I attended a Lutheran church today; it was ‘Baptism of the Lord’ Sunday. Part of the service included a Baptismal Renewal Litany which I thought was a good reminder of the relationship we enter into with Christ once baptized. I’m recounting a portion of the litany below.
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth...
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and dead...
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting....
Baptism in not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word....
In Baptism God forgives sin, delivers from death and the devil, and gives everlasting salvation to all who believe what he has promised....
It is not water that does great things, but God’s Word with the water and our trust in this Word. Water by itself is only water, but with the Word of God it is a life-giving water which by grace gives the new birth through the Holy Spirit....
Baptizing with water indicates that the Old Adam in us – our sinful nature, should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new person should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever....
It is my earnest purpose to continue steadfast in this faith and in the promise of my baptism. I ask God to help and guide me....
Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given me the new birth of water and of the Sprint and has forgiven me all my sins, strengthen me with His grace to life everlasting. Amen."
No comments:
Post a Comment