On the day you were baptized or confirmed, you committed to do your best each day to “to live among God’s faithful people, to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper, to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth” (“Affirmation of Baptism” service, ELW pg. 235). None of us are perfect at this. If we were, we would not need Jesus. To be honest, many who believe in Jesus struggle to live out their faith in their daily life. To follow Christ means that we take time in our daily and weekly schedules to worship, read scripture, pray, practice generosity, serve, and be in fellowship with others. These are marks of faith that nurture our relationship with God and deepen our faith. There are no shortcuts or quick solutions. If you are going to commit your life to Christ you need to be in worship, where you not only hear the word of God but also are encouraged, supported, and loved by a community of faithful people. You cannot know God fully if you only hear scripture on Sundays that you attend church; you must dig into God’s Holy Word daily. To follow Christ means that we are generous with our time, our treasures, and our skills for the sake of others and that we serve others just as Christ did. If we are going to take our baptismal confirmation promises seriously, we need to ask ourselves some hard questions:
1. How am I using my time?
2. How faithful am I in worship?
3. Am I making time to talk with
God?
4. Am I being generous with what
God has blessed me?
5. How am I doing at putting my love
for my neighbor into action?
We are the body of Christ in this world and we are called to follow Christ, being generous with our time, treasures and skills for the sake of others. We are the body of Christ in this world and we are called to commit our lives to Christ, to gather together in worship, to study scripture, to pray, to serve,to fellowship together. We are the body of Christ in this world and we are called to take our baptismal promises seriously as we let our light shine in the world for all to see. We are the body of Christ in this world, so how are you using your time and being generous with what God has blessed you with?
By Pastor Jennifer Beil
