic disaster and travedy. y their more extreme expressions both

Christianity and [slam take: thal posit one Tea they happen to meet in

| the same neighborhood, trouble soon follows asters Clacuwe

“Now: a. brief, bat necessary theological: interlude. Che t theologians

CO have always knawn: that°as soon as human beings: start.to talk about God, God

of

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‘is going to be Limited-by the perceptions, imaginations, intellects of the
people doing. the talking. -As soon as: you talk ahouwt- God, as soon as you
use the’ word God itself-~ you limit-God,-which is a form of idolatry. At
some time in his or her faith journey, every student of theology concludes

obhat the only honest. posture is silence-before the. unknowable mystery of

the: holy-other Ged. But if that- were the rule the theologians would be’ out

of work and so at our best we :try. to-remind ourselves that. the theological

enterprise - the cnterprise of thinking about God, whether it is in Swift

~Hall-at-the University of Chicago, or this: pulpit, or your bedroom when you

say your nightly prayers — the enterprise needs to. begin with a-profound
modesty When God -‘is.no longer a umystery:. - when: God is altogether. known

sand understood. ~.God is no: longer Gad, but. merely the projection. of. the

wind. that=thinks- it unde rsCands. Your God’ Is ‘Too Small... J. 2B. Phillips

“saddedneasbodk-tilie: “There is-avsense-in which that is always.the:. case.

My-perceptious, my heart. and*mind-are human: my:Godsor-at’ least: my belief -
‘in God ise limited by° my own humanity. Thus Martin Luther: could talk: about
“the -Hidden-God" who-exists beyond: all-human religious systems. In our day

beyond theism.” It isa nind-stretching,. discomforting and altogether
healthy: concept. Bul itocissnet, “in-any. way,sa-universally accepted -idea.

In-fact,. the tilt of history. is in the other.direction:~.The God of.

religion. CAN: bel understandable, simple, knowable, familiar,;- manageable,

cprovinciali ind pathercsmalleand a comfortable reflection of -the-particular
peaplo ess: cae : ee

se Tnesouth Africa, churches. propose, “with: a . straight: face, that
apartheid is’ in the divine. order of things... Adolph: Hitler-ha d really -very
little; difficulty finding religious types who: would represent God.as an
Aryabewhorhad so turned ‘his back: ‘on his ‘Semitic children. that they could
legitimately be -Jedsinto:the-gas chambers.--Ft-sounds- to me sometimes,
listening to-the cacophony: of ‘religious zealotry:.on- Michigan:Avenue-on a;

_ Saturday omy ears assaulted. by -the Pentecostal, panel truck blaring.

Johne$:16..05 fending: off-a- variety of tracts designed to-save my soul. by

“announcing. that God so loves the. world he is going to send. me. to-hell-if J
“don't: come over tothe side ofthe earnest, “smiling young man, thrusting the

oS message dnulo my. face... one could’ conclude: from itvall:that God is a

-sing ing: out-of the same hymnal:

‘Baptist2ar-a- Methodist ora Pentecostal.or a Roman: Catholic: and: that: God's

agenda forcallscreation.is to get everybody. saying the same creed and.

oe eThe: issue -has been around..a. long nbn Deuteronomy text. this
morning: contains the. theological breakthrough ef::monotheism..—-"there is -no
others. Did) you,-hear it:in. there---back on the edge of. history? Moses vis oe
addressing: [fsrael,; recalling: their experience in: Egypt -and- Exodus sofTocyou | ‘
ilo was. shown, thal you might know thatthe -Lord. is..God:- there: is no.

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othateanmtriguine-concept: was echoed -by..Paul -Tillich under the guise "the. God “

other. o> That's: the radical word that. comes’ to Israel]. - there is one: God:
Yahweh is God's names That is the great genius of Judaism. . God is:one =

bul‘as? Soon as’ the word is oat of ‘Moses mouth an-interna] argument begins

between those who want 6 ‘proceed narrowly, God's oneness is° our private
secret, our God is the real God, yours isa fake and thase who take. the”
broad, universal road-< the one God is Lord of the=Rabylonians tad, ‘only
they use a different. voéabulary.° Remember the story of “Jonah? when God-
calls Jonah ta ea to Nineveh. the point of the story is not the voyage and
the big. fishy; although they set all the press. The point of the whole ™
story is Jonah’s theolopical provincialism. Jonah-is certain that the
Ninevites ave rascals, pagans, sinners, utterly lost, absolutely wrong
Uheologicaliy and deserving of whatever they get which he assumes is ;
judgement -with a capital “.'"> That God loves Ninevites and. that he is going: :
ta be mereiful fo them’ is se sbhaltering thought. to Jonah ~ much harder to
swallow than le was for the whale and when the slory. ends the re eader “isn' t
sure Jongh ever rot the point of the whole exercis se

