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Dear San Marco Church Family: I hope this weekly blog includes information and ideas that are helpful to you. I really do want to know your interests, both for theological ideas and sermon topics. So please email me with any questions, comments, or general feedback. A few years ago I met someone who proudly proclaimed, “I have been baptized at least nine times.” My first thought was to wonder why the first eight baptisms did not work! (I did not say it aloud, but I certainly thought it). The theology behind multiple baptisms suggests that baptism is a human act that God may or may not recognize, so we must keep trying. This is bad theology because it fails to recognize baptism as God’s work, not ours. Our baptism represents the beginning of our new identity in Christ. This identity is God’s gift to us and it does not depend upon our performance, our obedience, or even our understanding. God claims us as God’s beloved because it is God’s very nature to love us unconditionally. As humans, we have a hard time understanding and accepting such a gift. But I know that when my life gets difficult and I feel lost, I am grateful for a God who loves me regardless of my inabilities and flaws. When I feel helpless, I am in the best position to accept God’s grace. Yet I know that when people have not attended to their relationship with God for a period of time, they may assume that the connection is lost and God no longer cares. We do well to remember that our baptism was not dependent upon our good works, and the significance of our baptism is not diminished because of our neglect of spiritual disciplines. We are loved, and nothing can separate us from the love of God. So please never let your sense of guilt or shame distract you from communicating directly with Jesus, who is always available to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. I invite you to think of your baptism as the defining event of your life. All other aspects of our identity are secondary to our identity as a beloved child of God in Christ. Finally, while baptism is a symbolic act that represents “a visible sign of an invisible grace”, it is an important practice that Jesus commends. So if you have never been baptized, please see me so we can schedule your baptism! I would be deeply honored to share this event with you. This Sunday we will conclude the series entitled “Epic Meltdowns of Biblical Proportions.” I will be looking at the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19. This story may be a Biblical example of clinical depression from which we can learn a lot. I look forward to seeing you this weekend, and I appreciate your ongoing prayers! Steve Hart
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