At a baptism, those of us witnessing this divine portal are making promises related to God’s mission in the world. We state our responsibility to God, ourselves, and each other, as well as to our new sibling in Christ.
This mission we share is the work of bringing God’s reconciliation into the world. And this mission does not just belong to the pastors and deacons. It belongs to every member of God’s church.
God’s reconciliation does not just happen on Sunday morning or at the church’s next outreach project. It can happen everywhere there is a baptized person. You and I, as the baptized, do the work of God in our daily lives: interacting with family members, grocery shopping, paying for gas, ordering a pizza. All these seemingly mundane daily activities are a chance to model Christ to another person through listening, accompaniment, and service.
This message is excerpted from “Divinely claimed” by Denise Rector in the September/October 2021 Gather magazine. Today we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord.
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