It Makes me WonderThe Centennial Trail is just a short walk from where I live. When my wife and I walk together we see awesome sites and we are filled with wonder over what God has created. God has filled are world with beauty and it fills me with joy.
Life is not always beautiful, especially when we are hurt or disappointed. The miracle of life is beyond my comprehension. God has put all of our parts together, and they work together to be a human being. When I grow weary I think about that.
God created each of us and the scriptures tell us that God said, "It is good." Wow!
They also say that God knew us when we were in our mother's womb. I ended up leaving my mother's womb at nine pounds and fifteen ounces. Women know that giving birth to such a big baby is hard and painful work. Yet, nothing is more exciting than the birth of a child.
One author wrote, "God leaves his fingerprints on our living souls." None of us are accidents. God knew us before we were born. Every one of us is a unique and unrepeatable miracle of God. It doesn't matter how things turned out at our birth.
I have great compassion for parents who struggle with children that were born with physical problems. God does not love any of those children less. God cherishes each of his children and each life is sacred in his eyes.
My sister Joan dated a man whose son had a mental handicap. He always greeted her with a hug and his presence helped her to see God's love. I have been honored to be the pastor in weddings for mentally handicapped people. It was obvious that they loved each other.
A nun at a Catholic hospital asked me to come and baptize a dead baby. The mother requested that, and the nun knew I would help. My tradition was to place a red rose on the alter to celebrate the gift of life, and a white rose to affirm a that a person had gone on to be held in Jesus loving arms. The mother handed her child to me. There were two flowers on our table, a red rose and a white rose, and a potter's hand made baptismal bowl. I read the whole infant baptismal ritual, and the mother responded to the questions. I placed the baptismal water on the baby's head. There was a large scar there from the autopsy. Death and darkness left the room as God accepted the child into his arms. We could all feel God's presence and the mother found peace in God. I was filled with wonder and awe over what God did. The mother looked into my eyes and said, "Thank you."
The denomination that I serve baptizes infants. Some feel that baptism must be by immersion because it represents the death and resurrection of Christ. I don't deny that , nor do I choose to argue over the meaning of the sacrament. I do know that infants were baptized during the first three centuries of the Christian church. Baptism is a sacrament, a rite of inclusion and we ask the Holy Spirit be a part of it, and do what human words and will can not do. When we baptize an infant or a child, or an adult, we ask God to accept this person and be present to help him or her draw close to Jesus Christ. The body of Christ, present during the baptism, makes a vow to God that they will accept the person and demonstrate Christ's love. Adult's are at an age that they can choose Christ, but children may also choose to accept Christ.
I will leave the theologians to debate the issue and continue to offer God's sacrament of baptism to infants. Paul baptized his jailer's whole family.
I am filled with awe and wonder over the power and presence of God in the sacrament of baptism. It is one of God's wonderful gifts to us.
In the normal day to day events of our lives, our souls hunger for us to open our eyes. and fill them with awe and wonder over what God has done and is doing.
In each of those moments we feed our soul, and we are transformed by the love of God.
Bear
Life is not always beautiful, especially when we are hurt or disappointed. The miracle of life is beyond my comprehension. God has put all of our parts together, and they work together to be a human being. When I grow weary I think about that.
God created each of us and the scriptures tell us that God said, "It is good." Wow!
They also say that God knew us when we were in our mother's womb. I ended up leaving my mother's womb at nine pounds and fifteen ounces. Women know that giving birth to such a big baby is hard and painful work. Yet, nothing is more exciting than the birth of a child.
One author wrote, "God leaves his fingerprints on our living souls." None of us are accidents. God knew us before we were born. Every one of us is a unique and unrepeatable miracle of God. It doesn't matter how things turned out at our birth.
I have great compassion for parents who struggle with children that were born with physical problems. God does not love any of those children less. God cherishes each of his children and each life is sacred in his eyes.
My sister Joan dated a man whose son had a mental handicap. He always greeted her with a hug and his presence helped her to see God's love. I have been honored to be the pastor in weddings for mentally handicapped people. It was obvious that they loved each other.
A nun at a Catholic hospital asked me to come and baptize a dead baby. The mother requested that, and the nun knew I would help. My tradition was to place a red rose on the alter to celebrate the gift of life, and a white rose to affirm a that a person had gone on to be held in Jesus loving arms. The mother handed her child to me. There were two flowers on our table, a red rose and a white rose, and a potter's hand made baptismal bowl. I read the whole infant baptismal ritual, and the mother responded to the questions. I placed the baptismal water on the baby's head. There was a large scar there from the autopsy. Death and darkness left the room as God accepted the child into his arms. We could all feel God's presence and the mother found peace in God. I was filled with wonder and awe over what God did. The mother looked into my eyes and said, "Thank you."
The denomination that I serve baptizes infants. Some feel that baptism must be by immersion because it represents the death and resurrection of Christ. I don't deny that , nor do I choose to argue over the meaning of the sacrament. I do know that infants were baptized during the first three centuries of the Christian church. Baptism is a sacrament, a rite of inclusion and we ask the Holy Spirit be a part of it, and do what human words and will can not do. When we baptize an infant or a child, or an adult, we ask God to accept this person and be present to help him or her draw close to Jesus Christ. The body of Christ, present during the baptism, makes a vow to God that they will accept the person and demonstrate Christ's love. Adult's are at an age that they can choose Christ, but children may also choose to accept Christ.
I will leave the theologians to debate the issue and continue to offer God's sacrament of baptism to infants. Paul baptized his jailer's whole family.
I am filled with awe and wonder over the power and presence of God in the sacrament of baptism. It is one of God's wonderful gifts to us.
In the normal day to day events of our lives, our souls hunger for us to open our eyes. and fill them with awe and wonder over what God has done and is doing.
In each of those moments we feed our soul, and we are transformed by the love of God.
Bear
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