Do you recognize these words?
"With God's help, we will proclaim the good news
and live according to the example of Christ.
We will surround these persons
with a community of love and forgiveness,
that they may grow in their trust in God,
and be found faithful in their service to others.
We will pray for them,
that they may be true disciples
who walk in the way that leads to life."
You should! They are the congregation's response when a child is baptized or confirmed. As the service concludes, we unite our voices once again:
"We give thanks for all that God has already given you
and we welcome you in Christian love.
As members together with you
in the body of Christ
and in this congregation
of The United Methodist Church,
we renew our covenant
faithfully to participate
in the ministries of the Church
by our prayers, our presence,
our gifts, our service, and our witness,
that in everything God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ."
As far as I know, we do not have a baptism this Sunday, but we are giving our third graders Bibles- one way we fulfill our commitment to the children of Spring Valley UMC. I still have my Bible, which I received as a gift from the Fellowship Class of First UMC Bay City, Texas, in 1979. It is a Revised Standard Version—not as many ‘thees’ and ‘thous’ and male-centric language as the King James version, but more than enough for my personal taste. Still, my 3rd grade Bible will be in use this Sunday! It is a reminder of the commitment of that congregation to my parents and me from my baptism to when I received a college scholarship as a graduating senior from high school. The dedication page of the Bible says, "Look to this book for guidance." I wrote the same thing in the Bibles we will present to each child on Sunday. I encourage everyone to be present in worship for this observance, assuming it is possible for you to do so. In addition to the 3rd graders, we will celebrate all of our children and youth. You will see them in action, ushering and greeting, leading the liturgy, and praying. Remember: children and youth are not the future of the Church; they are the present. God is already active in their lives, shaping and molding them. They become the future of the Church only with the support and encouragement of the whole congregation today. Helping to build a foundation for them is one of the most essential tasks of the Church, which means showing up for them at significant moments in their faith development.
Walking in the way that leads to life,
Pastor Frank