“I will, with God’s help.“
I recently had the opportunity to reflect on the liturgy for Holy Baptism in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. I was particularly struck by the commitments made on pages 304-305:
Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?
I will, with God’s help.Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
I will, with God’s help.Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
I will, with God’s help.Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
I will, with God’s help.Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will, with God’s help.
I tried to paraphrase and personalize these five commitment as best I could. What are the five things that we promise?
- To be part of a Christian church community and participate in the traditions and rituals of the community.
- To structure one’s life in such a way as to be continually seeking to strengthen our relationship with God.
- To share God’s love with others as best befits our unique gifts and situations.
- To lead with love in our interactions with others, loving them as ourselves.
- To channel one’s efforts and work into vocations that work to bring about social justice and peace in the world.
This, I think, represents an important component of what types of principles can guide a Christian ethic of values and living. What do we do each day that contributes to each of these five commitments?
Hazelnut Notes 