UP FOR ADOPTION
A sermon by the Rev. Dr. James G. Kirk
Harundale Presbyterian Church
Text: “You have received a spirit of adoption.” (Romans 8:15)
First
Second
A friend’s all excited! He and his wife are going to adopt an Asian girl between the ages of 18 and 24 months. They have two biological sons, 16 and 13 years old. The question would be, why after all this time do they want to adopt a baby. Well, they’ve always wanted a girl and rather than take a risk, since they’re both in their forties they thought the most responsible thing would be to provide a loving home to someone who might otherwise not have one. I had to admit that I admired his thinking and their determination. They’re all excited and can’t wait to get the paper work done, so they can make the trip overseas and bring home this new addition to their family.
We got the same kind of excitement this morning as we baptized the Shell twins. First, there was the announcement that Mack and Diane were pregnant. When the news went out that they were twins the family was even more excited. Throughout Diane’s pregnancy people would ask, “how are things going? Is everything all right?” The usual questions all expectant parents are asked. It doesn’t take long for a pregnancy to become a communal event. Soon after a couple announces that they are pregnant, friends, family, even acquaintances want to know how things are progressing. It’s the same as with my friend’s intended adoption. Biological birth or adoptive birth, it really makes very little difference. The news is that there will be an addition to the family, both immediate and extended and everyone wants to offer their best wishes.
Which is as it should be. This morning Paul gets into the act. He’s like a proud expectant grandfather who can’t wait to announce the good news. God has sent the Spirit of the living Christ to all who believe! At the same time, God has adopted each and every one of them as God’s own sons and daughters
Now, before we go any farther, I want you to back up a minute. You remember how we began. A friend’s all excited, because he and his family are going to adopt a daughter. Then Mack and Diane brought Kelsey and Connor here to be baptized. Their grandfather Lew asked you a question. We’ll get into the meaning of that question in a moment, but first you answered that, “yes,” you do invite them into this extended family. In other words, three adoptions were announced in the matter of minutes, my friend’s, Mack and Diane’s adoption of this congregation on Kelsey and Connor’s behalf and your adoption of them as part of your extended family.
With each announcement it’s very apparent that neither our little 12 to 14 month old Asian girl nor Kelsey and Connor had anything to do with it. They surely didn’t warrant their adoption. They didn’t earn it in any way. There’s nothing they could do to make it happen. It’s doubtful that the Asian girl knows anything about our friend’s plans. And obviously Kelsey and Connor probably won’t remember a thing about this morning unless we continue to tell them. But that’s just the point that Paul wants to make. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God…you have received the spirit of adoption.” In other words, God’s the one who took the initiative, just as our friend and his family took the initiative, and you took the initiative when Lew asked you the question. Or, to put it another way, at one point or another we were all up for adoption and someone had to take the initiative to see to it that we became part of the family.
“One winter day an orphaned boy named Gahka (which means crow in the Seneca language) went hunting. He was a good hunter and managed to shoot several partridge. As he made his way back home through the snow, he grew tired and rested near a great rock that was shaped almost like the head of a person. No sooner had he sat down than he heard a deep voice speak. ‘I shall now tell a story.’ Said the voice. The boy jumped up and looked around. No one was to be seen.
“’Who are you?’ said the boy. ‘I am Great Stone,’ said the rumbling voice which seemed to come from within the Earth. Then the boy realized it was the big standing rock which spoke. ‘I shall now tell a story.’ ‘Then tell it,’ said the boy. ‘First you must give me something,’ said the stone. So the boy took one of the partridge and placed it on the rock. ‘Now tell me your story, Grandfather,’ said the boy.
“Then the great stone began to speak. It told a wonderful story of how the Earth was created. As the boy listened he did not feel the cold wind and the snow seemed to go away. When the stone had finished the boy stood up. ‘Thank you, Grandfather,’ said the boy. ‘I shall go now and share this story with my family. I will come back tomorrow.’
“The boy hurried home to the longhouse. When he got there he told everyone something wonderful had happened. Everyone gathered around the fire and he told them the story he heard from the great stone. The story seemed to drive away the cold and the people were happy as they listened and they slept peacefully that night, dreaming good dreams. The next day, the boy went back again to the stone and gave it another bird which he had shot. ‘I shall now tell a story,’ said the big stone and the boy listened.
“It went on this way for a long time. Throughout the winter the boy came each day with a present of game. Then the Great Stone told him a story of the old times. The boy heard the stories of talking animals and monsters, tales of what things were like when the Earth was new. They were good stories and they taught important lessons. The boy remembered each tale and retold it to the people who gathered each night around the fire to listen. One day, though, when the winter was ending and the spring about to come, the Great Stone did not speak when the boy placed his gift of wild game.
“’Grandfather,’ said the boy, tell me a story.’ Then the stone spoke for the last time. ‘I have told you all of my stories’, said the Great Stone. ‘Now the stories are yours to keep for the people. You will pass these stories on to your children and other stories will be added to them as years pass. Where there are stories, there will be more stories. I have spoken.” (“Orphan Boy and the Story Telling Stone.” A Seneca Tale)
I tell you that story for two
reasons: one, it’s important to know where we came from and it’s also important
to know whose we are. In a moment we’re
going to give Helen and Marvin Jones our parting blessing. They’re moving to
You notice in the Orphan Boy story how he always returns to the longhouse to tell the stories the story telling stone has told him. This congregation is Helen and Marvin’s longhouse; it’s Mack and Diane’s longhouse. It’s where week after week we tell the stories. It reminds us week after week where we come from.
It’s also where we tell the stories of whose we are. Paul’s very insistent that we all have received the spirit of adoption. We all have had the waters of our baptism poured on our heads and the sign of the cross placed on our foreheads. As we said a moment ago, “we are marked, are branded by the baptismal waters. Remember that you are nothing more and nothing less than a beloved child of God.” You notice how the Orphan Boy eventually called the Great Stone “Grandfather.” He came to know in time whose he was. You notice how Lew asked each of you whether or not you assume the responsibility to bring Kelsey and Connor up in the knowledge and the love of God. It’s very important that in time they learn whose they are. Even though eventually our friend’s Asian daughter may want to trace her biological roots, she’ll always know whose she is.
All of us at some time or another have been up for adoption and, as Paul writes, “you have received a spirit of adoption.” So, at the conclusion of each service we pray the Lord’s Prayer, and “When we cry ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” And for all that we can truly say…
Thanks be to God,
Amen