Watch Livestream In a busy world with many demands, VPC provides a space for spiritual refuge, inviting all to participate in the life-long process of learning and living in right relationship to God and growing our faith in Christ.
Let’s journey together to become more like Christ.
Baptism
- What is Baptism?
- Why is Baptism Important?
- What Does Baptism Mean?
- At What Age Do We Baptize?
- What is the Rite Baptism?
Baptism is the sacrament that unites us with Jesus Christ and makes us members of God’s family, the Church. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, baptism initiates us into the Church, bestows the promise of God’s grace upon us, assures us that God forgives our sins and calls us to a life of Christian service and fulfillment.
The visible sign in baptism is the sprinkling or pouring of water, which signifies our cleansing from sin, our regeneration, our being made new by the work of Christ.
Baptism represents our first step on the journey of faith, and it assures us of God’s presence as we travel through life. Through baptism, we become members of God’s family, joined with members of our congregation and with Christians everywhere. Jesus gave this command to the disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
Baptism is the Church’s proclamation and experience that we are who we are because God has first chosen us and loved us and called us into His kingdom. Baptism by water is a visible sign of God’s love toward His children, and it is represented in the covenant that is sealed among God, the parents of the child or the baptized adult and the worshipping congregation. Baptism is not something that we earn or ever deserve, but that we receive as a sign and seal of God’s eternal grace. Presbyterians do not believe that baptism is essential to salvation, nor do we believe that we are saved by baptism. We believe that the normal mode of entrance into the church is by baptism but recognize that not all genuine believers have been baptized.
Baptism is the sacrament that unites us with Jesus Christ and makes us members of God’s family, the Church. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, baptism initiates us into the Church, bestows the promise of God’s grace upon us, assures us that God forgives our sins and calls us to a life of Christian service and fulfillment.
Normally, the Sacrament of Baptism is administered in the presence of the congregation during a worship service. During the service, persons to be baptized come to the front and stand near the baptismal font with the pastor and an Elder. When a young child is baptized, the child’s parents (or guardian), also gather at the font. The pastor will introduce the sacrament and present questions to the person or parents, and the congregation promises to nurture the child/adult; then the pastor administers the Sacrament of Baptism.
Communion
The Lord’s Supper is the sign and seal of eating and drinking in communion with the crucified and risen Lord. In this act, we remember that during his earthly ministry, Jesus shared meals with his followers and sat at dinner tables as a sign of acceptance of the sinner and the outcast.
In the last meal before his death, Jesus took and shared with his disciples bread and wine, speaking of these elements as his body and blood, symbols of the new relationship with God brought about by his impending death. On the day of his resurrection, the risen Christ made himself known to his followers in the breaking of bread.
In the act of remembering, as we participate in the Lord’s Supper, we receive and trust the love of Christ present to us and to the world. Through it, we are renewed and empowered to be the church and the body of Christ in the world.
The invitation to the Lord’s Supper is not just for Presbyterians or “members of the church.” All who confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are invited to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Access to the Table is not a right conferred upon the worthy but a privilege given to the undeserving who come in faith, repentance, and love. Even one who doubts or whose trust is wavering may receive the bread and grape juice (in place of wine) in order to be assured of God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ.
VPC celebrates the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of every month at each of our worship services. We look forward to partaking in the Lord’s Supper with you.
Meditation
Christian meditation starts with detaching from the confusion around us in order to have a richer attachment to and dependence on Christ, developing a Christ identity. It allows for a precious space in time for a meeting between God, the Lover, and we, the beloved.
Scripture Meditation
Select a Scripture passage to meditate on in the coming week. Write it out on a card you can carry with you, and refer to it often, using spare moments throughout your day to reflect on it.
Releasing
Consecrate one day to seeking opportunities to practice “holy leisure” as a counterpoint to frantic or fragmented activity. In his book,Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster defines “holy leisure” as: “If we are constantly being swept off our feet with frantic activity, we will be unable to be attentive at the moment of inward silence. A mind that is harassed and fragmented by external affairs is hardly prepared for meditation. The church Fathers often spoke of Otium Sanctum, “holy leisure.” It refers to a sense of balance in the life, an ability to be at peace through the activities of the day, an ability to rest and take time to enjoy beauty, an ability to pace ourselves. With our tendency to define people in terms of what they produce, we would do well to cultivate “holy leisure” with a determination that is ruthless to our datebooks.”
Reflection
Identify a particular place that provides a setting of beauty, and spend 30 minutes to simply be silent and listen for what God may have to communicate to you. If you desire, take along a notebook and write down those things He is revealing to you.