Welcome to Fairmount Presbyterian Church!

FPC Sermon: February 5, 2023

February 13, 2023 Fairmount Presbyterian Church
Welcome to Fairmount Presbyterian Church!
FPC Sermon: February 5, 2023
Show Notes Transcript

On Sunday, February 5, 2023  Rev. Ryan Wallace and Fairmount Presbyterian Church celebrated Breaking Bread Sunday and two baptisms. 

We invite you to join us at Fairmount for Sunday Worship at 11:00am each Sunday. 

We also live-stream our 11:00am worship service to connect with our online community. 

You can find Fairmount’s live-stream worship at https://fpccle.org/online-worship/, on our Facebook Page and YouTube Channel

Fairmount Presbyterian Church Sermon
February 5, 2023 
Rev. Ryan Wallace

Well, can anybody guess what all the blue decorations are today? What do you think? The Jordan River? Yes. They represent the Jordan River and all kinds of water. I want you to imagine that we're sitting here this morning, surrounded by water. And that's because we are celebrating a couple of baptisms today and we'll be exploring the symbolism of water in our spiritual lives. Water flows, water quenches, water trickles, water rushes, water drips, water sustains us. But the question I really want to explore today is does water talk? Does water talk? 

When John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River, suddenly the Spirit of God comes down from heaven like a dove, and God says this is my beloved Son, whom I dearly love. And God says, I find happiness in him. In a few minutes we will baptize Josie and Virginia, and I can't promise that we'll hear God's voice, but is it possible that these waters might say something to us if we listen closely enough. Let's try, close your eyes for a moment and try to listen carefully. Can you hear anything?

It's almost like the water was so real. I admit that was a little dramatic. But I'm trying to make a point here. You see, I think God is speaking to us in these waters. So, what is God saying? God is saying you are my son, my daughter, my child whom I dearly love, I find happiness in you. These are the words that God speaks to Jesus at His baptism. What are some of the words that God speaks to you? If we listen carefully today, we will hear the same words that God is speaking to Josie and Virginia. The words that we hear for each one of us gathered here today. But keep listening. Because these waters have more to say. In these waters, God is saying, don’t fear for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When going through the rivers, they won't sweep over you. We are surrounded by water in this life. Sometimes we feel like the water is rushing in from all sides. 

Sometimes we feel like maybe we're in over our heads but in every moment, God is saying I am with you in high tide and low tide. Look for me and listen for me in the water. Keep listening because these waters still have more to say. In these waters we can hear God's saying you are one body with one spirit. United by one baptism. In our baptism, we are united not only with Christ, but we become interconnected with one another, caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality, one body of Christ, one single body of water. And to symbolize the unity of our one baptism. This morning, I'd like to invite each of you to add our baptismal water to fill our font today. The youth are going to be bringing in some bowls of water. And in a moment, you'll be invited to get up if you wish, row by row, and there will be a bowl on each side of the font. And I invite you to take a small ladle of the water from that bowl, and to gently pour it into the bowl or on top of the fount. And in this way, we all participate together in Josie and Virginia’s baptisms. And we are reminded that we are all united in one baptism.