Feb 07 2010
Pastor’s notes
Today is a very special day in the life of the Manara family and indeed, in the life of the Merredin congregation; for today, Tafadzwa (Tee) the elder son of Constance and her late husband Christopher, will be baptized. His baptism is important for us too for this is the task of the church – to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ and to baptize them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
This “baptizing” action has been part of the life of God’s people since the time of Moses. The ‘washing’ of Aaron’s body with water was the initial step in his ordination as the first priest of Israel, and Moses made it clear: “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.” From that time on ceremonial washing was an essential part of Israel’s religious life. Baptism (and circumcision for males) was required for any non-Jew to convert to Judaism. When John the Baptist burst on the scene, he made the dramatic statement that even Jews needed to be baptized with a baptism of repentance because they had slipped from the life of faith and trust in God. And Jesus Himself was baptized in order to “fulfill all righteousness.” And He commanded us to be baptized as a sign of our covenant relationship with the Triune God.
So what does this covenant actually mean? Well, I’m going to leave the answer to that for the sermon. May your ears be open and your heart ready…
I will also partly address that question when we begin to look at the Ten Commandments at the SNAC (Sunday Night At Church) service this evening. I want to address the fact that the power of the Ten Commandments (“Ten Words”, if we want to be literal) is not that they are laws but rather that they are descriptions of how we are to live in relationship with God. They turn the theory of our faith into a specific behaviour pattern. If I believe in God, then this is how my life is to be lived. Of course, I fail often. But the goal is not rendered impure just because I am not pure, this is why grace and forgiveness is so much a part of being a Christ follower. At the heart of my faith is my relationship with God, and because of His grace, our relationship holds intact, even when I fail. Hope to see you this evening.
Rev David de Kock
No responses yet