The Promise

Yesterday we celebrated the baptism of litte Jacob Melkamu at our church. What a day of rejoicing! The part that especially tugs at my heart is when we introduced Jacob to the family of God. As I carried him through the aisles and told him all about the new family he has, that they are going to pray for him and for his mom and dad, it was a holy moment. It was a strong reminder to me that we are the arms that will support this child and his parents to grow in the love of God. It is the church that has made a promise to be there in times of need and to nurture his growth. I have to wonder if all those sitting in the pews who promise to" love, support and care for the one being baptzied as he grows in Christ" really knows what they have done. This is a vow not to be taken lightly.

I wish actually that I would have spent more time talking to those making the promise. It seems like perhaps that vow gets glossed over way too much. Yet, in the presence of God and witness, we have vowed to a journey that calls for much prayer and involvement. What might this really look like if we take it seriously? At St. Peter's where I am the pastor, we have mentors who are matched up with teens in our congregation. We also have sponsors for new members. Two individuals have taken this quite seriously and continue to nurture and support the teens with enthusiasm and dedication. This is what living as the family of God is all about. it is costly. it is working when we think we have no time.

I wonder what impact our congregation will have on the life of little Jacob Melkamu. May we take our vows seriously and even amid these times where folks move on and go to different locations, may we never forget the promise we have made to both God and Jacob.

Mixed blessing

This week being snowed in has been a mixed blessing. I have enjoyed the beauty of the snow, the quiet here in the woods, and the times around the fireplace. However, I find myself torn between "doing" and "being." It is such a marvelous opportunity to do nothing but there always lurks a nudge in my spirit to catch up on things that have long sat on the shelf waiting for a "free" day. Then there is the "nurture of my soul" that keeps longing to be fed. It's a dilemma for a busy beaver like me. Today in my devotional book, "Washing the Feet of the World With Mother Teresa" I was reminded that prayer is continual. The writer challenged me to allow prayer to be part of the whole day. I know this in my head and if I'm honest, I also know it intuitively. When prayer becomes a natural part of my day, my relationship with God is deepened and I find the need to say less, to less, even think less.

Henri Nouwen once said,

"sometimes Silence is the best answer there is." (From Reaching Out)

The snow is teaching this to me. May your journey today be adorned with some silence.