Looking Ahead to May 29, 2022 -- 7th Sunday of Easter

 This Sunday we will be celebrating a Baptism. Actually we will be celebrating a pair of Baptisms.

The Scripture Readings this week are:

• Deuteronomy 29:10-15
• Psalm 111

The Sermon title is Faithful Relationship

Early Thoughts: What does it mean to say that we are in relationship with the Divine? How are we faithful to that relationship? How are we unfaithful to it? How is God faithful in that relationship? When might we feel that God has been unfaithful or has left us to our own devices?

Periodically in the story of the people of Israel they are invited to remember and re-establish their covenant relationship with God. These events are often a chance to remind themselves how God has been part of their lives, of the promises God has made, of the gifts God has given, and their own responsibility to respond to God's presence and activity. I wonder if we should do that more often as well  (John Wesley might agree as he encouraged the use of a Covenant Renewal Service). I think we do ourselves a favour when we regularly remind ourselves that we are in relationship with God and with each other. Then we have ask ourselves what it means to be in relationship and how we need to act to maintain that relationship.

In this Deuteronomy reading Moses invites the people to remember and renew their covenant relationship with God. In the Psalm reading we are reminded how God remains faithful to that relationship. When we celebrate a baptism I hope we remember our own identity as baptized people (recognizing that most of us will not actually remember the act of being baptized). As a baptized and baptizing community we recognize our relationship with God. We recognize that we are called, claimed, and commissioned within that relationship. How are we faithful to that covenant of baptism? How do we live out that relationship?

I suspect we all have different answers to the questions I have asked thus far. Many of them might overlap with each other but have a specificity unique to each individual. Those answers are certainly important but asking ourselves the questions is even more important.

What does it mean to you to be a part of faithful relationships with your neighbours? With God? With yourself?
--Gord