Every time we celebrate a Holy Baptism, or attend a Confirmation or an Ordination, we get to renew our own Baptismal vows. I love these vows, these life-giving and life-guiding promises. My favorite are these two:
Celebrant: Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
People: I will, with God's help.
Celebrant: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
People: I will, with God's help. I love these vows because they help guide me in my effort to be faithful to those two Great Commandments which Jesus said, summarized all of Holy Scripture - that we love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength; and that we love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus tried to make it even easier for us by saying simply, "Love one another as I have loved you." There it is. There's our life's mission: that we learn to love one another as God loves us. It seems so simple. So why can it be so hard? I think it's safe to say that we all have a long way to go in practicing the love of Christ towards all people. Are we truly seeking and serving Christ in all people? Are we proclaiming "by word and example the Good News of God in Christ" (another of the Baptismal vows)? Could we do better at loving others as God loves us? Towards that end, come and join us - by Zoom - as we explore Sacred Ground: A Film-Based Dialogue Series on Race & Faith in a "no-commitment" kick-off night, Wednesday, January 20th, from 7:00-8:00PM when we will introduce the program, answer your questions, and then invite any who would like to commit to the program to learn about next steps. To learn more about Sacred Ground see https://episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground We hope to see you on January 20th. Many Blessings, Rob+