One With Each Other…
Dear Pali Pres,
Last Sunday was such a great day for our church! We not only came together in a spirit of fellowship and unity for our Fall Kickoff, but we also welcomed four new members into our Pali Pres family.
The reception of new members into a Presbyterian church involves a special worship liturgy. I have included a portion of that liturgy here in my blog as a reminder of what it means to be members of the church:
We are one with each other, sisters and brothers in the family of God. We rejoice in the gifts you bring to us. As you join with us in the worship and service of this congregation, it is fitting that together we reaffirm the covenant into which we were baptized, claiming again the promises of God which are ours in our baptism. Hear these words from Holy Scripture: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of the One who called you out of darkness into God’s marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
It’s so important to keep in mind that church membership is rooted in our identity as God’s people. It is through our baptisms that we are first brought into the household of God. Once this “original membership” is affirmed, we can then be received as members of a particular church. To put it another way, we have all been given an original identity as a member of God’s family (through our baptism). Then, we are each called to a specific church where we can live out the fruits of that identity in community with others.
This is a beautiful design for our life together as God’s people! Whether we remember our baptisms or not, we are still called to remember that our first identity—our original membership—is into God’s kingdom. With that foundation in place, we then live fully into our calling through the individual church. And it’s all a gift from God!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Matt
New Pali Pres Members (from left to right): Megan Price, Peter Rasmussen, Laurie Rasmussen, Michelle Oliver
