You are my beloved

Sunday we will "remember our baptisms;" this should be a good and pleasant thing to do.

But why do it?

Why remember a moment that most of us slept through when we were splashed with water and claimed to be a child of God?

Why remember that once our name was presented to God and we were called one of God's 'beloved' ones?

Why remember that moment when water and a Word of grace, forgiveness and hope combined to put to death our old selves and join us to Christ's kingdom?

Why remember the parents who brought us, the fellowship of believers that welcomed us and the pastor who prayed for us?  Because the rest of life in this world is too often without praise, without forgiveness, without mercy.

Too often someone attempts to convince us that we have little or no worth in the big scheme of things.
 Too often darkness appears to swallow all the light in our world.

That's exactly when we turn to that moment when God claimed us, called us beloved, joined us to the resurrected one and before all the world called us worthy.  Some days, our baptism is the only thing we have left to which to cling. 

Come celebrate your baptism with us this Sunday, beloved of God.