Baptized Into Belonging: The Call to Community

``And let us let Elm Park United Methodist Church, let the church of Jesus Christ lead the way in saying there is a third way. There's a third way. There's the republican way, there's the democrat way, but there's a third way. And that is the way of love, that is the way of grace, and that is the way of mercy. There is a third way that puts people first. It puts people before the law, It puts people before elections. It puts people before everything. Let us be the example that we put people before anything else. [00:32:27] (47 seconds)  #ThirdWayLove

Baptism is joining up with the body of Christ. Once you're baptized, you're never really alone. There is always family around. Once you're baptized, you are a part of something larger than yourself. Some of you here many of you here today are already baptized. Many of you watching online are already baptized and you know that. [00:55:34] (27 seconds)  #NeverAloneInChrist

Jesus didn't need baptism the way John understood baptism, but Jesus insisted on baptism to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus insisted on baptism in order to be a part of the community. He insisted on baptism in order to be part of something bigger than himself. He insisted on baptism to be ready for God's call upon his life. [00:56:37] (27 seconds)  #BaptizedForCall

The voice of God breaks through on the scene when Jesus joins the community. That's when the voice of God says, yep, that's him. That's my son whom I love. Listen to him with whom I'm well pleased. It's when he becomes part of the community. [00:58:12] (31 seconds)  #GodSpeaksInCommunity

But it's not when Jesus showed up, and it's not when Jesus proved how much he knew. It's when he joined the community that God's voice said, yes. He's mine. And I think the same thing can be said for us today. It's not when we show up for church. That doesn't define how morally righteous we are. It's not how much we know or think we know. It's not the letters that are after our name. That's not when God's voice shows up. It's when we're a part of the community. That's what impresses God. [00:59:19] (45 seconds)  #BelongOverBrag

Not when we show up, not when we show off how much we know. It's when we join in. It's when we insist on being a part of what is going on. It's when we refuse to be left out. We belong. Every single one of us. Every single person that ever was, every single person that is now, and every single person that will be, we belong. We belong to each other and we belong to the family of God. [01:00:28] (44 seconds)  #EveryoneBelongsHere

We belong. We belong to each other and we belong to the family of God. And that's what impresses God. It's not when we show up for church. It's not when we show off about how much we know about the Bible. It's when we join in. [01:02:14] (24 seconds)  #WeBelongTogether

So my friends, may you fulfill all righteousness because that means you're a part of the community. May you hear God's voice loudly and clearly saying, you are mine and I'm proud of you. May you know that you belong, and may you go on in. The water is actually fine. [01:02:52] (31 seconds)  #TheWaterIsFine