Special order: The Baptism of Bentley Thomas Sutton

Preparations

Preparations

Reading of the Scripture,  Luke 18:15-17  Thornton Westley

Luke 18:15-17
New International Version (NIV)

The Little Children and Jesus
15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

HYMN :    When Mothers of Salem

When mothers of Salem
their children brought to Jesus, 
The stern disciples drove them back
 and bade them to depart:
But Jesus saw them ere they fled
 and sweetly smiled and kindly said, 
"Suffer little children
to come unto Me.

"For I will receive them
 and fold them to My bosom:
I'll be a shepherd to these lambs, 
O drive them not away;
For if their hearts to Me they give, 
they shall with Me in glory live:
Suffer little children 
to come unto Me."

How kind was our Savior
to bid these children welcome! 
But there are many thousands
 who have never heard His Name; 
The Bible they have never read,
 they know not that the Savior said, 
"Suffer little children
to come unto Me."

The Baptismal service with Reverend Elke Mehnert officiating

Rev Elke Mehnert      (fragments and paraphrases from the webmasters' notes)


I recently was visited by a friend. I had previously given her directions to get to my place.  "At the flasher on the 202 turn left etc..." She finally got to my place but a lot later than expected. She had to stop to ask where I lived.  She said there was something wrong with the directions I gave her, something about the stop sign and there were no flasher.
Well,  the next time I went to Ormstown, I made sure to re-verify all the directions I had given her . When I got to the corner of the Sideroad and the 202, I realized there was no flasher!!!!!

When you know where you are going, there is no problem if a flasher is not there. But when you do not know where you are going , you need directions, we need the way.

Jesus is the way. We need to know what kind of way to go.

I have here my old book  "Shield of Faith" that I had to tape before coming here this morning.
Bentley will be given a book of children bible story by the community this morning.
They are stories that are directions, signs, posts of Jesus directions.
...........
According to Mark 
Mark 9:42

"let the young children come to me.... do not hinder them..

For those who hindered the children,  it was millstone around their neck and they were thrown in a deep well (  "the well" is a bit of paraphrasing from the speaker as the exact word in the scriptures is in "the sea").


Yes we do........ promises. 

• responsability
• serious
• Thanksgiving
• We are not yet perfect .

(The sacraments provide a picture of God’s promises to us)*

• Promise that God is waiting for us

-----------------------
Signs are things that can be seen, such as the water

(“outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace.” )*

sign of grace that God is in our life


(in the baptism waters, we gain a new identity as followers of Jesus Christ. As Jesus was declared God’s beloved Son at his baptism, so too at our baptism we are declared to be God’s beloved children.)*
------------
All authority


(It is also a seal, a mark of authority guaranteeing promises.)*




Matthew 28:18-20
New International Version (NIV)

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
---------
Gospel of Mark 


Mark 10:13-16
New International Version (NIV)

The Little Children and Jesus

13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.


We cannot take for granted that we can worship freely. We are families, that we can meet .... we do with gratefull hearts  thankfull to God.


During Baptism, some people dunk under the water. You are pushed backward. You have to trust that the minister will bring you back--- promise of trust------God


Sign of Grace


God calls Bentley to this inheritance of the Church to be baptized.


Jesus is the light of the world. All children are a gift... we are all children of God. 


God gives you to your parents.


*
http://www.presbyterian.org.nz/for-ministers/worship-resources/special-services/baptism-liturgy
http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/today/sacraments/

"ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN" WITH DEBBIE BAXTER

Sermon : Especially for children by Debbie Baxter

A gift from God
Did you know that in the Bible God said Children are a gift.
Do you think: that it is funny that you are a gift?

Well we are all God's Children first and God gives us to our parents.

Lets make up a little story about this gift.
Here we have a green circle, something like the earth. Now lets take God's gifts out of the box.
First your mom, then your dad they were God's gift to your grandparents. Now here is Hudson Sutton another gift. Here you are living on the earth with your parents Dan Sutton& Christine Caza.
Are there any other gifts in this box? Well look here is Bentley Sutton, a little smaller than Hudson.

Now God gave all you children on this earth ajob. Your job is to do what your parents tell you to do.
There are many things your parents tell you to do. Like in the morning your mom or dad may tell you to eat your breakfast, brush your teeth, and put on your coat if it is cold outside.

God also gave parents ajob to do, a very, very important job. Your parents job is to love you and to take care of you. That is why your parents tell you to do things, things to keep you healthy and stop you from getting hurt or hurting other children.

When all children do job God gave them to do all parents do the job God gave them to do, it makes God happy because it spreads God's love all around to world to many families just like yours.