It is good to be back in town, although we thoroughly enjoyed our time at the lake. A common theme between going to our cabin at Beaver Lake and trail riding at Lake Sequoyah park is water. Each day at the cabin we walked down to the neighborhood dock and sat with the water. Unlike this weekend, which will be a time of partying and crowds, we had the dock to ourselves on the weekdays. Today I went on 2 trail rides to take out people who had booked a ride on the farm's trail string, something we do most weekends. We ride right alongside Lake Sequoyah, a man-made lake on the White River, then come to the river itself below the dam. An 8-year-old girl on our first ride was absolutely delighted that her horse likes to splash in the water. The giggles were infectious!
I was trying to think of what I could write for a post tonight and was reminded of the prayer we say over the water when someone, often a baby, is baptized in an Episcopal church. It is about my favorite prayer in the current prayer book. It was said at the baptisms of my 2 daughters and my 2 grandchildren, but would not have been said when I was baptized in the '50s. I'm so glad it was added to our worship.
We thank you Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life.
We thank you, Father, for the water of Baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in joyful obedience to your Son, we bring into his fellowship those who come to him in faith, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
The Book of Common Prayer, p. 306
No wonder I feel transformed in the presence of water.
Amen
It's a beautiful prayer. Our middle child and our youngest grandchild were baptized at St. Mary's, so I know I've heard these words before. (we don't have a lot of baptisms at the early service!)
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