And the Holy Spirit
descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are
my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
It came as a shock to me to discover when I was almost 55 years old,
that I had never been baptized. Somehow I had always assumed that this had taken place
when I was 10 or 11 years old. Then, after teaching a Sunday School class about baptism
one day, I became suspicious of having no memory of my own baptism. An inquiry to the
church in northern Iowa where I thought I had been baptized gave me the upsetting news
that there was no record of it! Our pastor assured me that I was not doomed and we
scheduled my baptism. My husband and our four adult children were my sponsors. Of course,
our grown-up kids couldn’t resist teasing about "church lady" mom finally
becoming an official "Child of God." But it was a joyfully happy day as all of
our family celebrated my belated baptism.
In Luke 3:21 we read that Jesus had been baptized, and he was praying
as he often did during all momentous events in his life. This was such an event – the
anointing of Jesus as King, a step on his road to coronation. God said, "You are my
Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased."
Through the sacrament of Holy Baptism we become members of God’s
family and of Christ’s Church. Each time I witness a baptism (especially one for a
grandchild), I am deeply moved to hear again those precious words – "Child of
God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ
forever."
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for accepting us as your children and
we