At their betler moments. God's people know that they are chosen = not
to be God's candy children, but: to show the world’ what it’ looks: like: to-live
as God's chil Tdren, to show the world what human life is supposed: to look
like. “God's children are to. be a light - so the whole world can see. “But
there is always internal tension in the Bible between the broad .
humanitarian position and the Loendency: Loward religious exclusiveness which
sounds Like a gawe of “mine is better than yours" - "my dad can lick your.
dad” = play ad on the vast stase of history. :

It-is there clearly in. the life of Jesus: It surfaces every tine he
bumps inte: religicus zealots of his day who cannot understand how he ‘ean
associate with “them” ~- with ohvious sinners.

Tt was the toughest issue facing the early Christian Church. When
Matthew wrote his gospel several. decades after the Cruciffxion and™
Resurrection, the carly Christians were asking themselves whether God cared
enough about Gentiles for them to bother telling the story of Jesus in
Gentile cities. Gr should they, Jewish Christians, simply stay put, enjoy,
this new: theological insight and look down their noses at the rest. of ‘the
world. :

Thee the Gospel of Matthew ends with this-wonderful scene: ‘the Risen
Christ. is-on a mountain with his’ followers." It is a mountain very much.

Jike the mountain om which Moses negotiated the original covenant. It is

the setting for: what we know as the great Missionary Commission::.°"G6"=- to
all the world waking disciples." Jugtoasthe radica Loword.to Lgrael was |
that there is one God for ali the world - so our-Lord: here tells his”
followers that-the Gospels 2k ests world -- the: whole World: ‘The new word
here was “all nations.” The fir and most import it of our, Lord's
words. was to break open the aoe iuis sm of religio = shatter the
tempting comfortable provincialism Sei SoC USES that God cares mainly

about me and people Like me. sivintent | begaden..the focus of the
early Christians 30 they would | become a churc
ESSE PERERA,

And so, into the world his followers have gone, compelled by the.
soul~stirring viser of the Great Commission.“ We- have gone MO feakad thfully

when we lave listened carefully lo those to wha: we have gone and
: sitemunrenmainmaniee |

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remembered God's. greal and passionate love for. them: - But there: have been:
plenty of- incidents when missionary. zeal was-simply reformulated.

oprowincialism. ~ Not. Jong after. Jesus said-the word, for instance, the: Roman
‘Empire. became Christian: by. fiat and the his storians tellus. that? one. of

the. ways the Great. Commission was fulfil led dur ing the wars with Barbarian
‘ibes = was for the. Legions to mareh. the defeated tribe into: the closest

river. = at sword: point-<- for baptism: -. and a: thousand.years after. men and

women were be ing: killedin the Coliseum for belicving in Chri st,
Christians had Curned: thee table and-were killing men and women for not

beliey ing.

jut-more. fas ingle. are ‘the bursts of mis sionary. activity
through history which occurred when people listened and.were receptive. to

‘God's Moly: Spirit. whe: allure of the Tsland-of Iona, off the western .coast

of Scotland is in-that.” For hundreds. of years beginning in the sixth

century, trish. monks lived there,. the last body of land from which Ireland

is visible, and from there sailed off for Great Britain and-the Continent,
telling. the. story:of Jesus.) Or. the Jesuits, in the Far. East, sometimes
following sometimes leading the trading companies....The powerful motion

<a

picture The Mission did a-superb job T. thought, telling. the story of the

incredible sacrifice and.devotion of Christians under the power:.of the
Great Commission. Or the ‘thousands upon. thousands: of men and women -who
esponded to the Great Commission inthe last century and this, by- going
fron. America to China, Japan, Africa Or today, “the Presbyterians and
Baptists and Lutherans who practice medicine in Zaire and Nicaragua-and
work: for peace in’ Northern Ireland, or who persist-in keeping. the American
University open in Beirut: the teachers, nurses, farmers and pastors who go
today into ali. the world in. the name of Jesus Christ = baptizing in his

