This week we have the privilege of witnessing the baptisms of two infant members, Kurtis and Emma. We rejoice that in baptism God holds out his promises to us. For infants, it is an especially remarkable scene as we consider God’s reaching out to them and recognizing them with his eternal love, even as they are just beginning in life, and beginning their physical, emotional and spiritual development. They receive this gift of baptism at a time during which they might just barely be able to recognize their parents. Baptism is a wonderful picture of grace. God makes the first move, approaching us with his unconditional love, long before we might even think to begin looking for God. In the sacrament of baptism, God gives us a new identity in Christ and in the community which Christ is forming. As one liturgy puts it, “In a world where … anonymity and rootlessness threaten our existence, God calls people into covenant embrace.”
As we once again witness the sacrament of baptism, we rejoice in celebrating God’s promises and his gift of a salvation through a new identity in Jesus.
-EGN
