An Every Day Baptism

Read It: Mark 1:9-11 (NRSV)

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” 

Learn It:

Baptism is very important as it connects us with the whole Christian family.  Baptism is also the time when we receive the Holy Spirit and we are forgiven of our sins.  Even Jesus was baptized which shows us just how important baptism is to being a part of this family of God.  Martin  Luther said that we should daily remember our baptism.  Baptism isn't a one time event that happened at some time past but it is a daily living out of our faith.  We should remember to daily live out our baptismal lives.  

Share It:

Talk with your family about the day everyone was baptized. Do this over dinner or during some family time.  Who was there?  Where was it?  Do you remember it?  If you have children talk about when they were baptized and what the whole experience was like.  What are your thoughts on why Jesus was baptized?  Share these ideas and anything else that comes up during your 'share it' time.  

Live It:

Remember Luther said we should daily remember our baptism?  One way he said to do that is that every time we take a bath or shower that we should say to ourselves, "I am a baptized child of God," and mark ourselves with the cross on our foreheads.  Try this out for a week and see how it might change your view of water or how baptism is really a daily living out our faith.  It is wonderful that at Faith we have our baptismal font on our way to receiving communion.  I want to encourage you next week when you are at church to use the baptismal font during communion to remind yourself of your baptism by signing your forehead with a cross.  It is a perfect way to not only remember your baptism but to also connect our two sacraments: baptism and communion.

╬

Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post.  Let others know if you and your family found this useful.  

Giving Your All

Read It: Matthew 22:21b (NRSV)

 “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Learn It:

Jesus shows the Pharisees that we must obey the civil laws of the society that we live in but we must also live out the calling that God has called us to be and do.  When we are baptized we die to our old lives and we then live out our new lives in Christ Jesus.  Those new lives are dedicated to the service of God who created all things.  Since God created all things the idea about giving to God what is God's is really about giving God our everything.  Jesus is teaching the Pharisees and us that our lives need to reflect the promises and gifts that God gives us each day.  The way we live out those gifts is how we give to God what is God's...which again is our all.

Share It:

Based on what you read above what does it mean to you to give to God what is God's and give to the emperor (the government) what is the emperor's?  In what ways do you already do that?  What are some ways that you can continue to give your all to God?  What are areas that you might be able to do more for God?  When you first read this passage did the idea of belonging to God come to mind or what did you think the passage was about?  How has your perspective changed?  How might it have stayed the same?  Discuss these and other questions or ideas that come up during your conversations.

Live It:

In the Share It section you talked about what areas you might be able to do more for God.  Use that idea or pick one if you had several and figure out a way to live that out this week.  See how giving more back to God who created all of this for us might help you to become closer to God and to the rest of God's creation.  

╬

Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post.  Let others know if you and your family found this useful.

The Power of Water

Read It:  Matthew 14:26-27 (NRSV)

26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” 

Learn It:

Water is a very powerful image in the Bible.  In the Old Testament it is often associated with chaos in one's life.  Water was also very dangerous because of storms and creatures in the sea that could cause fisherman to never return to the shore again.  Of course I don't think that times have changed too much.  If you have ever seen the show, "Deadliest Catch" or some of the others like it on the Discovery Channel then you will know that even today seas and oceans can be very dangerous and difficult places to traverse.  The disciples are justified, in my opinion, in thinking they saw a ghost because nothing should be out in a storm like that...especially something walking on the water.  Water gives us life as well.  Without water to drink we cannot live.  Also water is what gives us new life with Jesus when we are baptized.  Water is a powerful element in our lives.

Share It:

Talk with your family about the different ways you use water on a daily basis.  What are the different ways that we use water?  What are ways that water is beneficial for us?  In what ways does water still show itself as dangerous?  What are some ways that we can use water to be a blessing in our lives and for our faith?  Share these thoughts and others that may come up during you talk together.

Live It:

Spend this next week paying attention to all the ways that you use water.  Think about how water is used to bring about life.  What might be something you can do with water this week to continue to bring about life in this world?  When you come up with it try it.

╬

Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post.  Let others know if you and your family found this useful.

Spirit Born

Read It: John 3:4-7 (NRSV)

4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’

Learn It:

As Christians we all have two births.  This isn't something that we often talk about but we truly are given new life (born again) when we are baptized, and of course we are born when we first came into this world.  But, Jesus does not say that the new birth trumps the old.  We must be born of both water and Spirit.  We must be both of this world and not of this world.  We must be people of God living for the kingdom that Jesus promises, and we need to be people who truly do live in this world.  It is being in this world that we are able to connect and interact with others.  It is how we can teach them about baptism and about what it means to be born of both the physical water and of the Spirit that God gives us through the waters of baptism.

Share It:

Talk with your family about if you have ever had a time when you felt you were truly just a plain "old" human and were there times when you just felt that you were being used by the Spirit.  What was it like?  When did you realize that  the Spirit was working through you?  Do you often think of your baptism as having given you a new life and having been born again?

Live It:

In the next week while you are at work, school, playing, relaxing or whatever you find yourself doing, pay attention to the times when you might see how you were born of the Spirit.  Maybe you find yourself praying for someone on the side of the road; helping someone who needs a hand; maybe you talk to someone about God.  There are things that we do because we are born of the Spirit.  Because we have a new Spiritual life in Jesus we do things differently, so pay attention to those moments when you do something that makes you think about how you are blessed with that new Spirit birth.

╬

Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post.  Let others know if you and your family found this useful.