water.raining.grace

Yesterday, the church I was visiting welcomed new members.

Most of the time, these little ceremonettes are rather dry. A few questions, a few answers, blah blah blah, and wham bam, another member of a church.

But this time around, I was reminded of why I love the church I am part of, and why I’m going into what I am going into.

One of the new members hadn’t been baptized before. He came up first and knelt before the pastor. She dipped her fingers in the blessed water, and laid them on his head.

“I baptize you in the name of God, who has created and is creating.”

She wet her fingers again.

“I baptize you in the name of Christ, you has redeemed you.”

A third time, she dipped in the font.

“I baptize you in the name of the Holy Spirit, who is alive and at work in your life, and who will continue to be with you always.”

I sighed a sigh of relief. Maybe because it reminded me that I had those promises too. That God is still speaking, hardly dormant. That Christ has taken care of that which had to have been paid. That even in the loneliest hour, we aren’t alone.

And I had to wonder, what are we afraid of? What do we think we have to protect God from? Why are we scared?

It’s been raining a lot in Atlanta recently. After a month of record-breaking temperatures, its nice to find relief in the waters from the sky. The rain often comes with afternoon thunderstorms.

I believe in God. Thunderstorms remind me why.

Majesty. Power. And grace like rain that brings relief when we need it most.

blessings, be well.

jon.