Baptism

This week our church secretary sent out an e-mail to congregation members to let us know there is a young boy who is getting baptized tomorrow. To Christians, baptism is a very big deal, a very happy big deal. At our church, if we know about it ahead of time, we do something special.

First of all, there are men in our congregation who make these beautiful baptismal chests.

Isn't that pretty? I know they try to keep ahead of the demand as it would be rather tough to whip one of these beauties out at the last moment. I don't know how long this has been the tradition in this congregation, but I think it is really special.

The rest of us bring gifts, then, to place in the chest. When we arrive at church tomorrow one of these chests will be right up front. As people arrive we will see some of them going up front to deposit a gift for the young boy who is getting baptized.  At the end of the service he and his family may gather around the chest for photographs, marking the special occasion. When they go home tomorrow, the chest and gifts go with them. Won't that be a special reminder to him, perhaps a lifelong reminder, of the day he was baptized?

Baptism is done many different ways within Christian Churches. Some of the differences are based on traditions. For example, giving this baptismal chest and gifts is a tradition within our congregation. It isn't something we've read about in the Bible; it is just something we do to celebrate a joyful event. Some of the differences are based on varying theological understandings of Biblical accounts of baptism.  This accounts for such differences as sprinkling versus immersion and infant versus someone old enough to make the decision for themselves.  Mike and I spent hours and hours discussing these differences, even when we were dating, as we come from different denominational backgrounds. 

Most Christians agree, though, that baptism is very important and very special. I've heard baptism compared to adoption. People have said that the day you are baptized is the day you are adopted into God's family, the day you become a Child of God. It isn't quite that simple, I suppose, given that we believe everything, including ourselves, belongs to God in the first place. However, I think it is a fairly good way to explain baptism to someone who is new to Christianity.

I am not a theologian. Although raised in the church, I have never attended a Bible College or Seminary. I do have a theologian in residence as my husband has both a Bible College and Seminary degree. As I write this post, he is sitting right here in the same room with me, easily accessible. However, I am recklessly tackling this subject without his help. As far as he knows, I am furiously typing out cute granddaughter stories. So, if you landed here by googling "baptism" and were hoping for some deep theological insights, you may be disappointed.  I can tell you a few things, though.

Baptism is done in obedience to God's Word. That is to say, the Bible tells us we should do this so we do.  

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 (NIV) 

That is one of the verses that tells us to do it. To be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (we'll talk about the Trinity another day) is a command. We who are disciples of Christ, meaning His followers, want to do this out of obedience. We don't do it in secret, either. We want others to know that we are His followers.

“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” I Corinthians 6:11 (NIV) 

Baptism is also a washing away of our sin. Do people sin even after they are baptized? Yes, of course. With our human understanding of time you may think we are to be baptized over and over again, each time we sin. Nope. As children of God we are able to repent and claim this forgiveness of sin over and over and over. I would think that must get so tedious for God, but his love for us is big enough to handle it.

Baptism points to the fact that we are to die to ourselves. Our will is no longer paramount. It is so hard to remember and to live this way, but Christians really do want God's will to be what matters, not our own. We love our Lord and he loves us. HIS love is so pure, so complete, we are overwhelmed by it. Dying to ourselves is not a sad thing, it is a great thing. This next verse means a lot to me.  

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”Galatians 2:20 (NIV)  

My firm belief is that as a baptized child of God, I have Christ living within me. What could be better than that? This is a great heritage to claim!

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A Word From Pastor Mike: "For You - Forever"

I asked my pastor husband, Mike, if I could occasionally share one of his sermons on my blog.  I brought it up enough times, he finally supplied me with some of his notes.  The following is from his sermon notes from two weeks ago.  It will be helpful to know that it is based on John 6:51-58 so I will insert that passage.  Oh, and I probably should warn you that he slips his quirky sense of humor into his sermons...

     ***************************************************************************

John 6:51-58 (NRSV)

John 6:51-58

⁵¹I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” ⁵²The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; ⁵⁵for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. ⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

     *********************************************************************************************

Now, from Mike's notes...

For You - Forever

This past week we were in Minnesota.  We toured the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis.  It was the former home of Gold Medal Flour.  Across the Mississippi River you could see the Pillsbury Flour Factory.

(note from Sue:  Remember, I forewarned you about Mike's sense of humor! The underlines words indicate parts he delivered with a bit of a distinct emphasis.)

