Today we are celebrating baptism and God’s amazing gift of grace. Grace is expressed in lots of ways including forgiveness, new beginnings, second chances, reconciliation, a transformed heart, and hope for the future.
One of the reasons we do baptism by immersion is because it was part of the 1st-century radiation Jesus participated in. Another reason is it symbolizes dying and rising again. When we go into the water it is a symbol of death--dying to ourselves. And when we come up it symbolizes new
life--rising with Christ.
A promise of baptism is that we are offered a new life in Christ. Our passage in Colossians points to this new life and urges us to live differently.
Branden has shared some of the things that are different for him since he received the life of Christ. I hope that it’s a reminder and a call to each of us that our relationship with Jesus should be life-changing even today. Even if you’ve been at it a few years, or a few decades, or longer.
I once listened to a pastor who said life in Christ often manifested in one of 2 ways--really fast and stark, or kind of gradual and slow. He likened it to the old school roll-up blinds--the big sheet of vinyl that you pulled ti keep the light out. Does anyone remember those? The pastor said some of us have a life of faith that is slow and gradual--like when you pull the blind and gently let it roll-up. Others of us have a more sudden change in us--like when you pull and release and it shoots up. Not all of us will have a sudden change like Branden, but some will and others will experience a slow transformation. What we will hopefully all look for is the light of God pushing through into our lives. Baptism today reminds us of new life in Jesus. It boasts of the transformation we can experience. And, here, with the smokey air, and the ducks swimming and the presence of others enjoying this everyday place we are reminded that God’s grace comes to us through simple, ordinary, everyday things. And for that we thank God.