Baptisms and Installations

Wow, what a couple of weeks it's been! My parents were in town last week, and my in-laws this week, overlapping on the weekend. This past Sunday, as many of you know, Peter was baptized in the morning and Tom and I were installed in the evening.

Peter's baptism was a wonderful event, made all the moreso by several things: Peter was baptized by someone who is becoming a very dear friend - Tom (at left in the picture). Bill Craig, my friend, mentor and former pastor from my home church was able to be there (next to Tom in the pic). And of course, Peter's grandparents were able to be there (from the right: Peter's maternal grandparents and then his paternal grandparents). Peter is now officially a child of the covenant, which in no way secures his salvation but does hold him, his parents, the church and God to certain promises (covenants). I am thrilled to have him grow in faith and maturity in this congregation of believers.

The installation was powerful and, frankly, probably one of the best installations ever recorded in Presbyterian history. I mean, seriously, when has it ever happened that three Presbyterian ministers preached and the service came in under 70 minutes? A friend of Tom's, the Rev. Joelle Beller, preached the sermon based on Joshua 1:9.

Bill Craig laid the charge on the congregation - emphasizing their role as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ rather than focusing on the importance of their doing everything Tom and I tell them to do. While I like the idea of the latter, I suspect the former was more important and biblical. Nerts.

Dr. David Dobler, former moderator of the PC(USA) and current Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Yukon, laid the charge on me and Tom. His text came from 2 Timothy 4:1-5:

1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Wow. Frankly, I was hoping he would stop with the reading of the Word. But no, he had to continue on to, with scalpel-like precision, apply it to both of us. A heavy burden indeed - I am glad that I don't have to carry it alone.

So there's a brief summary of Sunday for those of you who were unable to make it. Know that we missed you all dearly and that you are often in our prayers and on our minds.

God bless.