Not Quite a Blank Page

And suddenly it's a new year. The old has gone, the new has come. In many ways there is a strong spiritual connection between the new year and the new creation that we become with Christ. It's fresh. It's new. It's pure. This year I have successfully done this healthy thing every day (like drinking enough water) and avoided this temptation (like dessert). It's a time of high aspirations. A time of positivity. 

 But it's also a time. Anytime is an opportunity to begin again. To be renewed. To ask God to restore our souls and lead us beside still waters. Christ offers the woman at the well water that will leave her never thirsty again. It's not physical water- it's by water and the Spirit. 

 This next week in worship we will be celebrating the baptism of the Lord. The time when Jesus came to John and asked to be baptized. The be a part of the covenant with all other believers. When we celebrate baptism we talk about dying and reviving with Christ. It is a time to remember our baptisms. 

 But... and this is a big but... United Methodists do not treat baptism as a washing of sins. It's not a purification ritual. It is initiation into the church. It's why our baptismal liturgy is not about how you'll never sin again, but rather, now you are a part of a community that will encourage you along your faith journey. 

 You can read more about it in the United Methodist Hymnal on page 32 in regards to the theology of baptism (and why United Methodists believe that one baptism is sufficient for a lifetime and that baptism is not necessary for salvation but an excellent next step in a faith journey).

 The vows taken during the Baptismal Covenant:

 "On behalf of the whole church, I ask you:

Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness,

reject the evil powers of this world,

and repent of your sin?

I do.

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you

to resist evil, injustice, and oppression

in whatever forms they present themselves?

I do.

Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior,

put your whole trust in his grace,

and promise to serve him as your Lord,

in union with the church which Christ has opened

to people of all ages, nations, and races?

I do."

 What do you remember from your baptism? Were you an infant? Do you know why the UMC baptizes infants? Who was there? Who baptized you? What does remembering your baptism mean to you?