Baptism is both a one time washing by water and the Word, a Sacrament (means of God’s grace), and, a life long process.  As Martin Luther wrote in his “Large Catechism,”

Thus a Christian life is nothing else than a daily Baptism, once begun and ever continued.  For we must keep at it incessantly, always purging out whatever pertains to the old Adam, so that whatever belongs to the new man may come forth. LC, pg. 89

So, the Baptismal or Christian life is an on going process of change, of transformation.  It is first, what God has done and is doing in our lives in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.   This is followed by what we do, how we  respond and participate in the process of change and transformation of our own lives and souls.  The frustrating and sad paradox for me, especially because I am a Christian of the Lutheran persuasion, is that we Lutherans hate and resist change with a passion!

How many Lutherans does it take to change a lightblulb?

“CHANGE?!  We don’t change!”

This brings me to a thought on Tipping Points.  A tipping point is when the benefit of change outweighs the benefit of staying the same.  Something needs to happen to overcome the power of inertia and the status quo.   I believe that “something” is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives when we receive a new vision of reality (Jesus called this the reign of God), a new mission or passion (when we see a great need or injustice in the world), or a new clarity of purpose and direction in life (when our gifts and talents intersect with the needs of the world).  Now that sounds all fine and dandy, but how does that happen in our lives?  I know that new visions, passions, mission, and clarity come from God, but how?

How?  From an encounter with the Living God.  In men’s work this encounter is sometimes called the necessary spiritual “whomp” on the side of the head, that wakes us up to our deep need and desire to be changed and to change.  In my reading of scripture, church history, and listening to the lives of Christians of all ages and backgrounds, God doesn’t work in just one particular way.    But somehow we do need to “wake up,” listen, pay attention, be opened by, or be open to God.

Christians have always had a set of practices, or maybe better said, “disciplines for disciples,” to create a space, an opening, an opportunity in our hearts, minds, and souls for the Holy Spirit to get into our lives.  This is what Daily Baptism is all about, and what brings about the many needed tipping points for transformation and change in our lives.  Maybe if Dan Brown were to write a book about these Christian practices and come up with some mysterious name like, “The Secret God Code,” or, “The Hidden Path,” then people would get really interested!  On the other hand most of us want a quick fix and easy answers, so we’d respond to “7 Easy Steps in under 5 Minutes a Day to Perfect Unity with God.”  The point being that there isn’t a secret to living the Christian life and Daily Baptism, nor is it easy or quick, it is a life-long process, a journey, and it requires our discipline and commitment.

OK, you already know about these practices, and you’re probably doing some of them already.   The question is, what will it take for you to do them daily, weekly, and regularly?  Which of these practices might God be calling you to commit to that would be worth your time, energy, and resources, or dare we say it, a change in our priorities, schedules, and attitudes?   

Worship, Prayer, Learning, Serving, Giving, Real Relationships, Sharing your faith

These seven, and the greatest of these is love.