8-31-2016

Good Morning All!! 

        1 Peter 3:21; “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”

       It must have been quite the event to watch.  It was the formal claiming by the explorer for the king or queen who funded them.  At first a landing party would have set foot on the land and searched to make sure it was safe.  Once it was determined to be safe, the lead explorer would take the skiff boat ashore with the flag of the nation that he was sailing for.  He would take the flag, attached to a long iron shaft and the drive the shaft into the ground.  He would then proclaim, “I claim this land in the name of King whatever!”  This was how the European kingdoms claimed land throughout the new world.

     During the great land rushes, the settlers would ride their horses, wagons or just run to the land that they wanted.  They would place flags or strips of cloth on the perimeter of the land and then claim it as their new home.  The marking the land as claimed by someone gave ownership of the land.

    This is what we can think of when we think of Baptism.   This is part of what we are doing when, during the Baptism, the pastor makes the sign of the cross on the forehead and on the heart of the person being baptized.   As he does this, the pastor says receive the sign of the holy cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.  You are marked, claimed by Jesus as his own child.  Nothing will ever separate you from Him because he has claimed you and nothing can ever pull you from his hand.

    This is what we call the baptismal promise and that we live in God’s baptismal grace.  We only need to recall this promise; we are claimed by Christ the crucified.  Regardless of the failures of our life, that promise is always there, that promise never leaves.  The promise made to us in our Baptism is entirely dependent upon God and his mercy.  It is a promise that he makes to each one of us who are baptized.  Forgiveness of sins and our salvation to eternal life are promised mercies.  Neither depends upon us but rather depend entirely upon God.

     So we can always come back to the certainty of God’s promised mercy, the forgiveness of sins, because of the simple promise that God made to us in our Baptism.  We are God’s baptized children forever his forever saved.  So no matter what we face, no matter what comes our way, we always have God’s promise.  We can always trust in God to keep his promise made to us in our Baptism; we are marked as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.

Father of all grace, through the mercy of Baptism we are your redeemed children.  You have made us yours and keep us safe within your loving arms.  Help us to remember the wonders of your grace.   Be with those who are hurting at this time.  Remind them of the promise that you have made to them.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret