For the second week of January 2008.

To all Ravenna UMC'rs:  Grace and peace to you! 

This Sunday is the Sunday in the Christian year when we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord.  And as a part of this observance we have two special congregational acts to perform.  One is the congregational re-affirmation of our baptismal vows.  This is a rich and meaningful ritual that has been recovered and reclaimed by the Church in our time.  And this is an excellent time to be thinking about what it means to be named and claimed as a child of God--and specifically within the Christian context, to be identified with Jesus.  For, as you know, we celebrate two sacraments in the United Methodist Church:  one non-repeatable sacrament--that of holy baptism; and one repeatable one--that of the Eucharist (or holy communion).  As United Methodist Christians, we affirm all three forms of water baptism (sprinkling, pouring, full-immersion), and we also practice infant baptism (in addition to baptism at any age).  For we believe and proclaim the love and grace of God that is for us and with us from the very beginning of our lives.  Later, when we have grown up in Christ and in the church, we "confirm" the vows made for us at our baptism.  (In our Church, Baptism and Confirmation go together even though they are usually separated in time; Confirmation is "part two" of our Baptism.)  Then annually, we are asked to renew our vows.  This is a good practice and a good way to "remember our baptism and be grateful," as the traditional liturgy puts it.

The other special feature of our worship service this coming Sunday is a ceremony that is completely appropriate to the re-affirmation of baptismal vows, and that is the "naming" liturgy for Lincoln and Asher.  They have written a very meaningful and scriptural liturgy which honors and celebrates the names that they have taken--names that we will together lift up to God in celebration and blessing.

Just as in baptism, we are called by name... recognized for who we are as a unique and irreplaceable child of God..., so too, here we will want to join in this special act to speak and to hear the calling of these two names, recognizing them for who they are as unique and irreplaceable children of God.  Speaking names before God and from within the community of faith is always a very powerful thing.  It is how we lift up one another in prayer each week.  It is how we focus our faith, hope and love on the person named in our worship.  It is all very powerful and personal.  To be called and identified before God and within community is to be affirmed in the most significant way possible.  Greater than any award or reward, to be known and loved for who you truly are is the very essence of what we do as a people who follow Jesus.

In the sermon this week, we will want to be thinking about the implications of being created in the image of God--and more specifically, how do we show forth the "family resemblance."

I look forward to seeing you all in worship this Sunday.

In Christ,
James