Today at St. Mark it was all about the water. During Pastor Eric’s children’s sermon, he gave the kids each a small tree branch, had them dip it in the font and go out into the congregation and share the water with swooping sprinkles…in essence to remember our baptism. It’s all about the water.
We were each invited forward to receive the cross on our forehead and hear the message, “You have been marked with the cross of Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit forever. You are a loved child of God.” We remembered our own baptism. It’s all about the water.
In our Baptismal Hymn, we sang the words our Lord spoke…”I rejoiced the day you were baptized to see your life unfold”. Again…the holy water.
The Gospel for this Sunday, Mark 1: 4-11, has John baptizing Jesus, and God proclaiming, “You are my son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased”. As we affirmed our own baptism, we were reminded…in the waters of Holy Baptism, we celebrate the gift of God’s grace. We are reborn as children of God.
To hear Pastor Eric’s description of how we are beloved children of God…how we are filled with God’s spirit of grace…and how we are made in God’s image for good, click on the link below.
Baptism of Our Lord