Marked as Christ's own

Last Sunday Jackie "Tre" King was baptized at King of Peace (pictured here). Today Joseph Ratulowski will also be received into the household of God through baptism. Joe's will be the 49th baptism at King of Peace in the just over five years since the church was founded and the 13th adult baptism.

My favorite line in the baptism service is when right after a person is baptized, following an ancient Christian tradition, I mark the sign of a cross on the person's forhead in oil and say the person's name and add "You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own foreever."

We could decide that this is entitlement. The indelible sign of the cross on our forheads marks us as a Christian, so no matter what we will go to heaven when we die. It may be true that we will go to heaven, but we are marked as Christ's own not just for the future, but for the here and now.

We are marked as Christ's own and then expected to go out and live like it. If you wonder what a life lived as Christ's own looks like, then look no further than the five questions Joe will answer in today's worship just after affirming his belief in the ancient Apostle's Creed:

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?

Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?

Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

The answer given to each of these questions is "I will, with God’s help." For we know that we cannot do all these things without the assistance of God working in our hearts and minds. But as we do have the power of God working in us through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have no excuse for not conforming our lives more and more to Jesus' life.

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor + King of Peace Episcopal Church