Dear Fremont Family:
Last Sunday, on the first Sunday in Lent, we participated together in what is called the “Rite of Enrollment” for our annual “Come to the Waters” process. For those who were with us in worship, you will remember that we witnessed 5 candidates write their names in our Book of Enrollment signifying their intentions to reaffirm their baptism or be baptized at Easter. This year, 3 candidates will reaffirm their baptism, 2 candidates will be baptized, and all 5 of them will come into full membership. How exciting!
The church has always connected preparation for baptism with the season of Lent and Easter. Specifically, early Christian communities taught that baptism was linked with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Often baptismal fonts were carved out of the ground, and candidates would do down into the water (symbolizing dying with Christ) and then come up from the water (rising with Christ). In this way, the font was like a tomb. At the same time, baptism has also always been associated with rebirth. Namely, the Spirit is poured out upon us at our baptism, and as a result, we are birthed anew (early on, candidates would be baptized naked like newborn babies!). In this way, the font was also like a womb. In other words, baptism symbolizes for us in the church that from womb to tomb, from birth to death, we belong to God.
This year in Lent, our scripture readings from John will remind us of such deep wells of wisdom. We will hear Jesus speak to Nicodemus about rebirth from above. We will see Jesus meet a Samaritan woman at the well and invite her to taste living water. We will encounter Jesus heal at the rippling waters of the Pool of Siloam, and finally, we will hear Jesus call Lazarus back to life from the tomb. Each of these experiences will invite us to ponder the spiritual mysteries of being made new at Easter.
I look forward to taking this beautiful journey of Lent with you, and I look forward to meeting you at the deep well of wisdom that is our Sunday worship.
Grace and peace,
Erin
