I had a lot of fun preaching this Sunday! (Click on this link to listen to the sermon.) During my sermon, I enjoyed walking up and down amongst the tables, hearing your thoughtful contributions to the conversation, and seeing you in a new light. Not to mention, sprinkling everyone with water in remembrance of baptism. For those who weren’t there, one thing we did was to reflect on what new names God might give us, and some extraverted (or maybe just brave?) souls shared their names by creating new nametags. I loved this because I could see you differently, as your best selves, in the light of God’s love. And I also loved the idea that those who chose NOT to share with a nametag must be walking around with some wonderful secrets!
I mused, at one point during the sermon, how nice it could be if we had visible signs of our baptismal identity, like an “organic” sticker on an avocado or an embroidered “I belong to God” headband to wear for all to see. I imagined that it could help us all in our efforts to respect and be kind to one another. Two thoughts were shared with me promptly after the service, and both are worth sharing.
One – quite lighthearted – here’s a link to the delightful story of a girl who puzzles her mom with a green blob and its secret meaning. It’s a two-minute read. Read it!
And two – “It’s a hijab!”
Yes. While the reasons why some Muslim women wear hijab are very complex and filled with cultural and political factors, I think it is so helpful to take this view, and even to extend it to any of the other external religious signs we might see. If we see a person wearing a hijab — or yarmulke or crucifix or fringes — we can make the effort to see those symbols as saying “I belong to God.” Of course, we’d be well off making that effort to see the Divine in everyone, all the time, but for those of us who need reminders, consider this a cue.
And speaking of cues, I wanted to share a tiny baptism-related cue that I’ve found helpful in my daily life. I’ve been looking for ways to pray more (yup, even pastors find it hard!) and a friend gave me this wonderful suggestion. Have a simple prayer – no more than a sentence or two – to say when you wash your hands. Hand-washing is a frequent and usually private activity, and it is easy enough that you can slip some words through your mind as the water slips over your hands. How about remembering “I belong to God” each time?
I give thanks that as Presbyterians we only celebrate two sacraments – baptism and communion – and that they are so blessedly simple. Every day we eat, drink, and wash. May your day be infused with holiness, and may you remember God’s love for yourself and everyone you meet.
Every Blessing,
Talitha