Tuesday, 24 August, 2004

The opening piece is from “Union with Christ” – The New Finnish Interpretation of Luther.



The essential idea in Luther’s theology of baptism is that baptism is a merciful and consoling union in which God joins himself with the sinner and becomes one with him or her. Thus, baptism is not just a covenant or an agreement between two partners bound together to function or act for the same purpose, the salvation of the baptized. It is much more: through the sacramental act of baptism God binds himself ontologically to a sinner and is one with him through his whole earthly life, if he adheres to Christ in faith.



The “if” at the end here seems to have a conditional bent to it. But look at it again. God’s gift to us is the very faith to trust the proclamation of the Good News. So the “if” serves as more of a reminder to us of what God has given us…our faith. God puts forth and creates the union with us and Christ. We are invited to live within that union and to see how it will be unveiled for us each day. There is no need to contemplate the effectiveness of baptism. It is a sure reality and we need rise to any specific level of life to be a part of it. The reality has already been set in Christ, Jesus. We need only rest upon it in all times.



Connection: It is not easy to rest within the arms of our baptism…unless, of course, we trust what God is all about for us…for then, there is always the opportunity to settle back, rest, and then, rise to new life in Christ every day…even today.



When you hold us, O God, we are comforted and renewed and begin to see beyond the limits we place ourselves and others. Hold us this day and send us off with your loving touch so that our world will be transformed. Amen.