BAPTISMS
From Pastor Megan Torgerson
As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 3:27-28
Did you hear the good news in worship on Sunday? Did you hear that last weekend we baptized nine little ones? Nine! It made for busy afternoons on Saturday and Sunday, but it was completely worth it. Together with Easter Kids Director Rachelle Gill and Communications Specialist Amy Peschong, I got to be right there as parents and sponsors promised to raise their beloved kiddos in faith. I got to see grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, and loved ones of all kinds cheer and pray for these little ones as they began their new lives in Christ. I got to speak words of promise and hope, welcoming these amazing young people into our faith community.
Admittedly, baptisms don’t look like what I’m used to. To do our best to keep everyone safe and healthy, we keep the celebration outside, the group stays small, everyone wears a mask, and – maybe the hardest part – only the parents get to be close to the baptismal candidate. This means I don’t get to hold babies, and we can all agree that getting to hold babies is a real perk of doing baptisms.
Would I rather do baptisms in worship with the whole congregation raising their voices in affirmation? Of course. But there’s something truly beautiful about seeing a parent get to be the one to splash water on the baby’s head. Parents got to practice making the sign of the cross on their sweet child’s forehead, experiencing for the first time an ancient act of blessing that they can do any time from then on. For now, I do a little less during a baptismal ceremony. It simply points even more clearly to God’s work in the sacrament and the central, vital role that families play in the development of a child’s faith.
One day we’ll all gather together in worship again, shouting out words of affirmation and joy as a new member of God’s family joins us through the waters of baptism. Until then, keep these children and their families close in your hearts and your prayers. We may not be together at a baptism, but we remain united in the promises of baptism.
Let us pray,
God, in the waters of baptism, you welcome all your children and make us one family. We praise you for these new members of Easter Lutheran Church, joined with us by baptism. Show us how to support, encourage, nurture, and love these children, their parents, and all our siblings in Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.