Did we really do an exorcism yesterday?

I feel no shame in admitting that I have some dork-ish tendencies. (Nothing has really changed since my younger years.) As part of my daily devotions, I read Treasury of Daily Prayer. But I also read through the Altar Book of our hymnal. (This is the big book that sits on our altar, hence its name.) I pray through the services by myself, pray the prayers, but also pay attention to some of the general notes that are given to pastors and worship leaders. In the pew edition of Lutheran Service Book, you can see statements in red like ‘sit’, ‘stand’, ‘During Advent and Lent, the Gloria in Excelsis is omitted.’, and things like that. These are called rubrics, which is just a fancy word for red.

In preparing for our baptismal service yesterday, I was reading through the general notes and the rubrics. I discovered something that we could do, and so I included it in the service. Were any of you curious about something that took place? I’ll give you a moment to recall yesterday’s baptism…. Following the standard renunciation- “Do you renounce the devil, all his works, and all his ways?” came something new, which is actually quite old. Martin Luther’s baptismal rite included the ancient Christian practice of the exorcism. Sometimes the exorcism would take place after the baptismal address, and sometimes it would occur after the renunciation. We did the exorcism after the renunciation. “Depart O unclean spirit and make room for the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Talking about exorcism might get us thinking about movies, with images of spinning heads, bugged-out eyes, and scary guttural voices. What were we doing yesterday including an exorcism in the Rite of Holy Baptism? Exorcism deals with demon possession. Did I think that the child was demon possessed? Not any more than realistically thinking that I am possessed.

“Anyone who sins is a slave to sin.” That is something Jesus said and is part of the Reformation Day Gospel lesson. Being a slave to sin is being in sin’s possession. Being a slave to sin is having the devil as your master. Sin possesses us. Paraphrasing the apostle Paul we learn this reality: the things I don’t want to do are the things I do and the things I want to do I don’t, in fact I can’t.

The baptism yesterday allowed us to ponder the reality of our identity. We are sinners. And sinners do sinful things. We are not sinners because we do sinful things. If that were the case, all we’d need to do to find salvation is stop sinning. Good luck with that!

Our identity is sin. Our new identity through the waters of Holy Baptism is redeemed. God in Christ Jesus has joined Himself to us. We are redeemed human beings, washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. We are given mercy fresh every morning, mercy that moves us into our day.

The demon needs to be removed, or exorcised, from our lives. Depart O unclean spirit. Make room for the Holy Spirit! “This is the Spirit’s entry now: the water and the Word, the cross of Jesus on your brow, the seal both felt and heard. This miracle of life reborn comes from the Lord of breath; the perfect Man from life was torn; our life comes through Christ’s death. Let water be the sacred sign that we must die each day to rise again by His design as followers of His way. Renewing Spirit, hear our praise for Your baptismal power that washes us through all our days; Lord, cleanse again this hour.” {Thomas Herbranson, b.1933}