By Pastor Nissa Peterson
Chatfield and Root Prairie
Lutheran Churches
A whole lot of being a human revolves around water. We need water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and washing. We use water for swimming, gardening, farming and more.
This past year living in an agricultural area, we have especially had a lot of stress around water. Last year, it was drought and not enough water. This year, abundant rain and floods, and too much water overall.
Water is central to life.
Water is also central to faith for Christians! Water is a central part of many Bible stories. Old Testament stories like the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, Jonah and the whale, and Noah’s ark center on water. New Testament stories featuring water include Jesus turning water into wine, Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus meeting the woman at the well, Jesus walking on water and calming storms. Water is central to scripture.
And water is central for baptism! In my Lutheran tradition, the waters of baptism serve as a reminder and a promise that we are washed clean from sins because of Jesus. The same way we take a bath to clean our bodies, baptism washes away our sins- not just on the day of baptism, but every day of our lives!
Different Christian traditions use different amounts of water in a baptism. Some use just handfuls of water scooped over the baptized’s head. Some do immersion baptism, where the baptized is fully submerged in water. No matter how much water is used, the promise of Jesus is abundant in baptism. We don’t need to worry about the amount of water in baptism- droughts are not a problem, floods are impossible. Because in baptism, the promise of God’s love and forgiveness is always a flood of grace despite how much physical water is present.
We might go through seasons of life where our faith lives feel like a drought. Or times when God’s presence feels like a overflowing river all around us. And much like how with the weather, the season of drought will end, and seasonal flood waters will recede, we know that the seasons of our faith will change, too.
But what doesn’t change based on the seasons of our faith, is that God is present with us through it all. Just as we pray to God when the weather offers drought or flood, God is with us through every drought or flood of life and faith, too. When life is wonderful and joyful events grow all around us, God is there. When life offers challenge after challenge and we are overwhelmed, God is there. When everything is blah, God is there, too.
Water is central to life. And even more importantly, God is central to life.
Let us pray: Holy God, thank you for the water of life! Give us the water that we need to sustain life and faith. Show us your presence through drought, flood, and baptism. In Jesus name, Amen.
Leave a Reply