-love and maki ng disciples

There is: something about. the Missionary Enterprise | that embarrasses

“us sometines. [t hag become fashionable intellectually “to blame. Christian

amissionaries for coloniad ish ‘and. the disregard. and-ruin of indigenous

ng EF ao

“Western culture than Ge

actuality, avery small pant... Harvard: Prof

“eulture.. The Argument "BOCS that Biss ponarte es-were. really just forerunners

for: Western bas ines Ss interests; that worse yet, missionaries brought more
tbe and in the process trampled and ruined the oe
culture ‘of. the people. “they were evangelizing. James Michener told the sad
part of the story in Hawaii. But that. isc only part of the story and, in
amin. Sanneh, an-African
scholar, from-Gambia,> wrote an essay rece ntly- in. the. Christian Century that

-challenges. he: fashionable and. popular anti=mis ssionary position. “Christian

missionari: 2S, the professor: observes, were Fesponsible for translating
Scripture. into 1806 languages and in the process were e directly. responsible
for creating written. Janguage for many. of Ene --Phat- process, he argues, .
: Jt has insti l1gianareness
pride ‘In radtsonens ooLle and “fnstead’ a supporting political:

oppiess ion actually: was the. breeding ground for ‘independence: and
nationalism which spelled ‘the -end -aF: colonialism. The professor scolds

Western Christians: for their guilt complex about mis sionary activity. and

his is a word we need’ to. hear. (’ ‘Christian Missions ‘and the Western: Guilt

Complex,” Christian “Century, 4/8/87. ]

-. But. the. old issue remains. It is raised by the text. It isthe
matler-of; religious” exclusivi sm, the temptation to portray: our.news as. the

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only news. There is something about us apparently, that conclude

truth has Ca be the only truth. And there
which we live that needs the certainty,

s that my
is something about. Lhe’ time in
the absolute certainty which
religious’ fundamental (Si arte Rvanvegi cal exclusivism provides)
€.

piteereemersary teeny pes
Marty observes the world-wide 7%

Marlin
“esurrent Fundamentalism of ¢
has gained potilical power in Shi'

(Re kind that
: ile Tslamic Tran...- and is hehind
powerful Opus Bei movement in the Roman Catholic Charen,

among helbiperent American Protes
PMarCin Marty, By Way of

a
and wnen surfaces
Lants promolinge Christian Ye
Response, p. 89]

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tna world of ambieuity and: rapid change
religious certainty has enormous appeal.
ever smaller,

and political instability: err

But it is alse a world vrowing

a global village where all kinds of zealots

Lo weapons and mobility and can become terroris

world when the absojute
Frm,

now have access
sts. It fs now a dangerous
.; ' ' , BREE
necessity for survival is the end of the kindof
(cibalism and religious zealotry we could afford in the past

What the world needs is a theology which is committed to its truth
but at the same time appreciates pluralism and teaches respect as a
Cundament

al virtue. We need te listen to scholars lil like African theologian |
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John Mbit? “Whe writes eloquently and poignantly. "God must have been
active anong African people as he was among the Jewish peaple...was he not
there in other times and in such places as Mount -Fugi and Mount Ke enya as
well as’ Mount Sinai.“ Mbiti notes the incredible. growth of the Christian.
Church in Africa. In 1900 there were 9 million Christians in Africa, 7% of i
the population. In 1980 there were 200 million, 45% of the population. He |
writes: "The God described in the Bible is none other than the God
already kuown in the framework of traditional African religiosity. The
missionaries who introduced the Gospel to Africa in’the past 200 years did
not bring God to our Continent. Instead, God brought them. They
proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ. But they used-the names of the God
who was and is already known by African people.” [fhe
‘Christian Faith ahd African Religion,"

who is

Encounter .of
Theologians in Transition, p.. 54,55]
Is the point of it alli to get everybody singing out of the sane

hyinnal?. Saying the same creed? Using the same vocabulary? Does going
into the world, making disciples, baptizing, mean turning the whole-world
into one big Southern Baptist Revival, or. Roman Parish, or dour Séottish =
Kitk? ileaven forbid! in’ fact, the effort. has: not 6nly not produced much”
peace and happiness, but has. contributed-a fair amount of intolerance,
bloodshed and suffering to the sad story of history.” "Making Christians,"
as an isolated imperative, isnot. the points “T-am-moved by Marty! s-simple,
lanan integrity when he writes, "Never again ‘approaches’ to mission hat
nake God-inte:a-predator = ‘dependent on my “ability to pounce on-othet

Never can-I- make proselytism the. focus of iny relation to others a THARty sop.
cite op. 13 | ee : ce Z

The good news TS that<there vis another word,
which came to the early Christians who wrote the New Testament, :
particularly St. Paul our first missionary. It is that God's purpose in
cregting a world and a homan race in the world, God's purpose in becoming
incarnate in’ Jesus Christ “isto heal;*to make whole? to reconcile the: whole

emma rere ane _neneecner ammunition
creation, Paul himself-has: té struggle to find words big enough to say it.
God vant
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“an alternative posit fon

Sis
ra coreation at peace with itself ~ God wants al] things ta.come.

