Hoorah! Disciple.

This morning I'm giving a big shout for joy, glad about a few things. For one thing, yesterday one of my students decided to become a disciple of Jesus. He took the rite of baptism yesterday evening in the presence of the church, gave a confession of faith in Christ, and a pledge of obedience. I was pretty pumped about it, after a long, long day. Thanks be to God!

The second matter for hoorahs is the birth of my partners' child. Ryan and Sarah, my coworkers among the youth at Pleasant Valley, gavebith to a baby boy late yesterday evening, after a long day of labor (over 20 hours seems long to me, at least). The moment wehn Karen, the doula (sp?) came out and said, "He's here!" was filled with such a unique joy, and it was great to eb a part of that. The grandparents who had come over from Oklahoma to pace the waiting room for that long wait were so relieved, and the joy...the joy was tangible. So thanks to God again!

A new life. What an unbelievable, mindblowing concept. A new person, full of the ambiguities, complexities, certaintites, hopes, fears and dreams that live inside me. It's amazing that human life, our life, exists in the form it does, with all that goes on inside of us, and among and between us. Here you ahve a new kid, who can't verbally communicate at all yet, one who sees daylight and other people for the first time. A person, catching the first glimpses of the life we share.

Yesterday also made me think of what Paul says in Romans 8 about the whole creation being in the pains of childbirth up until three present. He uses this analogy, saying that the world is waiting for it's redemption, and is fighting like a woman trying to give birth to a baby. As the time of labor stretched on yesterday, it brought my mind the labor of the world, of the whole creation. The whole world is struggling, fightin, pushing, in the hope of redemption. Exhausting.