What a Busy Sunday!

Today it seemed like I ran from one thing to another. But all was joy!

Eucharist at 7:45 and again at 10 (emphasis on the hearing and holding to the word of God) with Bible Study in between - we're beginning a series on the liturgy in Bible Study that first lays a foundation of worship. I offered today the thought that worship is really in a shape of a W.

God first gives to us - grapes and wheat - which we then work into wine and bread and at His command give again to Him. But you can't outgive God. He then gives the bread and wheat back as His body and blood for the forgiveness of all our sins. And then we give our thanks and praise back to Him. See the W? God to us, us to God, God to us, us to God.

This afternoon I had a premarital session, and then my Adult Catechism class. We did the Ten Commandments today. Always a shocker to realize HOW FAR we fall from the love which God calls us to! But we always end up pointing to the Savior as a preview for next week - showing how HE has lived that life we failed to live, answered for all our sins, and now reaches to us a share in His own endless life of love.

Then the Public School Catechism class. We had the joy tonight of Bender's Lesson 13 - Holy Baptism. We saw how everything that the Father speaks to the Son in the waters, He also speaks to us when we stand with the Son in those waters: heaven opened to us, the Holy Spirit given to us, and the Father delighting to call us His beloved children, in whom He is well-pleased. We also spent some time exploring the joys of Baptism contra the Baptists et al., that Baptism is for children (Acts 2:39); that it saves us (1 Peter 3:21); that it clothes us in Christ (Gal. 3:24ff); that it gives us forgiveness of sins AND the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38); that it joins us to the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom 6:1-11) and that it cuts us off from our old life and gives us a brand new one in union with Christ (1 Cor. 6:11ff).

After meeting with a parishioner about some concerns, I came home.

Long day, but joyful day. The old voice is very tired, and maybe not quite recovered from the flu from last month. Still, may the Word that this unworthy sinner planted in these many settings today bring forth an abundant crop to the glory of Jesus Christ!!!