Grow Guide | July 25
Renewing Worship | Baptism
Connecting Questions
Share a positive story from your life that is associated with water: a lake, a river, a pool, splashing in puddles, etc.
List all the things that can be associated with water (e.g. life, washing, etc.)
If you have been baptized, share what you know/remember about your baptism.
Context
This week we continue our series Renewing Worship by talking about the topic of baptism. The majority of Christian traditions view the act of placing water on a persons’ body (either by fulling immersing the body, pouring, or sprinkling) as an important part of being a disciple of Jesus. Some traditions baptize infants, some only baptize those who are old enough to understand the meaning of the ritual. While baptism unites Christians as a shared practice, the purpose and means of delivering the ritual can be a source of great controversy. What is baptism and why do we practice the ritual during a worship service?
Look at the Book
Read Matthew 3:13-17.
Why do you think Jesus needed to be baptized?
What happened when Jesus was baptized?
Read Matthew 28:16-20. How does baptism fit into Jesus’ final command to his disciples?
Read Galatians 3:23-29.
How does Paul describe our lives before baptism?
In verse 26, Paul says that when you were baptized you “clothed yourselves with Christ.” What might the metaphor of clothing mean in relation to baptism?
How does Paul describe the relationship between baptized people in verse 28?
Taking it Home
Baptism is the second sacrament in the Lutheran tradition. Remember, a sacrament is that place where God’s Word/Promise is combined with an ordinary thing (water, in this case) to create space where we encounter God in a special way. How, then, is baptism a sacrament? What promises does the water symbolize?
Is it important that a baptism be performed in the context of a public worship service? Why or why not?
How would you explain the purpose of baptism to a friend who was new to the church?
