Hello,
In the Lutheran
tradition of Christianity infants are baptized so that their entire lives might
be shaped by the promises of God. After
being baptized, the pastor draws a cross on the child’s forehead and says, “You
have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ
forever.” Lutheran Christians have
varied practices as to when a person receives their first Communion, and at my
church the tradition is for that to happen when a child reaches fifth
grade. Until then, when children come to
the table with their families, they receive a blessing, and this is the
blessing that I give them as I re-mark the cross on their forehead, “In your
Baptism our Lord Jesus Christ has claimed you, made you his own, and forgives
you all your sins.”
As I place this
blessing upon the children, it is received in various ways. Some children shyly turn away, others look at
me square in the eye, and some receive it with youthful reverence. Recently as I blessed a child, something new
took place: the child started to giggle, and in that giggle I grew in my
understanding of the grace of God.
I was struck with
the joy that the grace of God spawns in our lives.
There are days in
my life, and I do not think I am alone, that I face the world as a scrawny, 115
pounds dripping wet, barely able to keep my boxing shorts on in a ring looking
at some hulking, muscle popping, towering foe who is laughing as he drools with
what he has in mind to do to me. He is
thinking about the right jab of expectations that will knock the wind out of me
and bring me to my knees. He is planning
the uppercut of my failures to my jaw that will snap me back against the
ropes. He is looking forward to
pummeling me with guilt and shame for the mess that I make in my life. And he can’t control his laughter as he
envisions the round-house of fear that he will land on my temple, knocking me
out as he stands over me saying, “You’re nothing!”
And just when I
raise my Erckle-ish arms to cover my face with my boxing gloves, I hear the stomping
of feet in the ring, and feel the gentle shove of someone saying to me, “Take a
seat. I’ve got this one!” And I look up and see one who is bare fisted
with nail scars in his hands whose boxing record includes giving death a death
blow standing there…and that foe that was laughing in arrogant confidence of
crushing me has taken a step back, the fire in his eyes turned to a flickering
flame, the puff of his chest deflated in fear, no drool from his now parched
lips, and his laughter transformed into a whimper.
And that is when
I begin to giggle…just like that child at the communion rail. I am struck with the joy that the grace of
God spawns in my life.
So, today as I
enter the boxing ring of life, I am reminded by that child’s giggle, that I do
so as one who is marked with the cross and with the promise of the one whose
fist are scarred with victory, “Go ahead and take a seat. I’ve got this one!”
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace, (ggap)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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