Baptisms and Communion
We believe that Jesus gave his followers two rituals—baptism and communion—that celebrate God’s love for us. We call them sacraments because we believe they are sacred acts by which God strengthens us to offer our lives to God in love and service.
Baptism
In baptism, we celebrate God’s freely-given grace and love by which God claims us even before we can respond, before we can choose a direction, before we discern where God is calling. Accordingly, infants and adults alike are baptized.
When we gather for baptism:
- we give thanks that by God’s grace, we are born anew—God cleanses us from sin, renews life, and heralds the reconciliation of all things promised in Christ;
- we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit as a pledge of this reconciliation;
and
- we proclaim the faith of the church and renew our commitment to participate in God’s story and God’s family.
For through baptism, we are incorporated into Christ’s holy church. The Holy Spirit binds us to each other and joins us to Christ’s ministry of love, peace, and justice.
If you are interested in baptism, for yourself or your child, please contact our pastor.
Communion
We gather for communion to celebrate God’s faithful love and sustaining grace. By the mystery of the Holy Spirit, this sacrament brings us into communion with God and with all the faithful in every time and place. The sacrament is alternatively called the “Lord’s Supper” because at table we remember Jesus Christ our Lord who shared many meals with his friends and followers teaching them to love God and to their neighbors as themselves. We also sometimes call it the “Eucharist” (from the Greek word meaning “thanksgiving”) because it is a meal of thanksgiving to God for all God’s gifts.
The table of the Lord is hosted by Jesus, and all are welcome at it, regardless of church membership or faith tradition. All who seek to embrace God’s love made known in Jesus Christ are invited!
Ordinarily, we celebrate communion on the first Sunday of the month, and on other special occasions as appropriate. We use leavened bread and grape juice during this sacrament. Sometimes we pass trays with the bread and cup through the congregation while all remain seated. Other times, all are invited to come forward to receive the sacrament. Instructions about how the bread and cup will be distributed that day are given during worship.