he's not lost. not anymore

~Buzz Lightyear

A sermon about baptism & Toy Story 4 from Acts 2:37-42

To better grasp baptism, that momentous, life-altering initiation rite of the Christian Church, I would have you look no further than Toy Story 4. Yes, Toy Story 4…

When the movie first came out, I grumbled. Why can't Disney just let a money-making franchise rest in peace? Eventually, though, I saw the movie. And I have to admit, Toy Story 4 is a good movie. 

In fact, Toy Story 4 is to the rest of the franchise, what Acts is to the rest of the gospels; the story of what happens after the last foe has been rendered  toothless.

In Acts, it's because Jesus has destroyed the power of Death on the cross. In Toy Story 4 it's because "their" child, Andy, has given all his old toys to a new child, Bonnie.

Toy Story 4 opens on the toys' new life with Bonnie. Just like in the first Toy Story movies, the hierarchy of toys is reshuffled and Woody is no longer the favorite toy. 

In the past, this would irritate Woody. But now that he lives on the other side of the way things used to be, Woody understands his life differently. Now Woody knows his role is to comfort children. Any way he can.

Which is what brings him face-to-face with Forky…

This happens during Bonnie's kindergarten orientation day. 

Like many children, Bonnie is anxious about the prospect. Timid, she sits by herself that day, feeling out-of-place and afraid in that new setting. 

Anticipating as much, though, Woody had snuck into Bonnie’s backpack that morning to surreptitiously help Bonnie out throughout the day.

At a certain point, though, Woody's help becomes superfluous. 

During arts and crafts, Bonnie takes some colored pipe cleaner, googly eyes, and a little bit of blue clay and glues them to disposable cutlery. Thus creating Forky.

At this point, Bonnie does two things. First, she writes her name on Forky. And then, she does what all children do with their toys, she plays with him.

Suddenly, having her own toy in this new setting, transforms the foreign kindergarten classroom into a familiar, comfortable place.

Bonnie takes her new toy home with her, and promptly promotes him to the place of favorite toy. 

The problem, though, is that Forky isn't a toy in the traditional sense. He's literally made from a one-time use spork! 

When the rest of the toys meet Forky, they're incredulous. Woody knows better, though. He explains to the toys that once Bonnie wrote her name on him, Forky became a toy. Her toy, in fact. And by virtue of that marking, Forky is now a toy!

While that may be enough for most of the toys, it’s not for one of them. Forky, himself! Forky isn’t convinced! As far as he’s concerned he’s trash! He's made from trash, and that's where he belongs, too!

The rest of the movie is Woody preaching to Forky the sermon he preached to the rest of the toys. The sermon about what it means to be marked in another child’s name.

And that’s all the sermon ever is, the preaching back to us of what it means to be marked in the name of the only-beggton child of God, Jesus Christ!

Which is exactly what happens in baptism! “…be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ,"Peter told the crowd. 

So, how about we stop talking about the movie, and start preaching what it means to be marked in Jesus’ name? 

Because what Toy Story gets right is what it means to be marked. That it wrenches our lives out of our hands, and gives it back to us as a gift. But, you must hear that the marking in the movies is a trifling thing compared to the one given in baptism!

In baptism you are not marked with any ol’ child’s name. No, in baptism you are marked in the name of the only-beggoten child of God, Jesus Christ! 

And that makes all the difference!

In the Toy Story movies, the constant threat is that the child whose name is written on the toys, may forget their toys. That's what Woody fights in the first three movies. And it's what he embraces in the fourth one. 

But the distinction between the children in the Toy Story movies, and Jesus Christ, the only-beggoten child of God, is that Jesus cannot, will not forget about you!

Foretelling Jesus' pierced hands, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, declaring, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands." (Isaiah 49:15-16)

Your name is written on the palms of Jesus’ pierced hands! 

Not only is Jesus’ name written on you, YOUR name is written on Jesus!

Just like Bonnie in Toy Story 4, God is capable of doing some unexpected transforming! 

When the nail was driven through Jesus' palms, God transformed that moment of death, into one of eternal life! God made that nail a sort of permanent marker, and Jesus' hands an everlasting roster! 

At that moment the name of every one of us who would ever be baptized was written on the palms of Jesus' hands, forever!

*And, if you’re not baptized, reach out to us! It’s the easiest thing in the word! As Luther said, it only takes a moment to preform. But, and this is what Toy Story gets right, it’s takes a lifetime, a death even, to complete…

In the Large Catechism Luther says baptism is no plaything. And he’s right. When we are marked in Jesus’ name, we don’t just become Jesus’ toy. No, something much more radical takes place; we become what Jesus is to God! A beloved child, now and forever!

So, let me preach one last, short sermon back to you on your baptism: 

At different times in our lives we all feel like Forky. Don't we? We feel like we're worthless. Like we're trash, if not worse. 

But here's the deal; like Forky you don’t get to determine your worth! It doesn’t depend on you. No, the one who decides your worth is the one in whose name you were marked with in your baptism! The one who, in great love, wrote your name on himself; and his name is Jesus Christ! 

So hear what he has to say about you (well, in this case, read), he says, forgiven. Beloved. Child. Now and forever! 

Nothing can change this! Nothing in your past. Nothing in your present, either! And not even anything your future, for that matter!

And so now, forgiven, beloved, child of God; go from here freed and forgiven. Revived and renewed. 

Be like Woody, an agent of this message. Spread it to a world longing to hear it. Find those places where the world says, garbage, and say “loved” instead.

It might be daunting. But what Toy Story gets right is the adventure it is!

And it is.  

And you needn’t worry about the particulars. Don’t lose sleep over something as quixotic as doing it perfectly. That’s in the hands of the one who has your name inscribed on his very palms; Jesus Christ!

You really are free! You really are forgiven! You really are a beloved! You really are a child of God! Now and forever! All by right of that simple rite of your baptism and the permanent, life and death altering mark you received on that day!

Baptized child of God, you are not trash. You are beloved.
Amen