While I was there I came across this obituary:  Veteran Pillsbury Spokesman, Pop-N-Fresh, died yesterday of a yeast infection.  Dozens of celebrities turned out for the funeral.  Among those seen were Aunt Jemima, the California Raisins, Hungry Jack, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Skippy Peanut Butter.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy.  She said her friend "never realized how much he was kneaded."  (another note from Sue:  It's ok to groan.  I did.)  The church was piled high with flours (not a typo) from many friends.

Pop-N-Fresh rose quickly in show business but in his later life he had many turnovers.  He was not a very smart cookie as he wasted much of his dough on half-baked schemes.  Unfortunately many of his so called friends buttered him up for these failures.

Even though Pop-N-Fresh was a crusty old man, he was a roll model for millions.  Fresh is survived by his wife and two children  plus they have a bun in the oven.  The service was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

(pause to regroup before the serious stuff)

Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven."  In this reading Jesus seems to be all over the place.  Is he...

a) talking about communion?  "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life...abide in me and I in them" sure sounds like communion.

b) talking about the incarnation - God taking on flesh?  "I am the living bread that came down from heaven" sure sounds like that's true also.

c)  talking about his death for us?  "The bread that I give for the life of the world is my flesh."  That sure sounds like the cross to me.

This is the great thing about the Bible.  You can go into it as simply or as deeply as you want.  There is bread.  There is food for everyone.

What I was fascinated about in the text were the promises of eternal life.  

     (a) "Whoever eats this bread will live forever."  

     (b) "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life and I will raise them up on the
            last day."                  

     (c) "Whoever eats me will live because of me."
     (d) "The one who eats this bread will live forever."

These are promises for you about forever, about eternal life.  But what is eternal life?  When does it begin?  What does it look like?

Eternal Life

Sometimes it is helpful to describe something by saying what it is not...

A former professor of mine, Jim Nestingen, was in the newly formed country in South Sudan.  He told a story of what eternal life is not and what it is.  He told of a 10 year old girl.  Her older brother sold her to an older man who had lost his wife.  The brother needed money so he could be married.  Without getting too descriptive, we can safely say that this was not eternal life for a 10 year old girl.  As soon as she was old enough, she started having children.  Then, the old man died.  This meant that she would go up for sale as part of his estate.  She was bought by a church!  They redeemed her!  They set her free!  Eternal life started for her and she is now the pastor of the very congregation that set her free.  Jim Nestingen said there was so much joy on her lips that you couldn't help but get caught up in the dance of it!

It's interesting that in our gospel text today Jesus announces that he is the living bread come down from heaven and that whoever eats of this bread will live.  The response...grumbling.  How can this man do this?  Sometimes we make the Christian Faith too complicated or we get distracted.  Jesus puts it this way, the one who believes has eternal life.  What must we do to be saved?  Believe in the one who the Father sent.

This last week I got to listen to African Lutherans tell their story.  I got to see a Sudanese man be commissioned to go back to his country, where there is barely a government, few hospitals, school or churches and yet the church grows - and I wondered why.

And I think the reason is they have completely sold themselves out to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the love of God.

They aren't really concerned about the American dream, getting their kids to soccer games, or water skiing competitions.  Maybe extreme poverty keeps people dependent on God and thankful, even glad, for the few things they do have.

The good news is that God isn't really concerned about boundaries.  It isn't a Christian competition between continents - God loves sinners wherever they may be.

The Father sent the Son to be the Living Bread for all people - the one who feeds on this living bread has eternal life.  We feed on Jesus in daily prayer, weekly worship and reading the Bible daily.

When you come to communion you hear the words, "Body of Christ given for you" and "Blood of Christ shed for you."  It is a promise - for you - it's the living Christ within you.  It is eternal life for you.  Begin selling yourself out completely to God and enter the joy of eternal life.

A Father and a Daughter

I was looking through some of the photos I 

took from the recent gathering of relatives.  

I loved these photos of our 

brother-in-law, Joe, enjoying some 

father-daughter time with our niece, Erin.  

 What do you think they were discussing?
I really did't hear but, knowing Joe,
I'm guessing he was telling a corny joke.
Maybe he was giving her insightful advice?
It doesn't matter.
It was just sweet to see them enjoying
each other's company.

 Like I said, I just love these photos.

To My Children, A Word About Your Father

Dear Maria, Ben and Sam,

First of all, let me say, "You are welcome!"

Thanks to my fine choice you three have experienced the fatherly love of a good man.  All right, I admit, I didn't really think much about his fatherly potential when I chose him.  Nevertheless, I'm taking the credit.

You already know he was and is a fun person.  You  have to admit he was good at taking the time to play.  He was the one who would pretend to push you into the hot lava or shout out, "Kid Hunt!"  He also played a lot of Crazy 8, Candy Land and Old Maid.  He's a quirky guy with lots of character and I think that just adds to the adventure.

