Baptism of our Lord

In seeking the Lord in church and receiving the word, we often feel transformed or reinvigorated with the Spirit during each encounter.  Sometimes the experience is miraculous and profound, other times it is subtle with a humble thought, processing what we have just learned and how we can apply it to our lives. 

Then life happens….

In our daily lives, it can be hard to remember what we have vowed to do on Sunday.  Some Christians may have a better grasp on fighting temptation, may have a calm and forgiving manner, and their actions speak of God’s love and kindness.  They have an inner peace and confidence that allows them to choose their battles wisely.  Often, they have the ambition to pick up the word of God, when they feel they do not exhibit these characteristics. 

Then there are the rest of us.  The imperfect person that has been born again a couple of times but feel distant from our promise of baptism.  We make mistakes, speak harsh or profane words, commit a sin, experience heartbreak, anger, loss of temper, doubt our faith, experience illness and death of a loved one and all the weakness and madness that comes from it; our behavior is altered.  We forget what God calls us to do.  We forget what we promised to do in the midst of our painful dysfunction in the moment.

In our United Methodist tradition our source for understanding what baptism means for us comes from John Wesley, who “taught that in baptism a child was cleansed of the guilt of original sin, initiated into the covenant with God, admitted into the church, made an heir of the divine kingdom, and spiritually born anew. He said that while baptism was neither essential to nor sufficient for salvation, it was the "ordinary means" that God designated for applying the benefits of the work of Christ in human lives” (By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism).

As you can see, baptism is a powerful and meaningful practice for Christians.  The beauty of the Lord is that he does not expect us to be perfect and his love offers us grace and forgiveness.  We are invited to remember our baptism and become renewed in the Spirit. Our daily struggle is whether we live according to our baptism or apart from it.  Although, it may seem easy for some, it takes effort and work for others to breathe this renewed remembrance in our daily lives and actions. Take a moment and replenish your mind with the Word, pray, forgive others, forgive yourself, and move forward remembering and applying the benefits of the work of Christ in your life.

When you are faced with difficulty and trial, my prayer is that you will lean on the Lord’s calling to remember your baptism, to live your vow through action, maintain a loving temperament, and live your life according to God’s will.  Our walk with God is a constant action; begin again.

Prayer:

Father in heaven, at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, you proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with your Holy Spirit. 

Help us, your people keep the covenant that we have made with you and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior.  Help us to live our lives according to your will and in remembrance of our faith and our baptism.  Amen.

Blessings,

Dawn Adams