Remembering our baptism

I'm sorry it's taken a week to get the sermon of Sunday before last here in this blog. But here it is. The theme was The gift of baptism and my sermon included the liturgy for remembering our baptism.

Baptism is the foundational event that brings us into the community of faith and gives us our identity as God’s people. Drawing from my own denomination Martin Luther regularly reminded people that baptism was the beginning of something that takes a lifetime to complete.


Today will remember our own baptism. This is why the baptismal font has been lifted in the front of the altar. Also as a part of the liturgy of remembering our baptism we will say our creed together at this time and not afterwards.

Remembering our baptism can be an important source of comfort and strength as we struggle with values in the world that are opposed to life in Christ. Because we are baptized we are "in” and “not of" this world. Our primary citizenship is in the kingdom of God.

When we are baptized we do not become solitary Christians, but we are baptized into a community of faith that is part of a communion of saints that spans space and time.

And, so:
On this day we recall God’s saving acts through water. We remember Christ’s baptism, and we claim and remember our own.
We gather at this font of living water to celebrate God’s ever-flowing redeeming grace.
We long to draw ever deeper from the well of God’s mercy.
We celebrate the Spirit with us—
refreshing, renewing, making us one.
We thank you, God, for the gift of creation
called forth by your saving Word.

Before the world had shape and form,
your Spirit moved over the waters.
Out of the waters of the deep, you formed the firmament
and brought forth the earth to sustain all life.

In the time of Noah you washed the earth
with the waters of the flood,
and your ark of salvation bore a new beginning.

In the time of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam,
your people Israel passed through the Red Sea waters from slavery
to freedom
and crossed the flowing Jordan to enter the promised land.

In the fullness of time you sent Jesus Christ
who was nurtured in the water of Mary’s womb.
Jesus was baptized by John in the water of the Jordan,
became living water to a woman at the Samaritan well,
washed the feet of the disciples,
and sent them forth to baptize all nations by water and the Holy Spirit.

water is poured in the baptismal font
Bless by your Holy Spirit, gracious God,
this water that by it we may be reminded
of our baptism into Jesus Christ
and that by the power of your Holy Spirit
we may be kept faithful until you receive us at last in your eternal home.

Together we stand up and confess our faith to you with the words of the Apostolic creed.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
on the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

I now invite you to come forward to this baptismal font.
Place your hands in the water. Touch your forehead or face with the water of life—remembering that you belong to God and you are beloved.
(At the end) Let us pray:

Eternal God, you have come to us in Jesus Christ,
given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit,
and forgiven all our sins, bless us now with your eternal grace.
Keep us faithful to our Savior Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Amen.