My hope and expectation for true community begins with resurrection, his death and life in me. His Spirit fills the Body: his church through water sees promise for tomorrow, his waterlife in me.—Verse 3 of the song, Waterlife, from Worship & Praise
Above is a verse from a great song that you probably have never heard. This rest of this sentence is for the musicians, the only problem with this song is that it is in 7/4 time and that messes with my counting ability and sense of rhythm. Waterlife represents what it means to live out our baptismal promises. Everyday, we have a new opportunity to remember God’s claim on us in baptism. We have the opportunity to live out this waterlife.
Over the past couple of months, I have shared some of my hopes and fears as we move back into community. Of course, every time I think a full return is coming, COVID seems to have other plans. But this doesn’t mean that the work of building community is on hold. Actually, it means the work is even more important and even more present.
As we begin the fall, I want you to choose one thing. Choose one thing that you can actively do to help build up and strengthen our community.
Here’s some examples:
- Call one member of Bethesda each week (try not to only call people you know).
- Send a note or a card to another member of Bethesda each week.
- Pray for a member of the congregation each week and if you pray for someone, find a way to let them know (send them a text or email of Facebook message or something).
- Greet someone new at worship each week, if you are watching on YouTube on Sunday, like the video and make a comment about something that you liked.
The possibilities are almost endless.
One of the most often quoted movie scenes in our house is from the movie The Incredibles. The family is having dinner around the table and discussing what’s going on in each other’s lives but the dad is busy reading the paper and not paying attention. Finally his wife yells, “Engage Bob, engage!” This phrase gets used in our house whenever you really want someone to pay attention to what you have to say.
So as we go into the fall, the call is to you, “Engage insert your name here, engage!” Engage in our church community in whatever way that you can. Live out your waterlife, your baptismal identity, and together we will continue to build up the body of Christ in this congregation and community.
God loves each of you and God has named you each beloved in the waters of baptism. Life feels a little like 7/4 time right now but hopefully, together, we can find a rhythm that makes sense to us. If we are living our waterlife, I know it will happen. And, I know it will surprise us.
The cleansing was for certain, with water and the Word; gentle words were spoken, in heaven they were heard.—From verse 1
God’s Peace,
Pastor Steve