The Gospel in Disney: Lion King -- "A Story of Baptism"

Introduction:

Author William Bausch opens his book, Storytelling-Imagination and Faith, with these words. “’Once upon a time’ is no time and every time. It is the standard phrase that introduces us to our other worlds and to our own world, that connects humanity to a common story and storyteller. That is why storytelling and story listening are so congenial, for, in one way or another, we are hearing about ourselves.”

Stories often help us to understand our own world and our own lives more fully. They can add insights of understanding to the events and relationships we experience in our own life’s journey. It is no wonder then, that Jesus was a masterful storyteller and that it is the story of his life that has become holy for us as his followers. Many of us may not be able to quote the scripture perfectly, but we know Jesus’ story. We know the accounts of his birth, his conflict with the religious leaders of his day, of his death and resurrection. His life story becomes a model for our own. We may not be able to quote his teachings perfectly, but we can remember the story of the “Good Samaritan” and its call to be neighborly, or the story of the “Prodigal Son” and a young man who rejected his heritage, but never lost his father’s love.

Jesus’ stories were simple reflections on the day to day lives of those he spoke to about God’s loving presence in their lives. These simple anecdotes became our holy scriptures as they keep us connected to the life and message of the storyteller. George and I have dedicated the next several weeks to some of the common stories of our day. In these classic Disney movies, we have stories that are more than just entertaining. They provide thoughts and insights that make our lives and yes, even our faith, more real and clear. Today’s story is “The Lion King.”

Intro to Mark

The scripture we are about to read from Mark is the beginning of the gospel, the good news story of Jesus in Mark’s account of his life. Let’s hear Mark’s introduction of Jesus.

Read Mark 1:9-11

In this story of Jesus’ baptism we see God telling us the story-listeners that this is God’s beloved Son. In the baptism, God tells the world that this is now a special child of God in whom God is well pleased.

The next scripture takes place toward the end of Jesus’ story in Mark. Let’s hear Jesus’ words to his first disciples, knowing that they are eternal words of the story for all of Jesus’ followers even now and through the ages to come.

Mark 14:22-25

These words of the story are ones we repeat every month as we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion. They are the words that draw us into the story, help us participate in the story. Why? So we will not forget the story. For it is the story of covenant, a story of God’s promise to all of us even to this day.

What is the promise of this new covenant? It is expressed with great passion by Paul in the next scripture from Romans.

Read Romans 8:33-35;37-39

This is the promise of the story. It is no wonder we call it a good news story.

Sermon:

Last week, Bill Price shared that the guest preacher at our Annual Conference was Bishop Gregory Palmer. One point Bishop Palmer made was very challenging. He said, “the church, any church, cannot rise above its theology of baptism.” That’s a pretty challenging and sobering statement. What might he mean by that? What are the implications for us as Prescott UMC? What does a theology of baptism say to us about our role and responsibility as the church? What does our baptism challenge us to become and what kind of life does it demand from us as Christians, especially as Christians together as the body of Jesus Christ?

As you heard, the story we are looking at today is the Lion King. It is a story of baptism. The clip you are about to see is the very opening scene of the movie. Just like Jesus’ baptism begins his story in Mark, the main character, Simba, has his story start with his baptism. Let’s see what it has to say.

(Show first clip)

Bishop Palmer said, “In our baptism is when God claims us.” I must confess I disagree with him. For those of you who know me, it probably does not surprise you that I would disagree with a bishop. I am finding that age does have its perks. I believe it is in baptism we claim who we already are, a child of God loved by God. It is who we are from the very beginning of life. The song we heard, “The Circle of Life” we heard that in this life we are always seeking to find our place. In baptism we claim our place in God’s love and in God’s family called the church.

We know it is a claim that comes with commitment and responsibility. As you know Nancy and I, with the permission of the family, always anoint the person being baptized with oil. The significance of this is that oil was used in ancient Israel to receive a person into the priesthood. Many understand that baptism is actually every Christians ordination into what our church calls, “The Ministry Of All Christians.” That all are called and all are gifted to serve God through the church. You who are baptized have been ordained into the family of God to do the work of God.

This thought becomes extremely important to us as the church, especially as we think again about the opening song and The Circle of Life as the church. Most of us have heard the thought that the church is always just one generation away from dying, from no longer being. It is up to us to pass on the good news story to the next generation, or else the story will no longer be told, but be forgotten and put on the shelf with many other stories that are no longer told. It is up to us to train and raise up new leaders in the church so our good news ministry and mission continues.

