In Holy Baptism we are born-again of water and the Holy Spirit. God freely gives us that gift of the new birth, and not on any merit of our own. We are Sealed by the Holy Spirit, and marked as Christ’s own forever. We belong to Jesus.
Our response is to accept the grace that God has given to us, and in turn give ourselves to God as He has freely given Himself to us.
When we love someone, we get involved with them in many ways
….without communication, there is no relationship,
….without relationship, there is no love,
….without love, there is no trust.
As Christians, our relationship with Jesus Christ is the foundation of everything that we are, everything that we do, and everything that we hope to be.
Through the Waters of Regeneration in Holy Baptism, a relationship with God has begun, and it’s up to each one of us to do something about it.
You’ve probably heard someone say from time to time that in the church that it is the job of the ministers to minister, and the congregation to congregate.
….But who are the ministers of the Church?
The Book of Common Prayer teaches us that “the ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons.” (Catechism in The Book of Common Prayer, page 855)
As Christians we are all ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Each one of us have our own gifts that God has given to us within the Body of Christ.
Someone once stated that “the mark of a disciple and the marks of a leader are very nearly identical.”
Holy Baptism is the beginning of where we fit in, in our relationship within The Body of Christ…..and it is a daily call to our dying and rising with Christ, and utilizing the gifts that God has given to us.
“The gifts He gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature in Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-23 NRSV)
Peter states “I exhort the presbyters among you to tend the flock of God that is in our charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly as God would have you do it – not for sordid gain but eagerly. Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock.” (I Peter 1-3 NRSV)
Discipleship, and leadership, come from the same root: Jesus Christ, and our daily commitment to Him.