Hey folks! Our current unit in the kids curriculum is about the Church: what it is, what it does, and what it means to be a part of it.
This week we'll be talking specifically about the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.
The Church is a gift God has given to the world to be a certain way and to do certain things. The Sacraments are some of those things the Church is to do.
Now, Sacraments can be tricky (and they're highly debated across the Church!). Our conviction (along with almost the whole of the Christian Tradition) is that a Sacrament is a visible sign that conveys, or participates, in the reality that it signifies.
Not all signs do this, but some do: a hug or a smile or a kiss rightly given is a means by which love is actually conveyed, not just represented. You receive love in the very act. Sacraments work the same way.
The two Sacraments Jesus gave to the Church (also known as the "Dominical" Sacraments) are:
Holy Baptism
Holy Communion (or "Eucharist" or "The Lord's Supper")
The five Sacraments the Church has added to those (also known as the "Ecclesial" Sacraments) are:
Reconciliation of Penitents (or "Confession")
Confirmation
Anointing of the Sick (or "Last Rites" or "Extreme Unction")
Holy Matrimony (marriage)
Holy Orders (ordination to the Diaconate, the Priesthood, or the Episcopacy)
For more info on all seven and how they're practiced at All Souls, click here.
What is Baptism?
Holy Baptism is a multifaceted and magnificent gift of Christ to the Church--far too vast to exhaust in a short note here. But to start, we can say it is a sign by which salvation is conveyed to God's people and one is received into the People of God.
It is good to note how it signifies several of the major themes of the story of the Scriptures and the meaning of the gospel. It can only happen to a person once, and is to be given to converting adults and their children. Remember that what a Sacrament signifies, it also actually conveys:
Passing through the waters (think of the Red Sea and salvation from enemies, ultimately sin and death)
Death/Life (being made a new creation)
Ritual Cleansing (removing sin from a person, i.e., forgiveness)
Rite of entry (a person's initiation into the people of God)
In the end, it is appropriate to say that Baptism is very much like a sign of God's fatherly affection: his kiss, his embrace for all of his children. These are the things he does for us, because he loves us and is Good.
Scripture to consider:
John 3:1-7
Luke 23:39-43
Acts 2:36-39
Romans 6:1-14
Ephesians 4:1-6
1 Peter 3:21
Questions for your kids
What does your baptism mean about how God feels about you?
Why do you think God told us to use water for baptism?
What does your baptism do for you?
Holy Imagination
Learning the faith isn't just about memorizing facts. It's about seeing the world as it really is: "charged with the grandeur of God."
Scientists note that water is the requirement for all biological life in the universe. Christian Baptism suggests it's also (normally) needed for spiritual vitality. Take two flowers and place them in jars next to one another. Fill one with water, the other leave empty, and ask them about what they see happening to each (just don't wait too long or they'll both, you know, wither and die).
Peace,
Danny+