Pastor's Message

July ~ August 2026

Dear People of God,

Some early pictures show me at the kitchen sink pouring water from one pot to another.  As a little kid I was fascinated by water.  I used to love to get my mom’s pots out of the cupboard and teeter on a chair by the kitchen sink.  I would turn on the tap and run cold water into a pot and then pour that pot of water into another pot.  Fascinating for a 3 or 4 year old boy!  In the bath tub my brother and I used to see how long we could hold our breath underwater.  If there was a lake or stream I pretty much had to go in it and at least get my feet wet.  My mom made sure I took swimming lessons as early as possible so I wouldn’t drown.  Swimming at a lake or pool were always highlights of the summer.  If the temperature approached a blistering 70 degrees in western Washington, that was warm enough to go to the lake.  When traveling long distance in the car on summer vacations, our parents knew the key to keeping us kids happy was a motel with a swimming pool in the late afternoon.

Nowadays, my brother Brian and I like to go kayaking on calm water in the summer.  We enjoy paddling along in the sunshine on a lake or placid river and seeing birds, big horn sheep, beavers, otters and fish.  If it’s warm enough, we usually go for a swim.  When I go hiking in our nearby mountains, frequently the destination is a lake.  A beautiful mountain lake is the perfect place to eat lunch and enjoy the scenery.  Then it’s time to filter water from a nearby stream and fill up the water bottles for the return trek.

We humans are naturally drawn to water, since it is so essential for life.  Basically, wherever there is water, there is life.  Water restrictions are already in place for some farmers in our valley, since we did not have a good enough snow pack this winter to fill up all the reservoirs.  Pray for some timely rains this summer for the farmers and to reduce wild fires.  And pray that all the people on earth have access to clean drinking water.  Think how many diseases would be greatly reduced if everyone had clean water!

You can probably guess where I’m headed with all this water talk.  Yep, it’s baptism.  As children of God we are baptized with water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Through water and the Word we are named and claimed as beloved children of God.  That’s a gift: pure grace.  We don’t have to do anything to earn that.  We just receive it and grow in it our whole lives.

We need be baptized only once in our earthly lives, but we can live daily in the covenant of our baptism.  Whenever you see water this summer, remember your baptism.  Even if it’s just moving sprinklers and watering flowers or garden (I do a lot of that in the summer), remember your Christian baptism.  Rest securely in the love of Jesus, knowing that you are claimed and treasured by God in your baptism.

Peace in Jesus,

            ~ Pastor Dennis