God's Great Action in Baptism

My post last week about the anniversary of my baptism got me thinking about a good direction for these weekly reflections for the next few months.  I’d like to get our noses back in the catechism.  So, for the next 3 weeks, I’d like to share some excerpts from the Small and Large Catechisms on the topic of baptism.  I hope it will be food for thought and nourish you in faith.

The format for the small catechism is question and answer.  And the first two questions and answers about baptism in our small catechisms are as follows:

“What is Baptism? Baptism is not water only, but it is water used together with God’s Word and by his command. … What benefits does God give in Baptism? In Baptism God forgives sin, delivers from death and the devil, and gives everlasting salvation to all who believe what he has promised.”

Baptism may seem on the surface to be a human action and activity.  A human pastor stands with a family or individual at the font.  Human parents and sponsors make promises.  A human baby or adult is washed by the human hands of the pastor and that same human pastor speaks the words of baptism, “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

But be assured, my friends, that Baptism is not a human action.  It is God’s action.  As Luther reminds us in the Large Catechism, “Although it is performed by human hands, it is nevertheless truly God’s own act  From this fact everyone can easily conclude that it is of much greater value than the word of any human being or saint.  For what human work can possibly be greater than God’s work?”

Human accomplishment and action are certainly important.  The call to love God and neighbor is vital to our lives and our world.  But let’s never forget God’s even greater action for us and for our fellow Christians in baptism.  In those waters, forgiveness, deliverance, and salvation are ours!  What an amazing gift!!

Stay tuned for more baptism talk next week!

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10-Day 2nd Mile Giving Blitz Continues!
The Immanuel Finance Committee is inviting you and your family to consider a “2nd mile” gift to be split between 8 worthy local and global projects in critical need of financial support:

Local
Community Dinner Fund
Giving Tree Project
Someplace Safe
Hilltop Regional Kitchen 

National/Global Projects
Lutheran Disaster Response – 1) Hurricane Response; 2) Haiti Crisis; 3) US Wildfires
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

Checks can be made to Immanuel with “Giving Blitz” in the memo line and placed in the special wrapped box in the concourse.  A generous donor is matching all gifts dollar for dollar up to $10,000 But hurry!  This giving blitz only lasts until October 13! Thank you!

Dinner Club Meets October 19 at Larry’s Family Pizza
Join the Dinner Club October 19 at 5:30pm at Larry’s Family Pizza.  All are welcome to share in fellowship together.

Child, Infant and Pregnancy Loss Remembrance Service October 15
Join us on Friday, October 15 at 7pm for a Child, Infant and Pregnancy Loss Remembrance Service. The service will live streamed on Immanuel’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/immanuelwadena).  All are welcome. No matter if your loss was last week, last year, or many years ago, known to many or some-thing you have held in your heart, you’ve never been able to have children, you lost pregnancies or an infant or your child died when they were older, you are invited to join us in remembering the hope and acknowledging the loss.

Wednesday Worship Each Week at 6pm
Join us at 6pm for a 30-minute service of worship with music, prayer, and an emphasis on household faith practices.  A snack/light meal is available beginning at 5:30pm.  Confirmation classes will meet for 7-9th graders at 6:30 and there will be a monthly Bible Study and a monthly service project for everyone else during that time, too.  September 22 is an intergenerational Bible Study.  And September 29 is a service project

Our Worship Schedule Each Sunday:
**8:30am – worship in person, or online
**9:30am – worship on KWAD (920AM or 101.7FM)
**10am – worship in person

In our Prayers This Week
Matthew, Kylie, James, Isla, and Lily Quincer
Craig Reece
Justin Carlstrom

Family and Friends of Rita Lund
Family and Friends of Dorothy Teal
Family and Friends of Sheri Kimber

Military Prayers
Members of Immanuel:
Max Labarre
James Kloss

Friends of Immanuel:
Victor Barbado (Darlene Hennagir’s son-in-law)
Sean Evans (Greg & Alicia Johnson’s nephew)
Joe Holweger (Charles & Gladys Chase’s grandson)
John Kloss (David Kloss’ son)
Erik Naley (Wayne & Carol Aspengren’s nephew)

If you or someone you know would like to be included in our weekly prayers, please email (church@wadenaimmanuel.org) or call (631-2738) the church office.  Or fill out this form: https://www.wadenaimmanuel.org/prayerrequest Names will stay on our prayer list for 4 weeks.  Military prayers will remain on the list for six months, unless a request to remove comes sooner.

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