FROM THE PASTOR

Drenched in Joy

My family was able to join us for Easter Sunday this year and after the service, Clyde and I hosted them for a meal at our house. My sister shared that as I entered the sanctuary in the procession, with a bowl of water and ‘water-flinger’ in my hand (also known as an aspergillum), she saw me begin to sprinkle the congregation with drops of water, however, someone near her was facing forward and did not see me approaching. After being splattered in the face with water, she turned with irritation in her eyes to see who had just drenched her, only to see me passing by with joy!

This is a perfect example of what mystagogy can lead to!

After Holy Week, I shared that I would be leading us through an exercise of mystagogy – of an ancient practice that can deepen our understanding and appreciation of the mysteries of our faith. It is more than a teaching tool; it’s a way to immerse ourselves in the sacred realities we’ve encountered in our recent liturgical celebrations.

One framework for mystagogy I stumbled across invites us:

1. “We recall an event or experience that was significant in some way or that caught our attention.
2. We share with others who had the same or similar experience, recalling what we saw, heard, tasted, smelled, touched, and how we felt about it.
3. We connect that experience to something larger in our lives, especially to our faith, asking ourselves, “Where do I find God in this experience?” and, “What might God be saying to me through this experience?”
4. We ask how Scripture and Church teaching can shed light on this experience.
5. We ask ourselves how we can be transformed as a result of this experience and of our reflection on it.”

So let see where this framework leads us!

1. We recalled the experience that caught our attention – being sprinkled with water during the opening hymn on Easter Sunday.
2. I spoke with another parishioner about their experience and here is some of the conversations we had:
   • • The sensation wakes you up! It’s startling – you even tense up – kind of like a sneeze. It catches you off-guard even when you know it’s coming. There is a reflex that just naturally happens.
     • It’s wet, it’s cold; it hits you and it moves down your face. There is a residual dampness, even when wipe it off.
     • Whenever I see it coming – I hope and pray to dodge it!
3. Where is God in this?
   • • This year, I saw the arc of the water coming down, like the arc of a rainbow, like the arc of the covenant.
     • It’s a reminder of God’s forgiveness, of sin being washed away, forgiveness raining down that I have no control over.
     • Why would I want to dodge that???
     • What are you supposed to do??? I feel like there should be a response to this great gift.
4. Scripture and Church Teaching
   • • The tradition of sprinkling is grounded in Psalm 51:7 – “Purge/purify/cleanse/sprinkle…”
     • Baptism is a gift given freely from God – you do nothing to choose or accept, you just receive it.
     • This is why it’s beautiful that our tradition opens the gifts of baptism for babies – though not exclusively – because it shows that is not from their effort or confession at all. It is solely from God’s grace.
     • At nearly every service, we begin with either Thanksgiving for Baptism or Confession and Forgiveness – both of which are intended to free you up for worship; opens your heart to receive how God is working in your life.
5. Response
   1. • That makes me giddy! It’s a joy freely given!
      • Joy isn’t necessarily what we expect when we come to worship, or maybe even look for it, but it is there for us!

This playful, unexpected drenching reminds us of life’s sudden joys and the refreshing nature of new beginnings. It reconnects us with the joy of our baptism, where water first marked us as God’s own in a splash of faith and community spirit.

God’s peace,
Pastor Kyle