Baptism

The promise of new life

Baptism is central to who we are as Lutherans.  In the waters of baptism God comes to us – just as we are – promising us forgiveness and new life, community and life eternal.  When we know forgiveness in a relationship with someone we love – when we have wronged that person and he or she forgives us – that forgiveness opens new doors to freedom and life in the relationship.  We want to do everything we can to avoid the same mistake and we go out of our way, doing everything we can to thank that person and to strengthen the relationship.

So it is in baptism.  When we say, “baptism washes away our sins,” we are not claiming that we are perfect, we are claiming that we are forgiven.  As forgiven children of God we want to do all that we can to thank God, living lives of service and giving – offering to others the same gift we have first received from God.

Baptism is not something that happens once in our lives and then we forget about it.  Baptism happens once in our lives and then serves as a daily reminder that God comes to us each day, just as we are, with all our conflicts and struggles and doubts, comes to us with compassion and forgiveness.  That’s why we as Lutherans, baptize infants, for we believe that the promise in our baptisms and in all of life is that God comes to us, not because of our faithfulness (or lack thereof) but because of God’s faithfulness.  That kind of unconditional love and forgiveness we call grace.  Grace changes us.  When we embrace God’s compassion and forgiveness, when we live in God’s grace, we are freed from spending our time and energy feeling bad about ourselves.  Rather, that energy is spent reaching out to others in the same love and compassion we ourselves have known from God.

Living each day in the promise of our baptisms gives us lives of hope, for we know that the evil of the day, our mistakes in life or the errors of others is not the end of the story.  The promise of new life is always the “final answer.”  Reaching out to others in this hope, serving others and making a difference in the lives of others, gives our lives purpose and meaning.

Please contact Pastor Deb to discuss any questions you have about baptism.