#1
a queering of family
a renouncing of loyalties to the state
an unshakable divine embrace
an abolitionist proclamation
that rejects punitive logics
and dreams of collective care
an acknowledgement of the ways we fail each other
and are failed
a choosing to believe in transformation anyway
a sharing of resources and righting of wrongs
a invitation to deep and lasting solidarity
a reminder of our entanglement with every living thing
a calling toward a different kind of power
there is water everywhere.
it will outlast every institution.
go ahead: wade. soak. wash. splash.
let nothing keep you from this kind of kinship,
this kind of sacrament.
a baptism for all of us.
– Rev. M Jade Kaiser, enfleshed
#2
Beloveds in Christ,
Through the waters of baptism,
We are brought into the family of God.
In this family,
some are queer and some are straight,
some are trans and some are cisgender.
The body of Christ is rich in Divine creativity,
a community of people of many genders, races, body types and sizes, abilities and hungers,
each a glimpse of God from a different angle.
God claims each of us with delight.
And we claim one another as companions in faith.
In our baptismal vows, we promise to love and support each other, working together to resist
evil, injustice, and oppression in all its forms – within us and around us.
We need each other in this shared work of enfleshing the dreams of God.
Today, we remember that the love we encounter through these waters
cannot be undermined by bigotry or hate,
by exclusion or injustice.
We are children of the Holy One,
Siblings in the life of God.
These family ties cannot be broken.
No one and nothing has the power to turn us away from our Creator.
We cannot be kicked out, or accepted only in part.
The full embrace of God always extends to us.
And so today,
as we remember our baptism,
we also remember that through this new life in Christ we are set free:
To love wildly.
To live with Pride in who we are and what God has seen us through.
And to claim the power God has given us
To turn from everything that destroys.
Through God’s grace,
We leave shame behind
And rejoice in the Good News
That sets the captives free.
Let us pray together.
God of Life and God of Love, through this gift of water, you do miraculous things. The dust of past shame and guilt are washed away. The bonds of love are restored. The possibilities of new life emerge. May it be so for us today as we remember our baptisms. May your Spirit be upon this water and all who gather, as we celebrate this Sacred family to which you have called us. Strengthen us in love for one another as we renew our commitment to the pursuit of the Kindom of God, where all your creatures and creations are beloved and free. Amen.
[Invitation to the font]
Pastor to each individual during remembrance: Remember you are free to love and be loved.
– Rev. M Jade Kaiser, enfleshed
—
#3
Baptized into the dreams of God, we wade into the Sacred waters and make our alliances public. Togetherness. Love. Mess and complexity. Sharing at Table. Pursuing justice. Resisting forces of evil – within and around. Practicing moral imagination. Struggle. The waters are all-consuming, no part of our lives goes untouched. In all things, they remind us our lives are bound together by the One who claims us each as beloved.
– Rev. M Jade Kaiser, enfleshed