God’s love, grace, acceptance, and welcome are gifts freely given to all and no where is this more evident than in the holy waters of Baptism.
We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life.
Thanksgiving over the Water, Service of Holy Baptism (Book of Common Prayer, pg. 306)
Water is the essence of life. From it primordial life emerged; beside its banks civilizations rose and fell. Just as water brings life, it can also bring death. Tidal waves and floods remind us of water’s intense power and its ability to transform our lives and our world in a matter of seconds.
Water is a potent symbol of life, death, and rebirth. Thus it is fitting that water plays such a central role in our journey of faith. In the waters of baptism we celebrate God’s gift of love and grace and commit ourselves to center our life in God’s mission of reconciliation and restoration. In the waters of baptism we are welcomed into the community of Christ, the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
Baptism is an outward and visible sign of the inward and invisible transformation we experience as we journey with God throughout our life; seeking to follow Jesus by responding to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. The bond which God establishes in baptism is indissoluble.
Within The Episcopal Church, all are welcome into the waters of baptism, from infants to adults, acknowledging we are all on a journey of faith as we grow deeper in the knowledge and love of Christ throughout our life.
