Bits from Beth

January 8, 2026

Dear Friends:

Do you remember your baptism? Some of us were too young to remember because our parents brought us to the altar to be baptized. Even if you cannot remember, I can tell you this. Your family were all there. You likely had godparents who had been chosen who were also there. It was a big weekend of celebration because you were marked as being a child of God and all those people who gathered in that sanctuary that day made a vow to teach you what that meant. If you remember, then you are probably like me, baptized when I was about ten years old. I remember wearing a special gown and the preacher had on a white robe as well. He told me to cross my arms and he would hold my nose. I was immersed and I have done immersed baptisms. It does not matter if you were immersed, or sprinkled or poured. In baptism, we are the object, not the subject. The subject is God. It is God doing the baptizing and what God does you do not have to repeat.

But you do need to remember that you are baptized. You do need to remember that you are marked as a child of God. You need to remember what being a child of God means. This Sunday is Baptism of the Lord Sunday and we will honor that day with worship, communion, and a special remembering your baptism moment. Being baptized is a beginning. For Jesus, it was the beginning of his ministry. The baptism of John was for cleansing of sin but when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended. The important element of our baptism is not the water, but the Spirit. In infant baptism, you receive the water but as you get older, you get to make a choice as to whether or not you want to confirmed that baptism. You were marked as a child of God but you get to decide whether or not you will follow Jesus. In Confirmation, we ask for the Holy Spirit to come down to lead you. It is the Holy Spirit that remains with us throughout our lives. The Holy Spirit provide you with a gift for ministry and so many people never discover what that gift is.

Christian maturity is learning how to listen to the Spirit lead you, guide you, and help you make choices. The Spirit does not always think like we do, it helps us discern the right choice to make and help convict us when we have said or done something that has damaged another human being. The Spirit gives us the strength to do the right the right thing in every circumstance. When you do not know what to do, you can ask the Spirit to help.

There are many viruses out there so be careful and continue to look out for one another. If you did not pick up a prayer card for 2026, you can do so this Sunday. At the end of January Nancy Hogg Smith will be stepping down as the early Christian Awareness Teacher. Is the spirit calling you into this ministry? Thank you, Nancy, for teaching our little ones to love Jesus. We hope to see you all, Sunday!

Grace and peace,

Beth