Let It Be So

Yesterday I invited the kids- meaning everyone not yet 18 to gather at the front of the church. Not at the side of the sanctuary where the beautiful but slightly inaccessible marble baptismal font is found, but right in the center. Where I taken the silver bowl that normally sits in the beautiful marble creation, and instead placed it upon a simple and maybe even slightly banged up wooden table. It was kind of out of character- that silver bowl on that common piece of furniture that normally gets covered with a linen cloth so it looks right.

But there was that bowl and table, and around it, sprigs of evergreen from the tree out front. And the kids and I talked as I kept playing in the water with my hand. Talking about how none of us remember the day we were baptized. We don’t remember hearing the words of God’s love or the water poured upon us. But because of that water and those words and God’s actions, our lives are different.

We are the beloved of God. Claimed and then given a job- to share that story and pour out God’s love where we go. When we come to God’s house we can remember and celebrate that we are loved and we belong to God. And when we come here and know we didn’t get it right we still come and hear God’s forgiveness and love that sends us out again. To reflect and pour out God’s love and to try to live as those who belong to God

Then I invited them to take those greens and help others remember they are the beloved of God and remember that water and those words. And we loaded up those greens like Supersoakers and I sent them out to all the parts of the sanctuary.

And as they went I asked people what the one thing was that we do when we get splashed with water- the first thing. Almost immediately someone yelled out- wipe it off! Which is true- we almost immediately wipe it off and get ourselves put back the way we expect.  Let it be so for just a moment.I gently encouraged people to resist the urge for just a moment- let those drops of water stay for just a moment and remember that God comes to us and clings to us in our baptism. And for just a moment let that speak to us.

And for just a moment there was joy and reflection and disruption and blessing. And I imagine that was one part of what it was like that day in the Jordan.