This is one of the reasons that baptism is never a private celebration but is always done in the midst of the church community which was shown in the movie. The whole community gathered for the celebration of Simba’s baptism. In our Sacrament of Baptism, we, as the church community, are an important part of the baptism for we make a covenant, a promise to the child and his or her family if it is an infant baptism, or to the person if it is an adult baptism. We promise to model the love of God so that the one being baptized will experience from us what it means to be the presence of Christ in this world. Our whole faith is based upon covenant. Jesus says in the passage from Mark that his life and death is to make a new covenant with us. A covenant is a promise that a person or party makes to another person or group.

A covenant is different than a contract. A contract is an agreement between two or more people or parties in which each will do something for the other. But in a contract, if one person reneges on the agreed upon act, the whole contract is null and void. Not so with a covenant. A covenant recognizes that often times, an agreement is made between unequal parties, especially as it relates to issues of faith. That one may be further along in their faith journey than another. So even if one party does not keep to the agreement, the other continues to live by the promises. It is true for us as the church as we promise to be an example of love for those who are starting their spiritual journey in baptism, just as it is true for God as God makes covenant, God promises to be our God. Even when we falter, when we do not live up to our end of the agreement, God will not break covenant with us. And that promise is clearly stated in the passage you heard from Romans. Nothing will ever stop God from loving us.

This is part of that baptismal theology that the Bishop refers to in his sermon. We, as the church, have made a covenant with each other to live in a way that is always reflective of love. We promise to live and model our faith in such a way that if someone loses their way, they will be able to find their way back in their relationship to God through us as the church, as the family of God.

Simba, after his baptism, begins to grow in that love of family and is taught by his parents what it means to live his life as a part of the greater community. But, there is a jealous uncle who wants to be king of the “Pridelands” and so creates a scenario where Simba’s father is killed, and Simba is made to believe that it is his fault. In his embarrassment, in his guilt, Simba runs away and begins a new life. The problem becomes that his Uncle, Scar, has decimated the land and the life it supports. In this next clip Simba has heard about what is happening and that he is needed to return and claim his throne, his place in the Circle of Life and rescue the land. But he refuses to return for he feels unworthy, and even responsible. It is all his fault, how could he be of any help? Let’s see what happens.

(Show second clip)

In our baptism liturgy we say “Sometimes it is easy to forget who we are and whose we are, and so the church is here to remind us that someone greater than us has claimed us and loves us.” It is often so easy to forget who we are as a child of God as we live through the ups and downs of life. And even more so, it is often times in the midst of our own lives and issues we can forget who others are in their lives. A theology of baptism is a theology that reminds us of who we are and whose we are, to remember we are all children of God loved by God, and that there are no exceptions. That there is nothing that can separate us, any of us, from the love of God through Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we do not live this then we have broken our part of the covenant. This is what it means to live in “sin.” Sin simply means that we are separated from God. When we do not love one another as God loves us, then we are not living fully in relation to God.

The implications of this theology are myriad. If we do something that does not express our affirmation and respect for another human being, we have forgotten our baptismal theology. When we did the “Complaint Free World” with the purple bracelets, a part of the goal was about curbing our negativity. But for me a larger part was asking us to behave in ways that respects the thoughts, hopes, dreams and personhood of others.

Anytime we diminish the personhood of another, no matter their country of origin or their political persuasion, we have forgotten our theology of baptism. Anytime we say there are those in our society, nation or world that deserve more than others, or can have more at the expense of others, we have forgotten our theology of baptism. Anytime we cause another to stumble in any way, we have forgotten our theology of baptism. Anytime we allow our leaders to forget a segment of our population and their human needs, we have forgotten our theology of baptism.

The list goes on and on. But anytime we are not a reminder of who we are, anytime we do not share the good news story with others that they are indeed a child of God and loved by God and we do not live in such a way that reminds each of us that nothing, absolutely nothing can ever separate us from that love in Christ Jesus, then we are not being the church, we are not living our theology of baptism and we are not modeling the story of God.

Our theology of baptism not only calls us to a certain standard of behavior but challenges us to hold each other to that standard as well.

Remember, that in your baptism you claimed the love of God for your life, a love that will never let you go. As the church, we, in baptism, continually make a promise, a covenant with each other and all the children of God that we, too, will love one another as God has promised to love us in the covenant of our baptism.

Sermon delived by Rev. George Cushman on July 26, 2009.