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There are moments in ministry that feel timeless. Moments when the noise of the world quiets, and the sacred becomes visible in something so simple and ordinary that it catches your breath. Baptism is one of those moments. It never fails to move me.

In the United Methodist Church, we understand baptism as a sacrament—a means of grace, where God does the acting and we simply respond. It is not a rite of passage, a tradition to check off, or something we do because it’s what’s always been done. No, baptism is God’s bold and beautiful declaration: You are mine. You belong. You are loved, not because of anything you’ve done, but because of who God is.

Baptism is about more than water. It’s about identity and community. It marks a beginning—a holy claiming that shapes the rest of a life. It’s why we don’t re-baptize in the United Methodist Church. We trust that God got it right the first time. Whether we were infants held in a parent’s arms, teenagers stepping into faith, or adults coming forward with a trembling but open heart, God’s grace was already present. The water didn’t start anything—it revealed what God was already doing.

This Sunday, we will gather as a church family to celebrate the baptism of William Nathaniel Parlier and Townes Wellesley Parlier during our 9:00 a.m. Well Service. These two precious boys will be brought forward by their family, and we’ll stand together as a community to promise what Christians have promised for centuries: that we will raise them in faith, surround them with love, and help them grow into the fullness of God’s grace.

Then, on Sunday, June 8th during our 11:00 a.m. Traditional Service, we will celebrate another baptism—that of Walter Wesley Connolly. On a different Sunday, in a different service, but with the same sacred water, the same promises, and the same overflowing joy.

We will once again speak the words that matter:

“With God’s help, we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ. We will surround these children with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their trust of God, and be found faithful in their service to others.”

That’s the heart of it. Baptism is not just about the one being baptized—it’s also about us. The Church. We are promising to be the village, the teachers, the encouragers, the safe place, the cheerleaders of faith. We are promising to remind these children, over and over again, of who and whose they are—even when they forget, even when they wander, even when they question.

So I hope you’ll join us in these holy moments. I hope you’ll be there with your heart wide open. Because something happens when we gather around the font. We remember our own baptism. Maybe we can’t recall the day or the place, but we remember the truth it speaks:

You are beloved. You are claimed. You are part of something bigger than yourself.

Let’s be the church who takes our promises seriously. Let’s show William, Townes, and Walter what it means to grow up in a faith community that delights in them, prays for them, teaches them, and walks with them every step of the way.

What a joy it is to be the body of Christ together!  See you Sunday!

Peace, Pastor Tracy