Anna's Baptism and Kyle sharing about community

 This Sunday I was supposed to go hiking with Pete.  I was looking forward to getting away but also feeling like I would be missing out on haning out with the family during this beginning of the holiday season.  I feel like I need to get away for just a bit because that alone time is very important for me.  

However, I will not be going afterall because Anna will be getting baptized at church and I cannot miss that.  It sort of came out of no where.  I overheard Susie talking to someone at the goodbye party for Andy and she happened to mention that Anna was getting baptized next Sunday.  I was please but surprised to just now be learning the news.  Susie told me that she had just heard the news herself, either earlier that day or the day before.  

Anna shared that she knows that she has been a Christian for a while but now feels like she wants to learn more about being a Christian.  So she decided this was the right time for her to be baptized.  

I'm proud of her and think that she made this decision out of her own desire, rather than doing it earlier out of a sense of obligation or pressure.  It's a neat situation and I'm sure it will be a neat day when it happens this coming Sunday. 

I'm also sharing about community at church too.  Adam asked Susie and me to share but Susie wasn't comfortable sharing and he said it is OK if I share by myself.  

Update: 

Anna's baptism was nice.  Adam sprinkled her head with water and she got a little wet, and the floor got wet too.  Susie and I stood with her.  Susie held her tight in her arms and I had my hand on her shoulder Adam prayed for her.  Susie was in tears.  Esther ran up and gave Susie and Anna a big hug in the middle of it.  Pretty sweet.  

I read my part toward the end of the service.  I read the first part fine but when I shared about how the people of Mosaic had been there for me I cried a lot.  After several people thanked me for sharing my emotions and being vulnerable when I spoke.

What I'm sharing...

Community at Mosaic has meant a lot to me.  Our family started attending Mosaic a little over 1 year ago.  We have been active in the various community groups at the church.  We have enjoyed building commuity over meals, studying and discussing our faith, and spending time together nearly every week.  These intentional gatherings have been an encouragement to my faith and a wonderful way to get to know others at Mosaic.  Each time we gather it feels like a small celebration.  While celebration and thankfulness is a blessing and an important part of the life of the church, this past year has been difficult and I have experienced a great deal of grief at times.  During those moments of grief my desire was not to celebrate and give thanks, I wanted someone to listen and understand the pain and uncertainty I was feeling.  Well, I thank God that there were people in my life and expecially people here at Mosaic who recognized my suffering and knew how to listen and care for me.  They helped me remember that I am not alone, that God and others were walking through this difficult season with me.  They helped me get through that difficult time, but more importantly their care has given me a renewed desire for a relationship with Christ that I had not been experiencing for a long time.  I am so thankful to God and to those individuals for being there for me during those times of stuggle.  It seems to me that the church is often good at celebrating together, but I think most of us can grow in the area of understanding of how to reconize, to hold, and to not be afraid to bear one others' burdens.  That is the type of community I hope we can continue to grow into here at Mosaic.  That we celebrate well together, but that we also lament well together.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Birthdays aren't all that great these days either

 Man, what a depressed selfish boy I sound like.   I'm feeling all this self pity on my birthday.   I think what really set me off was Susie getting upset with me because Esther wasn't ready as early as she wanted.  It felt like intentional messing up my birthday.  That really frustrated me.   I have some important people to me in my life, and their birthday wishes meant a lot, but I still feel alone.  I still feel like I'm on my own.   Last year the Superbowl was on my birthday and it was one of my very best birthdays.  This year I had to teach on the day after my birthday and I was one of the worst I can remember.   This week especially sucks because Valentines Day is coming too.  That really sucks because it used to be such a special, fun time for me, and I thought it was for Susie too.  But maybe I was fooling myself all the while.  It's hard to believe that is that case, but I think it's true....
Read more

Jr. High Bullying

 In the 8th grade I was bullied by Cory.  I can't remember the kids last name.  I would stand there at my locker and he would shove my back and I would bump into my locker.   It seems like the first time he did it it was an act of endurement.  Like playing around with one of your buddies.  But after a few times it got old.  He would look back at me with his hair flip in his blonde hair, seemingly to make sure that I knew it was him that pushed me.  It went from enduring, to annoying, to bullying, to daily trauma.  I set up a punching bag in my basement.  I found some martial arts magazines and started to practice some moves.  I grew a fear of confronting him.   I tried to just hope away the problem but it wouldn't go away.  I grew more and more weary of him doing this to me and I tried to come up with a scheme to get him to stop doing it.  Often there was an administrator at the end of the hallway watching o...
Read more

Trip to Gerald - May 26 to June 3, 2021

Wed, May 26         heyooooooooooo Abq to Tucumcari 2:40, 186 mi to Amarillo 1:41, 113 mi to Sayre 1:57, 132 mi to OKC 1:54, 129 mi to McD 2:25, 167 mi to Spfd 2:05, 132 mi to Gerald 2:34 163 arrived! We left at 6:03 am, almost on time. Elijah wanted to make oatmeal before leaving. The driving was very smooth and easy. Elijah commented about the time going by quickly. And it did. Compared to the trip in Nov. 2020, the van made much better time. We averaged about 80, the scion averaged about 70! Elijah and I listened to Rachel Held Evans. He was diggin' it. It gave him a story to relate to. Though I don't think it strengthened his Christian faith. But, overall I think it was good thing for him to hear. We talked less than I would have liked, but we did talk some. I was able to speak to him about the value of putting yourself in a position to make money if there comes a time that you need or want to. That he should pursue writing, but that this is a good ti...
Read more