9 Baptisms and a Confirmation...or 6!
One of my favorite church services of the whole year is Easter Sunday, and yesterday I went to 2! Following the 9:00 am English service that I always attend at San Pablo Lutheran Church right here on campus--which was extra-celebratory with Mariachi San Pablo there in their full dress uniforms!--Chris and I crossed the border for a service at one of our Mexico mission churches, Iglesia Luterana Santisima Trinidad. Every year on Easter, they do all of the baptisms and confirmations together in one service! This year there were 9 baptisms and 6 confirmations, totals which include some people who were both baptized AND confirmed.
It was definitely a sight to see--Pastor Pepe has it down to a science. The baptisms were first. All the questions were asked of the parents and godparents en masse, and then each family was called up one at a time for their child's turn. Pepe told each person precisely where to stand so that they would be in place as quickly as possible, and it seemed like before he had finished with one person, he was already calling for whomever was on deck! There wasn't a lot of ceremony involved in the confirmations; the confirmands and their parents/godparents were just the first to receive the Lord's Supper when it came that time. There really couldn't be a better day to celebrate BOTH of the sacraments. Because of Jesus' victory over sin, death, and the Devil on the cross, forgiveness of sins and eternal life are ours in the waters of Holy baptism. I just finished reading a book called A Violent Grace that beautifully illustrates the connection; it points out how just as Moses or Aaron or whoever had to strike a rock to that water would come out to nourish the thirsty Israelites in the desert, the Rock had to be struck so that Living Water would flow out and nourish our thirsty spirits. Thanks for a great read, Mt. Prospect!
I also wanted to mention that Chris and I brought with us a bag of 218 little crosses that each contained the poem "The Cross in my Pocket" in Spanish. They were left by a MOST Ministries group that was here in October, and I thought they would be great for Easter. We didn't give out them all, but Pastor's wife Blanca is going to hang on to the extras and give them out this Saturday, when the two of them will visit Pepe's 2 other mission sites (more like house churches) for their weekly Bible study. I'm glad we got rid of them since my mom said she's bringing a bunch more when she gets here on Wed.!
The text of the poem reads:
I carry a cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be.
The little cross is not magic
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm.
It's not for identification
For all the world to see
It's simply an understanding
Between my Savior and me.
When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or key
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me.
It reminds me, too, to be thankful
For my blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all that I do and say.
It's also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my master
And give themselves to His care.
So I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding no one but me
That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life
If only I'll let Him be.
I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter too, and that the Easter Bunny was good to you! I must say, my first bite of chocolate after 40 days of no sweets tasted fabulous! It was actually a chocolate-covered potato chip. They don't taste like potato...just lots of chocolate with a little crunch, like a Kit-Kat or a Krackel or something...yummy!
Until next time, blessings!
It was definitely a sight to see--Pastor Pepe has it down to a science. The baptisms were first. All the questions were asked of the parents and godparents en masse, and then each family was called up one at a time for their child's turn. Pepe told each person precisely where to stand so that they would be in place as quickly as possible, and it seemed like before he had finished with one person, he was already calling for whomever was on deck! There wasn't a lot of ceremony involved in the confirmations; the confirmands and their parents/godparents were just the first to receive the Lord's Supper when it came that time. There really couldn't be a better day to celebrate BOTH of the sacraments. Because of Jesus' victory over sin, death, and the Devil on the cross, forgiveness of sins and eternal life are ours in the waters of Holy baptism. I just finished reading a book called A Violent Grace that beautifully illustrates the connection; it points out how just as Moses or Aaron or whoever had to strike a rock to that water would come out to nourish the thirsty Israelites in the desert, the Rock had to be struck so that Living Water would flow out and nourish our thirsty spirits. Thanks for a great read, Mt. Prospect!
I also wanted to mention that Chris and I brought with us a bag of 218 little crosses that each contained the poem "The Cross in my Pocket" in Spanish. They were left by a MOST Ministries group that was here in October, and I thought they would be great for Easter. We didn't give out them all, but Pastor's wife Blanca is going to hang on to the extras and give them out this Saturday, when the two of them will visit Pepe's 2 other mission sites (more like house churches) for their weekly Bible study. I'm glad we got rid of them since my mom said she's bringing a bunch more when she gets here on Wed.!
The text of the poem reads:I carry a cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be.
The little cross is not magic
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm.
It's not for identification
For all the world to see
It's simply an understanding
Between my Savior and me.
When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or key
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me.
It reminds me, too, to be thankful
For my blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all that I do and say.
It's also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my master
And give themselves to His care.
So I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding no one but me
That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life
If only I'll let Him be.
I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter too, and that the Easter Bunny was good to you! I must say, my first bite of chocolate after 40 days of no sweets tasted fabulous! It was actually a chocolate-covered potato chip. They don't taste like potato...just lots of chocolate with a little crunch, like a Kit-Kat or a Krackel or something...yummy!Until next time, blessings!
Comments
but this one was good.
Love You and see you soon...
Kara