at All Saints'

Grace and Baptism

Baptism shows us that Christianity is a gift to be received, not a work to be achieved! Baptism helps to clear up mistaken ideas of about Christianity. The mistaken idea that Christianity is a struggle to achieve God's acceptance. The mistaken idea that Christianity is a "head trip," an intellectual assent to a Creed. The mistaken idea that Christianity is a matter of imitating Jesus, despite the fact that this can be a frustrating attempt to achieve some kind of external actions.

No, Christianity is not a work to be achieved; it is a gift to be received. Christianity is about the gift of God's friendship, an unearned and undeserved friendship offered to us through Jesus of Nazareth.  The word for this gift of God's friendship is "GRACE." The letters of this word "grace" stand for the Good News that "God Really Accepts Completely Everyone." You say, "That's amazing!" It sure is. That's why we sing about "Amazing Grace." St. Paul wrote, "For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

This Message about God's Grace is embodied in Jesus of Nazareth, God's Son. This is the reason Jesus is called "The WORD of God." This WORD and this GIFT of God's gracious friendship come to us through sacred signs, the first of which is BAPTISM.  As the pastor pours the water on the head of the infant, we see the sign (sacrament) that says to us that God is pouring the gift of His GRACE on a human being whom God loves.

  If you would like to arrange a baptism, call  the Church office at 215-637-8787.

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