Monday, January 27, 2003
Monday, January 27, 2003
And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well
pleased."
You and I did not see the heavens open on the day we were baptized. We heard no dramatic
voice. But our baptism is precious to us nonetheless. It tells us we are loved. It tells us we are
forgiven. It tells us we can make a new beginning. With God's help, may that experience of
baptism which seems so distant in our lives be fresh within our consciousness this day that we
may know its significance for our lives anew.
(John 1.11
NRSV)
Soren Kierkegaard once asked how a person who is already a Christian can become a
Christian. Think about that for a moment. How can a person who already is a Christian become
a Christian? Kierkegaard was directing his thoughts toward those of us who have grown up in
the church. He was saying that second-hand faith is not enough. It is easy to take the faith we
have grown up in for granted, isn't it? After all, it is like the air we breathe. It's always been there.
We need something more than that. Baptism reminds us that a fresh experience of God's grace
and God's love is always available to us if we seek it.
Dear Jesus, renew me today as I renew my vows to serve only you. Amen.