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together Ged wants -to love all the children-of the world so they will ee
enjoy Fife and. live it..in peace and -harmony .and justice and. joy. 1 find .in oe
that alternative Biblical. word compelling.power and relevance. and an

impulse too religious iutegrity and perhaps:cven theological bravery.

Whatsis the missionary commission ao Lo oul: age - to you-and mee Lt
to: go into all the world and-tell ‘the story of Jesus. His te govinke
“the world. and. tell about God's great Jove forthe creation, Our task js
not-to’shout Joudér than anyhody else,-argue harder and. convince. more
thorouphly; it is’-to tell ‘the. story of God's Jove; to bear witness. to God's
“Lover to live out the Tiberating,”.joyful- truth we pave: discovered.

ve

Our missionary task isto go intoo this warld. and: to baptize this
culture,. here and now; with: the gentleness “and: “justice of Jesus, not. to
fight. Bee out. on-therstreet corners with: colorful broshures and blaring’ bull
horus. Rice Cask is to go -into avworld that hasslieard -bits -and pieces of
“the story, and to live it, by baptizi#@ hurting people with a love that
values: each one of them, and: that respects then. for-their humanity. — That
is’a radical: word-in our wordd. And itis -a‘startlingly persuasive world -
when someanc has the courage. tol Live it. Evangelis snidoes not mean slicker
devices. to-persuade the cuskomer: to. buy our, product; marketing Jesus fest
like: Soap. powder; it means. Co witness to the Lords ship of: Jesus Chris
-by the. way we live life and by. the way owe™: are. the church. in this place
People: are convinced when they see it: when-in. the uame of christ. the

homeless are: sheltered, the. hungry. fed,.the naked clothed, thecgrieving.
comforted, the guilty forgiven, the frightened encouraged, the lonely.
ipvedls the oppressed set free, -and thes story told. ; oo

Our job, as disciples. is not ‘to he responsible for production quatas,
toting up..the scorecard of. new converts, but<simply.-to. bear. witness tothe
truth -we-have experienced in Jesus Christ, trusting that. the activity of
God's spirit in the world will do the: persuading and. thatGod, not the
Preacher, not. the’ evangelism. committee, onot even the church, but God, is.ia
“charge of conversions.

AL our bes aver the past 2,000 years we have heard .the Commission
and gone | into NIL the world and told the story. and. lived the truth and
‘people have believed it. Taday the Great: Commission ‘is an-invitation to
believe. radically and -boldly: that God's eternal ‘love extends evento those
Who ‘dont know: about Jesus, or:who.do know .but.-choose not.to believe,.ft. is
‘anvinvitation to: experience and tell-about a-love so. big-it includes all
nalionS=" love so infinite and intimate it embraces. each: one ofsus; a_love

“$30 powerful it.brings. new. life, néw freedom, new joy lo those wha receive
itand: know and livecin ht. > It-is an invitation to-let. go: ofthe

., exclusivism which is..so: comfoy ~table and<so:very tempting. and to: believe
x avism fom ; f ,

“boldly. thatoalld things, even human history, are Jin the hands of -God.- It is
an invitation to Live: the.truth we have been: given:and'to trust that in
God's ‘time, by..God's grace; and. through the incredible and inevitable power
of God's love™=there will be a day when ;

"Jesus shall reign where'er. the. sun G fi , on
‘Does his successive journeys. runzo.— YUAA td [. [4 - Qe
lis. Kingdom stretch from. shore to shore,

Till moons: shall -wax: and: wane “no. more

G

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Ali. praise to you preat God for your love for the whole world.
Correct ous when we actcas-if we are your only children,

Give us the grace of Christ to share. our trath ~. by acknowledging: our
oWn hunger. :

Give us courage and strenpth to-live our truth — te be. voge fad ilifil
disciples. :

Ald cpraise to you, great God-- through Jesus Christ oue Lard:

Amen,

at

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