Losing the Mystery

This past Sunday our church celebrated a baptism service. There were six people baptized, including two from our marriage group last winter. Those two have grown so much in the past year, it's been exciting to hear about. My frustration isn't with them, it's with myself. Not only did I not celebrate with them, but I didn't even get excited. I didn't even tell Shari (for which I have been duly reprimanded). Baptism is an exciting thing, but in the business of preparing the paperwork and class (interviewing people we don't know, making sure everybody's got their paperwork in for their certificates, etc.), I've lost something. I've lost the excitement of what it means for these folks to be baptized. This is an exciting occasion in which they are publicly declaring their death to self, and life in Christ, as well as that mysterious thing that happens in us when we are baptized. I want that excitement back, but I really can't blame anybody but myself. So, I make the choice today to work hard to remember what's important, and celebrate what God is doing in folks... and encouraging more to be baptized and celebrate that event.

On the plus side, because it was at the lake, I was able to celebrate a young man's baptism who is very new to our church. He has MS, and he and his family were tremendously excited to celebrate this event. He's a great kid (less than 21 yrs. old), loves the Lord with all his heart, and has made an impact amongst his family and friends, including his dad, who doesn't know Christ yet. Yet even there, as I'm trying to get my kids out of the water to watch this, I realized that I'm not excited about this like I want them to be.

God, please re-energize my heart for this tremendously important worship service.