Lenten Blog – Day 20 – Baptismal Covenant, Part 6

Celebrant	Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
People	I will, with God's help.

I heard a story once that when the Book of Common Prayer was being put together by priests and experts and whoever worked on it, at some point there is a prayer where the response was “if I fall into sin” and someone said:  “That should be WHEN not IF.”  And the change was implemented.

What I like about this part of the Baptismal Covenant is that it assumes our humanity, our failings and our struggles.  It doesn’t give us a “pass” as some might think – it just looks at our human nature and our honesty as human beings.

I’m going to resist evil.

You’re going to resist evil.

I’m going to sin.

You’re going to sin.

I’m going to repent and return to the Lord.

You’re going to repent and return to the Lord.

Rinse and Repeat.

And we’ve got back-up to help us in this process.

I’m reminded every day of my humanness.  My failure to act on the simplest of things.  My quick response of reason or excuse as to why I can’t help that homeless person over there.  Or why I feel it is okay to say this or do that.

I know I’m human.

My friend Cecille who is a Seventh Day Adventist told me that part of her faith is to strive and be perfect as Christ was perfect.  A. I think if you asked Christ if he was perfect, he’d laugh in your face and B.  HOW do you possibly get to that standard?  Aren’t you setting the bar just a little too high?

And if you’re seeking to be as perfect as Christ what are you doing to challenge authority?  What are you doing to help the poor?  What are you doing to help the marginalized, the hurt, the suffering?  What are you doing that is Christ like in your everyday life?

If you’re like me you’re sitting on the sideline most of the time watching for others to do that which I should do.  To get out of my own comfort zone, get out of bed, move into the unknown where actual change can take place.  Not only for the person to whom I am attempting to help, but myself, too.

Life is a journey.  Not a destination.  Easter is not just a day like “Christmas” or “Arbor.”  Easter is the culmination of weeks, months, of hopefully reflection and self-awareness.

We’re halfway through this Lenten blog fest.

Maybe it’s time for me to man up, stand up and do something and if WHEN I fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord.