This morning we have been celebrating the birth of a child that was called Emmanuel through our gathering together as a church family, our prayers for one another, our financial giving and especially in music.
In recent weeks we have looked at the story of John the Baptist and his call to prepare a way for the lord….
He told the people of the need for repentance for their sins and about an outward sign of that internal change in their lives - baptism.
This morning we are going to look at baptism or perhaps a better word would be to witness a baptism.
The normal theological definition of baptism is an outward and visible sign of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many denominations use the word sacrament as part to the description of the event. A sacrament is a service or a rite which we believe conveys divine grace, blessing or sanctity on the believe that participates in it. The event is a tangible symbol of and intangible reality.
Maybe you are thinking, wow, that sounds like a lot of religious double talk. I don’t mean it to be. The problem is that intangible part.
The reason and meaning is hard enough to define when adults want to come to Christ and search for something to do to reflect the change in their lives.
In our denomination and many others we believe that this is a rite which may be offered to the child of believers and not limited to persons that have a personal faith in Jesus Christ.
Holding this to a readers digest kind of definition, Abraham was instructed to circumcise all the males of his household as a symbol of the covenant with God. This circumcision included foreigners that were slaves and it also included male children that were 8 days old.
I asked some of our children to assist me in setting up for this part of the service as a reminder of Jesus inclusion of children in his ministry. Jesus once said, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for such belongs to the kingdom of God.”
The word for children in that passage is more specifically “babes in arms..” Infants and toddlers, some to mind more that teens.
With each baptism we as a church are reminded that we are in a covenant with God and with the parents to be a church family, to offer a church home and education to the people that God sends.
The church is a place of preparation for sinners.
Prevenient Grace – God comes to us - before we have any desire for God.
Brothers and sisters in Christ:
Through the Sacrament of Baptism we are
initiated into Christ’s holy Church.
We are incorporated into God’s mighty acts
of salvation and given new birth through
water and the Spirit.
All this is God’s gift, offered to us without price.
Katy and Cody are bringing their daughter Emma Katherine …… for Christian baptism.
The pastor addresses parents”
On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you: Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?
I do.
Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and
Oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?
I do.
Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?
I do.
Will you nurture this child in Christ’s holy Church, that by your teaching and example they may be guided to accept God’s grace for herself, to profess her faith openly, and to lead a Christian life?
I will.
Congregation: of believers: We have an invitation for you to be a part of this covenant:
Do you, as Christ’s body, the Church, reaffirm both your rejection of sin and your commitment to Christ?
We do.
Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life and include these persons now before you in your care?
With God’s help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ.
We will surround this Child with a community of love and forgiveness, that she may grow in her trust of God, and be found faithful in her service to others.
We will pray for her, that she may be a true disciples
who walks in the way that leads to life.
The pastor addresses all,
:
Let us join together in professing the Christian faith as contained
in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
[who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the
living and the dead.]
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
[the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.]
*universal
Let us pray.
Eternal Father:
When nothing existed but chaos,
you swept across the dark waters
and brought forth light.
In the days of Noah
you saved those on the ark through water.
After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow.
When you saw your people as slaves in Egypt,
you led them to freedom through the sea.
Their children you brought through the Jordan
to the land which you promised.
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Tell of God’s mercy each day.
In the fullness of time you sent Jesus,
nurtured in the water of a womb.
He was baptized by John and anointed by your Spirit.
He called his disciples
to share in the baptism of his death and resurrection
and to make disciples of all nations.
Declare his works to the nations,
his glory among all the people.
Pour out your Holy Spirit,
to bless this gift of water and those who receive it,
to wash away their sin
and clothe them in righteousness
throughout their lives,
that, dying and being raised with Christ,
they may share in his final victory.
All praise to you, Eternal Father,
through your Son Jesus Christ,
who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns for ever. Amen.
Emma, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Holy Spirit work within you,
that being born through water and the Spirit,
you may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
