What is Holy Baptism? Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God. – BCP 858
This Sunday is the Baptism of Our Lord, the feast day when we mark Jesus’ baptism by John. Matthew, Mark and Luke all agree that Jesus was baptized by John before beginning his ministry, but they seem increasingly uncomfortable with it.
Why did Jesus need to be baptized? If baptism is for the forgiveness of sins, why did Jesus, who is sinless, go to be baptized? I don’t know if this is the truest answer, but I see Jesus’ baptism, not as a washing away of sin, but as an affirmation that Jesus is beloved of God, and that we too claim our beloved status in baptism. We start our journey in baptism, because we start our journey affirming that God loves and calls us. There will be difficulties (Jesus will go straight from baptism into the temptation in the wilderness), but we have the courage and strength to go through life because we know that we have God’s unconditional love and steadfast presence.
If baptism gives us: “union with Christ in his death and resurrection, birth into God’s family the Church, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit,” then we celebrate that new life with ministry. We are in the process of scheduling ministry trainings for: acolytes, readers, greeters, chalice bearers, Altar Guild, and Lay Eucharistic Visitors. My hope is to not only go over the role and duties of each ministry, but to also help connect people’s actions to our larger work of worshipping God. Please stay posted.
We do not have any formal Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEVs) at the moment, and I invite you to consider if this is something you might like to do. Our LEVs bring communion to people who are unable to join us on Sunday mornings. There is a little box with consecrated bread and wine, as well as a laminated sheet for the service. If you might be willing to take communion to one of our homebound members, please let me know.
Finally, it is a new year and it is time to update our Photo Board! If you would like a new picture (or any picture) on the board, please email me a photo, or let me know on Sunday and I will take a picture. I am hoping to gather photos in January so that we can print a new photo board in February.
Prayers and Blessings,
Mother Pippa