In Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, C.S. Lewis writes, “Creation seems to be delegation through and through. He will do nothing simply of Himself, which can be done by creatures. I suppose this is because He is a giver. And He has nothing to give but Himself. And to give Himself is to do His deeds–in a sense, and on varying levels to be Himself–through the things He has made.”
As I have been reflecting on this passage I see the examples of God’s delegation starting with Genesis chapter 2 where God puts Adam and his helper in the Garden of Eden to till it and to keep it; and continuing with Jesus sending the Apostles, the Disciples and then us out into the world to make “disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” He also tells us to teach them to obey everything that He has commanded us to do.
This Sunday we remember and celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. It is a time when we also may remember our own baptism where typically as United Methodists, our parents presented us, or we presented ourselves during the public worship at our church to be initiated into Christ’s holy church. The pastor when introducing the service of Baptism often may have said, “We are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All this is God’s gift, offered to us without price.” *
These are powerful words which we should reflect upon often. Our Baptism and sharing in Christ’s royal priesthood is an affirmation from God. He continues to delegate and has delegated the Great Commission to make disciples, to change people’s lives through Christ, to each of us as members of the family of Christ.
Our Baptism and how we live our lives thereafter is our response to the Lord. God in His great mercy and grace has never walked away from His commitment to us. God has entrusted each of us with a wonderful call to serve Him, to be His hands and feet in this world. Let us never forget this as we strive to respond faithfully to the love and grace of our Lord and Savior!
In His Love,
Pastor Peggy
*The United Methodist Hymnal: Book of United Methodist Worship, pg. 33, The United Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, TN