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222 ˜ A Work of Hospitality, 1982–2002
had Carson baptized in most any church in the city, but by having him baptized
here today, we are intentionally committing him, as well as ourselves, to the peculiar
ministry and disciplines of this community. We believe that there are
some things he and we can learn only here in the midst of this chaotic, broken,
and grace-filled family. And so we are joining our family with yours; and we are
entrusting him to you. We hope and trust that you will love him and play with
him and share your life with him as fully as you can. But we also have some
other things in mind. Specifically, we are trusting you to treat him not as a person
of privilege but as another brother and child of God. We hope that you will
teach him how to negotiate the streets of the city with compassion, and wisdom,
and faith. We want you to help us teach him to respect the dignity of all peoples,
including his own God-given dignity, and how to suffer for the sake of others
in the name of Jesus Christ. Please, teach him how to stand up and acknowledge
the God who is re-creating a fallen world. Teach him how to lend his
intelligence, his influence, his hands and voice and body to the mass of humanity
that has no hands and no influence. And teach him the arts of mercy and forgiveness
and how to hold on to hope in the midst of adversity and suffering.
And while we’re teaching him all these things, let’s not forget to learn from
him—about how to play, how to look at the world through new eyes, and how
to give forth perfect praise to God.
There is a death in our family today. But thanks be to God who raises us up
every day to live in Christ.
Lent: Forty Days of Detox (Mark 8:27–38),
by Chuck Campbell
M a r c h 2 0 0 1
“Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus’ words to Peter seem rather harsh and extreme.
Jesus here is not a nice, polite southerner. And he certainly wouldn’t receive
very good marks for the pastoral care he gives to this friend who feels anxious
about Jesus’ impending death. What is Jesus doing You just don’t go
around calling somebody “Satan,” especially a friend, a disciple, who has just
confessed you to be the Messiah. You just don’t call somebody “Satan,” particularly
someone who wants to save your life and to help you be a successful Messiah.
Jesus’ behavior seems rather bizarre.
In fact, the whole text seems bizarre. Entering this text is like entering a
house of mirrors, where all the shapes become distorted, and things are not what