Every January we celebrate Baptism of Our Lord Sunday. Someone will dip their fingers in the water and make the sign of the cross on your forehead or hand saying, “Remember your baptism and be thankful.” When dropping me off at a high school party in 1983, my dad looked right at me and said, “Remember who you are. A lot of things may happen tonight, remember who you are.” 

After a fitful night’s sleep, I awoke and checked my phone’s news feed once again. Half the nation is feeling bewildered, disappointed, disillusioned, threatened, angry, or afraid. The other half of our nation is somewhere along a spectrum of vindication, hopefulness, muted acceptance of what they understood as the best of bad options. Those who rejoiced in 2020 likely feel grief today. The emotional inverse is likely true. If you are feeling alone or overwhelmed, please reach out and call one of our pastors. No matter how low we felt in 2016 or 2020, we made it through those years, perhaps not unscathed but through them.  

Half awake, I read some election analysis, put down the phone, closed my eyes, and prayed. I thought of the Baptism of our Lord and how every year we remember our baptism. We remember that we are beloved by God and called to love. As I prayed this morning, I thought of all the things that may happen in the coming days and how God stands with the hurting and oppressed. As I prayed, I remembered my need to remember who I am.    

Jesus beckons us into our deepest humanity. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to our God in heaven.” 

Today, whether you feel hollow as a death knell or shiny as the sun, remember who you are: you are beloved. Do not be afraid to lean into your feelings in prayer. God made us with emotions. It is okay to feel however you feel; the Psalms resound with the full range of human emotions from blaming to dancing. It can help us to vent our feelings in safe spaces with committed spiritual friends. Romans 12:9-21 guides us into Christian community where we can share what we feel, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep,” so that ultimately we will not be overcome by evil but will overcome evil with good. When a lot is going on, it is easy to forget who we are: don’t forget; remember, not for a burden, but for a path towards healing light.  

My prayer for these days is that we will reach out and share where we are with others. Pass the peace of Christ. Offer hugs. Call a friend. Come to our community meal tonight at 5:00pm, and then join us at 6:00pm for a Circle of Prayer led by Rev. Heather Harris and Rev. Stephen Byrant or individual prayer stations in Parker Hall. On Sunday, be in Sunday school. Bear each other’s burdens and so fulfill Jesus’ great commandment. (Galatians 6:2) Remember who you are. 

Perhaps one of my favorite lines in our Baptism ritual comes when I get to ask, “Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life and include these people before you in your care?” Our congregation answers, “With God’s help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ. We will surround each other with a community of love and forgiveness, so that we may grow in service to others. We will pray for each other, so that each of us might live as true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life.” As hard or as easy as it may feel today,  next week, next year, let us remember the gift of our baptism. Let us remember who we are: we are beloved. 

Love, 

Pastor Paul