Cleanse me - that is what we do with water. We drink it - we cook it - we wash with it. It is so awesome that water which is so plentiful has so many ordinary uses. We bathe and shower in it we wash our clothes and cars - we cook many different foods in it - we swim and play in it - we even drink it. It has been said that we can go for very long times without food but only a short time without water. So common - everybody (almost) has access to water. It is so plentiful and such an ordinary part of our lives that we even take it for granted. We just assume that turning a faucet will bring us water. When we cannot find anything better to drink we turn to - water. What a great gift from our Creator!
It is interesting that a very common and ordinary resource is used by many religious communities in their various rituals. In the Hebrew Scriptures we can read all the rules and regulations about using ordinary water to purify things and people. John the Baptist used water to cleanse people - He used that same water to baptize his cousin - Jesus. And Jesus who tuned water into wine to provide nourishment for people instructed His disciples to go out and use water and baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. What a gift it was to me today as I was privileged to baptize babies on this Father's Day. What some saw as an inconvenience to me - keeping me away from my own children - was in fact - a blessing that can only happen once a year. I can only say - thank you Jesus for allowing me to perform baptisms in Your Name on this Father's Day. To all my male readers - may the Lord of Mercies bless each and every one of you and your children this Father's Day!
Deacon Dale
Deacon Dale
