March 9, 2025 God's Faithfulness| Celebration of the sacrament of Baptism | 1 Samuel 1:27-28; 1 Samuel 2:1-10

Today we are celebrating the baptism of Pax, the newest member of our church family.  We will reflect on 1 Samuel 1:27-28 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10, God’s Faithfulness. The birth of Samuel to Hannah and Elkanah came about after a long season of prayer to God. In Samuel’s birth, we see God’s faithfulness and presence, and how God can transform our grief into great joy. In Hannah’s prayer, she rejoices in God and his faithfulness, looking back to God’s long presence with his people and how he humbles the proud and exalts the humble. In Hannah’s humility, she offers Samuel to the Lord, recognizing that our children are a gift given to us, but they are God’s children first. We have a responsibility as a covenantal community to walk alongside the parents to help them raise Pax to know and love the Lord.