Summer is here. Which in Gainesville means two things. One it's hot. Two it's humid. When both these conditions occur, it seems that one cannot find enough cold, cool water. Whether it is water that we need to drink or water that we need to submerge ourselves in to cool off. The matter of the fact is, we need water to survive.
Water is so crucial for our life with Jesus too! We are sinful people, living in a sinful world. There is nothing that we can do ourselves to get ride of the sin that mars and dirties us. In our Baptism, through water and God's word, we have been made clean! The Old Adam in us has been washed away, and the New Adam has risen with Jesus! Our sins our gone and we have been redeemed!
Each day we interact with water. We drink it, we cleanse ourselves with it, and we wash other things with it. We have this daily reminder that water cleanses. I want to encourage you this month that when you interact with water, remember your baptism and remember your children's baptism! In fact I would encourage you to go even further that! Before you come to church on Sunday Mornings or before you do devotions as a family, make the cross on one another's forehead & say the following blessing: "(Name of person you are blessing here), baptized and beloved child of God, come with joy into His presence."*
Spend time now, meditating on God's word and remembering the cleansing power of your Baptism.
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you,
not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to
God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 3:21
But you were washed, you were sanctified,
you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to other parents you feel would benefit from the information. God's richest blessings to you and your family this season of Lent!
God's Peace,
Stephanie Karolus
Director of Christian Education
First Lutheran Church
*Blessing taking from the KINDLE Entrance Ritual
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