A Reconciling Congregation
224 Forest Home Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850 + (607) 257-4329
Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m.
THE CHAPEL'S MISSION STATEMENT
Embracing God’s will for our community through education, compassion, and justice.
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.”
~ Micah 6:8 ~
Baptism of the Lord Sunday
January 19, 2020
Rebecca Dolch Gives the Sermon "Identity Markers"
Scripture References: Matthew 3:13-17 and Corinthians 1:10-18
On this Sunday, Reverend Dolch led in celebration of the Baptism of Jesus, the Sacrament of Baptism for two young parishioners, and the sermon that Martin Luther King gave after four little Sunday School girls died when white supremacists bombed their 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963.
Download the sermon here.
Baptism as an identity marker is different; it says: “I belong to the path of Christ. I claim my spiritual eternal self, even when I’m not feeling it or acting it.” It is an identity marker that is invisible and eternal.
Baptism stands for identifying with the One whom we aspire to become.
Baptism calls us to be courageously concerned about the welfare of the people in our country and world more than about our own status and money and politics and opinions. That is the spiritual path.
Baptism is about claiming the power of transformation — a sacred, mysterious energy which Jesus taught us through his life and death and resurrection. It is about standing for character and courage, to use the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words.
We are Baptized into the body of Christ as a gift, the gift of spiritual community, to help us navigate everything hard without being alone, or without guidance. Life in community teaches us meaning and purpose by giving us each other to serve and learn from. It gives us a job.
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. ~ His Legacy
Bearing the Cross
During Lent of 2018, Forest Home Chapel displayed 14 images from the ministry of Dr. King around the Sanctuary, in an installation called Bearing the Cross: Stations, Reflections and Prayers.
This booklet was available for those who wished to reflect quietly on Dr. King and those who struggled to overcome racism during this tumultous time in United States history. You may download a pdf of the booklet here, or you may request a printed copy here.
Images are from Associated Press and other sources. Quotes are from Dr. King.
Background text and prayers are by Chapel members and leaders.
In his Eulogy for the Martyred Children, Dr. King said this:
"…these girls have something to say to every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stained-glass windows.
They have something to say to every politician who has fed his constituents the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of racism....
they have something to say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution."
