A letter to my granddaughter after her baptism

Elouise,
Last Sunday, April 28, 2024 in the Worship Center at Chain of Lakes people came from all over to celebrate your baptism. The place was packed. I had the privilege of dipping my hand into the water in the baptismal font and baptizing you in the name of the “Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” In your baptism we celebrated that grace was infused within you. No person or institution or group or even any action by you will ever take that grace away from you. You will always carry grace with you.

At the end of your baptism everyone raised your hand to share a blessing with you. That blessing will always be with you. This blessing wasn't just a one-time event. You'll always carry it with you. To me it was a glimpse of heaven. Your baptism was a glimpse of the Kingdom that we all desire here on earth

This picture of me putting on your forehead is one I'll always cherish.

I’m writing you this letter from me, your grandfather, on a rainy day in 2024. I hope it gets stuffed in your materials and perhaps on some rainy day in twenty or thirty years in the future you’ll pull it out and read it. Quite possibly I won’t be around when you read this letter, but no matter. These are my words to you. Use them as you see fit.

I got to preach the sermon on your baptism day. I started a sermon series called, “Women of Faith.”  I asked your mom what woman she wanted to be the focus on your baptism day. She selected the "women at the cross" with a focus on Mary Magdalene.

The faithfulness of the women at the cross is the type of faith I want to encourage you to develop. These women watched for six hours as Jesus died. They had traveled with Jesus as he walked through Galilee. I believe that many of them were with Jesus when they celebrated the Last Supper. I think of these women as disciples, followers of Jesus. Their male counterparts deserted Jesus when he was arrested by a crowd with swords and clubs. But these women stayed at a distance and watched what happened. I hope that you’ll develop the persistence of these women. 

You have many female role models in your family. Your mom, Hannah, and your grandmothers, Amy and Jodi, love you with a deep faithfulness. Your great grandmothers, Jackie, JoAnn, and Jan have beautiful stories of breaking the mold. Even your great-great-grandmother, Maxine was as competitive a person as you'll ever know. Learn their stories. 

Unfortunately, the events of life can often discourage us. You'll need the benefit of these stories when life doesn't go your way. When you read this letter you’ll probably have experienced your own trials. These trials can cause us to flee. I hope you’ll be like the women at the cross. They stayed steadfast in their devotion to someone they loved despite the trials that were happening.

I don’t know what life will be like a woman when you read this letter. But even as a man I know that women are too often treated as second class citizens right now. Women can’t even become pastors or lead Communion at many congregations today. I hope that will have changed in the next twenty to thirty years. When you read this I hope the barriers that women experience today will have been diminished. Perhaps you'll be part of this change. 

But however you are treated, I want to encourage you to use your gifts without fear. Use them as you see fit and as God sees fit. Find your Inspirational Intersection—the intersection between what God wants you to do and what you want to do—and don’t be concerned about how the world views you.

Simone Biles wrote that “It’s important to teach our female youth that it’s OK to say, ‘Yes, I am good at this,’ and you don’t hold back.”

Find your place—your Inspirational Intersection—and then claim it with passion.

You’ll need role models. So surround yourself with people who don’t tell you what to do, but will listen to your own dreams and will then encourage you to follow them.

Most likely as a woman people will want to stereotype you into a role that demeans you. This is why Mary Magdalene’s story is a good one for you to know. She was a leader. Almost every time she is listed in the gospels, she was listed first. People saw her as first-in-line.

But despite this, the male church has tried to turn her into a sexual object. You can do your own research on why this is, but she’s been called a prostitute, the wife of Jesus, and a person who loved Jesus in an intimate way. Unfortunately we can’t see her for who she was—a female leader. She was the first preacher of the gospel—Jesus trusted her to go forth and tell others that he was risen. He knew her gifts and was willing to empower her to use them to change the world.

Jesus was willing to let her use her voice. I’m confident that he will want you to use your voice in the unique way that you can.

So much will have happened in your life by the time you read this letter. Keep coming back to your gifts. They will give you confidence to address the world in our own unique way.

I’m so excited to see what will happen in your future. It’s been a privilege to be able to have you live with your Grandma Amy and me for the last six months. It is so meaningful to see your personality develop. Many people have already commented that you are so calm even when you’re surrounded by many people.

You are one-of-a-kind Elouise!