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Welcome to Christ Church, Blacklands & St. Andrew, Laton Road, Hastings
A Very Special Event
Baptism
On 17th November Charlotte (known also as Lottie) who is a member of our ‘Sunday School’ was baptized, at her own request, at the Parish Communion Service. It was a memorable occasion for all of us, summed up in four key words “Grace”, “Love”, “Family” and “Celebration”
Left: Lottie, front, with Godparents
Grace
Means God’s favour towards us. We do not deserve it and we cannot earn it. It is a free gift from God. We get suspicious of free gifts these days. As they like to say in the Supermarkets, ‘Buy one and get one free’ and ‘Special Offer’. Often it’s not so free and not so special as it’s made out to be. But God’s grace is free and it is genuine, closely linked to our second word: Love.
Love
God knows us and he loves us! He loves us when we succeed and when we fail. It seems too good to be true! And so different from the standards of today. But it is true and once we grasp it we discover negative thoughts about God start to fall away. Someone described it like this, “Suddenly I felt an incredible freedom. It dawned on me that I did not have to struggle to prove myself to God, I just felt loved and valued, unconditionally. It was a life changing experience!”
Family
In the New Testament the Church is seen as a family. Baptism is a sign of family membership and within that family everyone is significant, irrespective of their age. Recently, Pam and I were in Pocklington, in Yorkshire. We went into the local parish church where a Coffee Morning was in full swing. On the notice board was a leaflet, ‘YOUNG PEOPLE COUNT’. That’s what Lottie’s baptism is saying. Young people count, they are an integral part of today's church. Often this is a neglected area of church work and as a result a generation of young people have become spiritually starved. Every church and PCC needs to take a serious look at how children and young people can be encouraged and affirmed in the family of the church!
Celebrate
Baptism is cause for celebration! About six months ago I met a couple who I know quite well and who attend one of the other churches in Hastings. Our brief conversation revolved around church services, “We don’t like all-age services” they said, “especially when there is a baptism with lots of other people present”. That is so sad and negative! I hope we do not have such an unhelpful attitude. I tried to encourage them to support those occasions. Baptism is a cause for celebration!
Baptism celebrates the grace and the love that we discover in knowing Jesus and it affirms the church as a family. These things are worth celebrating. I like the opening words of Mark’s Gospel, “The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ”. In this mixed up, suffering and divided world, here indeed is Good News.
Remember Lottie and all who are baptised at Blacklands in your prayers, together with our outreach to the children and young families of our parish.
John Fletcher