Think of baptism as a kind of initiation. It's a starting place, an act that recognizes the new life that is coming to be.
It is a beginning, only a beginning, but it has its purpose.
Being baptized finds its purpose in what follows - a calling to God's way of doing things in a world that often resists, but is always changed by those who seek to walk God's path.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:5-7
My friend Jessica can knit anything. Seriously, if you can imagine it, she can knit or crochet it. She chooses to use her skills as a spiritual gift. She knits hats for newborns in the hospital and blankets for those in need. My favorite thing she does is to crochet banners with words like hope, peace, and joy on them. She then hangs them around town or gives them away. She put the “hope” banner on the fence at a local high school and the “joy” one in the post office’s lobby. This is her way of encouraging people and putting God’s love forward.
When we think of ways to show God’s love to the world, knitting isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, Jessica’s actions remind me that anyone can use their gifts to bring light and hope to others.
God gives us our spirit and breath; how are we using them to serve our Creator? What special talents and gifts has God given you? How can you share them with others?
Jennifer Peterson Singh
O Lord, help me to see the gifts you have given me and then use them to bring your hope to the world. Help me to be creative in doing so. Amen.
Every day brings something new.
And every day is a holy day
When you claim your baptism again.
May you be filled again with desire,
The desire to be filled by God and God alone,
Baptized to walk the disciple's road.