Nature Transformed: LAIRD
April 18, 2024
e-Eagle Archive 2021
April 19, 2024
The Baptismal Covenant: A Personal Approach | Zoom
Led by Joe O’Shileds & Rev. Linda Privitera
Beginning January 12 | 6:15 – 7:15 p.m.
Utilizing the Book of Common Prayer, this course will consider questions asked and responses given in the baptismal service. Using personal examples, we will consider how we live out our baptismal covenant in our daily lives.
JOIN ZOOM MEETING
Meeting ID: 878 2870 2431
Previous Classes
Class Outline:
Begin with prayer, scripture reading, an opening on-board type question (week 1 would be a general type question/story, and weeks 2-4 might be how did you reflect on or put into practice what we discussed last week), and follow with a discussion. The group leader should share a story that relates to the discussion scheduled for the class. Close with prayer for each other, probably in groups of two.
Class 1: Read the service of Holy Baptism (pp. 299-311, BCP)
Read the Q&A on Holy Baptism in the Outline of the Faith (pp 858-859, BCP).
Notes on how the service changed from the 1928 BCP to the 1979 BCP. What changes are being discussed in Prayer Book revision?
Share stories about your baptism/confirmation. (May be done in small breakout groups on Zoom or small in-person groups)
Class 2: Discuss the first two promises of the Baptismal Covenant.
What is “the apostles teaching and fellowship”
What is “the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
What is “evil” and “sin” and what does it mean to “repent and return to the Lord.”
Silence for 3-5 minutes to reflect on discussion.
Story time: Please talk about a time when you kept the promises in the Baptismal Covenant and how you were strengthened by that.
Class 3: Discuss the third and fourth promises of the Baptismal Covenant.
What is the “Good News” that we are to proclaim by word and example? How would you communicate the Good News to others? What barriers can you imagine that might make it hard to share the Good News?
How does one “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself”? Is this promise merely an aspirational goal or a promise we are actually supposed to live into? Perhaps we could brainstorm various ways that one could seek and serve Christ in all persons.
Silence for 3-5 minutes.
Story time: Share a story from your life that relates to the topic we’ve discussed tonight.
Class 4: Discuss the fifth promise of the Baptismal Covenant.
What does it look like for you to “strive for justice and peace among all people”? What does it mean for you to “respect the dignity of every human being?”
What meaning(s) does justice have in the Bible? What does justice mean to you? What one thing can you do strive for justice?
What meanings does peace have in the Bible? What does peace mean to you? What one thing can you do strive for peace among all people?
Who are “all people”? (every person alive now? all future people? All created beings?)
What might striving for justice and peace among all people look like for you? If you have a vision of what that might look like, what do you need to do to work toward that vision?
What does the promise to “respect the dignity of every human being” mean in the context of this fifth baptismal covenant promise?
Silence for 3-5 minutes.
Story time: Share a story from your life that relates to the topic we’ve discussed tonight.