I hope you always knew of his love for you.  He made a lot of sacrifices on your behalf... all three of you.  He always put your needs before his own.  I think you know that, too, don't you?  He wasn't always confident that he knew how to parent but you always knew he would be there for you.  You knew he was steadfast and fiercely loyal to his family.  Even if you never really thought about all that, I'm sure it must have helped you feel more secure in a world that doesn't always feel safe.

Ben and Sam, in a world where boys aren't always shown how to be good fathers, you were given that valuable example.  Maria, because of him, you were able to recognize a good man for yourself and a good father for your own children.  For all of you, he's taught by example the value of integrity, generosity and perseverence.  He's also let you see his love for God, family, music, Montana, baseball and goofy dogs.  I don't know how all these things molds you, but I think those things, to you, will always be associated with your Dad.

So, again, I say, "You're welcome." Above any gift I ever bought or made for any of you, providing you with this man for your father was a stroke of genius and I know you are thankful.

Love,
Mom

Jj

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

Mike's Day

Today is Mike's Birthday!

Mike is a mysterious and complicated guy.  There are so many sides to him! 

 I will tell you about a few...

Many know him as their pastor.  Those people probably don't realize he is actually an introvert because in his pastor role, he pushes himself to be available to all.  He's a natural and easy speaker and a knowledgeable teacher, as well as a kind and caring spiritual advisor.

I like observing Mike as a brother.  I think he's pretty special to his sisters and I know he cares deeply for them.  He makes an effort to keep those relationships strong.

Mike, as a son, keeps his mother's life interesting!  He has long talks with her on the phone at least weekly.   When together, he keeps her on her toes, often teasing her mercilessly!  She loves it, of course.

I pat myself on the back for my choice of Mike as my children's father.  They are blessed to have him as their Dad and they know it.  They can rest certain in his steadfast love for them.  They value his opinion and enjoy his time with them.

Mike as a grandpa is where he has really come into his own.  Cordelia sees Grandpa as her destination for fun!  He's so patient and attentive to her.  They have hours of fun together!  Their bond is already so very strong.

Mike as a songwriter...many who know him have no idea how many songs he has written!  The man's head is full of songs and he is really very, very talented.  I still think he deserves to be discovered!

Mike as a husband, I will say that he is my best friend.  He's supportive and caring, funny and adventuresome.  We've traveled many unexpected roads during our time together and I am so grateful to have been side by side with him on this journey of life!  No one can make me laugh as he does!

No matter all the roles Mike has taken on over the years, this is how I still see him, the farm boy I married...

So, to my very complicated farm boy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  I'm really glad your time on this Earth coincided with mine.

P.S. Mike told me I didn't have permission to put his picture in my blog...   ooops!



Medals and Memories

Yesterday was not our typical day.  Mike and I ventured out of town to visit one of his sisters, Karen, and her husband, Greg.  They'd moved into a new home awhile ago and we finally got ourselves in gear enough to go see it.  We enjoyed visiting with them!

Karen entertained us showing family treasures.  I'll start right out by saying the most fun for me was seeing Carol's (my mother-in-law) old swimsuit, complete with ruffles on the hinder.  Yes, I said hinder.  Karen also had Carol's old square dance dress.  I had a hard time envisioning Carol square dancing but I'm not sure why that is.  She's tried a lot of things over the years and still takes classes on new things.  Carol is a very elegant lady and I suppose that is why these old items were fun to me.  I got a glimpse of her in another era.

Karen also had a lot of their Dad's military things.  George died way too early.  He died when we'd been married only 1 month.  Of course Mike has lots of memories of his Dad but they never got too far into knowing each other as adults.  It was precious to see Mike going through these things of his Dad's.  I think it made him feel a bit closer to him. 

Our son-in-law, Eric, is a curator at a veteran's museum.  He and Mike are going to go through some of George's military things together.  There are medals and other things that we know mean something.  Eric's head is full of knowledge of such things and he also knows how to do the research to find out more.  Mike is excited to show them to Eric.

Mike knows some of the stories.  I see the pride in his eyes when he talks about his Dad being involved in freeing prisoners from concentration camps.  If George never did another thing in his life, that in itself would've earned him hero status as far as I'm concerned!

It is rather a week of remembering veterans around here.  Eric has been working hard to prepare for the opening of a Vietnam War Veterans display at the museum.  Tomorrow is the big day!  We plan to go to help honor some of those who were treated with contempt when they returned from war.  They were given a job to do and they did it.  We need to thank them.  We're proud of Eric for all his hard work.