Water and God’s Word
Stop.
Drink a glass of water. No, really! Pour yourself a glass of water, sit, and drink it thoughtfully. Consider how water brings life to your body. Thank God for this time of refreshment and renewal.
Listen.
For without the word of God the water is plain water and not a baptism, but with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a grace-filled water of life and a ‘bath of the new birth in the Holy Spirit,’ as St. Paul says to Titus in chapter 3. – Martin Luther, The Small Catechism
Reflect.
In Sunday’s reading from Acts, we will hear about the apostle Phillip and an unnamed man from Ethiopia who is a eunuch. In the story, the two speak with each other and the Ethiopian man asks Phillip to baptize him. This beautiful story allows us to talk more about baptism and what it means for our lives. In particular, as the Ethiopian sees water, he says, “What is to prevent me from being baptized?” Any water, even just water along the road, will do.
Martin Luther, who is credited with beginning the Protestant reformation that formed our Lutheran tradition, contended that water for baptism didn’t need to be special or holy to work. It’s just plain water. It’s not the water that makes a baptism remarkable – it’s God’s word with the water that does the work. Any time you come across water at your sink, in the lake, when it rains, or even a muddy puddle can remind you of baptismal promises.
Because God’s word is what makes baptism work, we don’t have to worry about doing a baptism wrong. We don’t have to try to find some kind of particular water from a special source. We can use regular old water, a simple, fundamental, life-giving piece of creation, and trust that God’s promises will make the water into a place of grace and fulfilled promises.
Pray.
God, in your gift of water, you bring life to the world. In your gift of baptism, you make that life abundant for me. Thank you for these blessings, both in the earth and in the sacrament of baptism. Grant me continued faith in your promises. Amen.
Carry On.
Pay attention every time you come across water today. Pause and remember the gift of baptism and God’s promises for life. How does it change the way you think of God’s work in your life?