(Due to weather, our Table & Font series was delayed a week and began last Sunday, March 1st.)
This week we discussed Holy Baptism.
We began the class by sharing personal, one-sentence definitions of what baptism is, and what happens in/at baptism. (see picture).
What is baptism? What happens at baptism?
Next we took a look at Matthew 28:16-20, which is the passage in which Christ institutes the sacrament of baptism and calls his disciples to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” From this passage we see that baptism was given to the disciples, for “all nations.” This is key. Baptism is for outsiders to make them insiders. It is the entrance into the Church. (For some more good reading on what happens when we are baptized, take a look at Romans 6:3-11.)
After considering scripture, we looked to the basic writings of our tradition. We read part four of Luther’s Small Catechism, which addresses baptism.
Finally, we asked ourselves what our responsibilities might be in response to our baptism. To further this discussion, we looked at our baptismal liturgy in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. At the end of the rite the congregation welcomes the newly baptized individual(s) with these words: “We welcome you into the body of Christ and into the mission we share: join us in giving thanks and praise to God and bearing God’s creative and redeeming word to all the world.” (ELW page 231)
Next week (March 8th) we will discuss the sacrament of Holy Communion following the same pattern of inquiry.
