Baptized Into Community

This past Sunday we celebrated the Baptism of our Lord (you can read about it in Mark 1:4-11). There are lots of interesting things to say and think about, in terms of why Jesus received the baptism of John the Baptizer. I'll save that train of thought for another day.
We also celebrated the baptism of a baby girl in our congregation, Annika, and were called again to remember the promises made at our own baptisms, no matter how old we were when we were baptized.
Grant preached a great sermon on the power of baptism and the promises we can cling to throughout our lives - we are claimed, called and sent by God. Baptism is the entrance to the Christian community (which is why we so often place the font by the door to the worship space - our lives of faith together begin with God coming to us in grace). In fact, in the Roman Catholic tradition, adult converts to the faith undergo a time of preparation for baptism, formally marked by enrollment and prayers. It's called RCIA - the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.
And as much as I enjoyed Grant's sermon (both times), Sunday afternoon left me thinking that while it was hopefully very good news to everyone gathered, anyone worshiping with CtK who might not yet be baptized might have felt a little left out, which was NOT the point.
If you, or someone you know, is interested in being baptized, please let us know! While we do baptize infants, we also baptize children, teens, young adults, and old farts, too. Baptism is a gift of God's grace for everyone. Let's talk.