First of all, last week in district conference and
reiterated yesterday during sacrament meeting, our District President
spoke about the importance of the Sacrament and how it really should be the
pinnacle of our week, theee most important 5-10 minutes (maybe longer if your
ward is bigger than our lil baby branch which is quite likely).
I tried to reflect on that this week and make some
changes.
WHAT is my attitude towards the Sacrament?
HOW am I showing the Lord on His day AS WELL AS throughout
the week, that partaking of the bread and water, renewing my covenants, repenting of my
sins and mistakes, recommitting my heart and life to Him, and reflecting on the
Atonement of Jesus Christ are more important to me than anything else that
might be going on in my life?
One can’t reflect on the importance of the Sacrament without
also turning to our baptismal covenants as that is the promise we are renewing.
Moroni 4-5
“That they may witness unto Thee, O God, the Eternal Father
that they are willing to take upon them the name of Thy Son, and always
remember Him, and keep His commandments that they may always have His Spirit to
be with them.”
Do I ALWAYS remember Him, like I promise to?
Am I taking His name upon me weekly? Daily? Hourly? What
does that look like?
Am I striving to keep ALL of His commandments, and trying to
improve each week?
Am I prioritizing the companionship of His Spirit?
Also, it was super rainy/windy/stormy/flash floody here
which has made the air soooo clear! Like breathing has never felt this good
people! Driving around, everything was sooo clear and we
could see Jericho, Jerusalem, and everything the light touches which is our
kingdom! Ustez Kirk says he’s never seen it that clear before. The words from
the primary song Baptism came to mind and seemed super appropriate considering
the circumstances aaand where we were heading.
I like to look [o’re valleys] ;)
Whenever there is rain
And ponder on the beauty
Of an earth made clean again
I know when I am baptized
My wrongs are washed away
And I can be forgiven
And improve myself each day
I want my life to be as clean
As earth right after rain
I want to be the best I can
And live with God again
Covenants bring clarity to our lives and renewing them can reset our perspective!
Jordan river happenings that I've been studying/chewing on:
the Israelite crossing, and the baptism of Christ
First, the Israelite crossing. Josh 3:14-17
Elder Bednar said about the event, “Recall how the
Israelites came to the river Jordan and were promised the waters would part,
and they would be able to cross over on dry ground. Interestingly, the waters
did not part as the children of Israel stood on the banks of the river waiting
for something to happen; rather, the soles of their feet were wet before the
water parted. The faith of the Israelites was manifested in the fact that they
walked into the water before it parted. They walked into the
river Jordan with a future-facing assurance of things hoped for” (“Seek Learning by Faith,” Ensign, Sept.
2007, 63)
Symbolic of Christ's Atonement activated in our lives as we
exercise our faith in Him aaaand that His sacrifice makes possible our passage to
our promised land.
Arc of the Covenant:
Kafara- (word for Atonement in Arabic) also word used for
covering of the arc, mercy seat, “the covering of our sins,” seat of God.
PRETTY STINKIN COOL
Second, the baptism of Christ Matt 3:13-17
(John baptizing beyond Jordan) in Bethabara بيت عبرة
"bait abara" in Arabic, or "the place of crossing." Not
sure if that's referring to John baptizing close to a crossing point which
would make it easier for his disciples desiring baptism to get to him and in
and out of the water, OR if the place was called Bethabara becaaaause of the
miraculous river parting/crossing that we just talked about.
I love this stuff!!
The site where Christ is traditionally believed to have been
baptized. Definitely a special spirit there, wish pictures could portray that
Lots of people getting baptized, Christian pilgrimage site
Aaaand, then we went to the Dead Sea and got to float around
and swim in some fun lil pools and just wow what a day!
Happy to have gotten in some sun today and some bible
appreciation feels. God is good and Jordan is the bomb!
