This is the fourth message in the Animate series which focuses on making ourselves free and available to commune with God. Transformation comes from spending time in the presence and glory of God.
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Forming Me
• Greg Boyd
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This sermon was part of our Animate adventure series that ran from April 19 to June 14, 2009.
The supplemental content that accompanied the series was designed to be gone through in groups.
You can download the entire booklet here.
Hide Extended SummaryTopics: Imagination, Prayer, Transformation
Sermon Series: Animate
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Focus Scripture:
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Isaiah 64:8
8 Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
2 thoughts on “Forming Me”
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"We have been podrishioners for several months. Our daughter, son-in-law and grandkids moved back to California after living in MN for 10 years. They attended Woodland Hills for about a year before they moved. Now we all go to the beach together on Thursdays, come home and have dinner together, then we watch last Sunday’s sermon together. It is a special day for our family."
– Dale and Patricia, from California
I have been questioning my baptism because it happened when I was 12 years old, very young, impressionable and pliable. But my spiritual life awareness ended when I was 17 and was asked to leave my church membership where I had grown up. I turned to the world and discovered many things about it that I hadn’t previously known existed and experienced very dirty, evil influences that put an end completely to my faith. However, when I needed relief from my ugly experiences, I always turned to God and he was always there for me. So I have gradually come back to him. I asked my pastor if my baptism was still effective and he said, yes, I could reclaim it with no hesitation. I’m still not sure about that, though. It struck me that my baptism is something like what Chris said about adding water and keeping the sculpture moist and pliable and sculptable. My baptism is part of my sculpting and he keeps re-baptising me to keep forming me in his hands. This meant a lot to me, has given me some peace.
This is not a complete description of my thoughts about this but in the interest of keeping it brief, it’s a short, possibly unintelligible version.
Before I respond, let me be clear by stating the there are as many opinions and points of view on baptism as there are church traditions. And while I don’t fully know your situation, nor the tradition to which your pastor belongs, I think you are asking the right questions regarding your baptism. I can relate. I was baptized when I was 8 and while I never walked away from the church, I did not truly submit my life to Christ until I was 20. I was baptized then as a symbol of my new life in Christ.
From what little I know about your situation, it seems to my that Yes your baptism is still effective. At the same time, your coming back to God may feel like and might actually be your real first coming to God. At least it is the time when you are realizing what it truly means to be a follower of Jesus. I would encourage you to pray about this and listen to the Spirit who lives in you. If you feel that you want to be baptized, talk with you pastor again and tell him how you feel and what you sense.
May the Father, Son and Holy Spirit abide in you