Lifeguards and Baptisms
This summer, our boys are doing the South Walton Junior Lifeguard program. I assume they hired David Hasselhoff to lead it, and that most of the training involves running in slow motion…but I don’t know. We’ll see.
To be part of the program, you first have to pass a swim test. On Saturday, tons of kids gathered at the beach and suddenly ran as one massive herd into the water. It was quite the spectacle, a cacophony of hopeful junior lifeguards sprinting toward the red buoy and back again.
I imagine they all signed up for different reasons.
Some want the fun.
Some want the exercise.
Some just need something to do this summer.
Some parents definitely want them to have something to do this summer.
But I also think some of them feel something deeper, a desire to help others, to protect people, to learn how to keep others safe and thriving.
And then the next day, we celebrated baptism and shared a bonfire together as a church family. It was a beautiful evening. We celebrated twelve people experiencing the grace of God through this ancient sacramental practice.
It was especially meaningful for Sarah and me because we baptized our two sons.
In the ancient church, those being baptized would journey to the water, remove their garments, enter the water, and come out of the water to be clothed in something new. It was a powerful picture: death to the old self and new life in Christ, laying down sin and shame and rising into the life Jesus offers.
Baptism doesn’t save us; Jesus does. Baptism is the outward expression of an inward grace already at work.
It’s a beautiful calling Jesus gave his disciples alongside making disciples of all nations. To be a disciple means learning from Jesus, apprenticing under him, embodying his way of life so that when people encounter us, they catch a glimpse of God’s love in how we live and love.
And baptism marks our entrance into that life.
At both the junior lifeguard test and the baptisms, I watched my sons (and many others) walk confidently into the water to become part of something bigger than themselves. To join a people with both identity and responsibility.
For lifeguards, the calling is to help save others.
In baptism, we celebrate the saving grace of God, and then join God’s restorative work in the world.
These moments reminded me of one of my favorite lines from 1 John: We know what love is because Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
Following Jesus is, in a way, learning to live like spiritual lifeguards, watching for the hurting, noticing the overlooked, moving toward those in danger rather than away from them, helping people experience life, hope, and restoration.
If we’re honest, Christians have sometimes prioritized comfort, preference, or self-interest and missed the calling to live beyond ourselves…to embody good news in everything we do and say.
That kind of life can feel scary. It runs against much of what we’ve been taught. Years ago, I sat in a church staff meeting where someone said, “The most important thing we do is look out for number one,” and then pointed to themselves.
I remember thinking… I’m not sure that’s how following Jesus works.
I hope we become people who charge toward the water, people who care for a hurting world, who lay down our lives so others might experience life and love.
Talk to almost any lifeguard after a long summer and they’ll tell you about hard days, difficult moments, and situations that broke their hearts. But they’ll also tell stories of joy, watching people experience the beauty of the water, moments of rescue, renewed wonder, lives changed, all shared in community. Somehow, those moments make the hard days worth it.
As Rich Villodas says, “The Christian life is learning to move toward others in love.”
Following Jesus should never disconnect us from people, especially the hurting, the overlooked, the marginalized, or those longing to know they are loved. Being a Christian often means running toward difficult places, complicated situations, and messy relationships, trusting that God meets us there.
Listen, I hate to tell you this…you may never be David Hasselhoff. You may never own red shorts or master the slow-motion run…
But you can become more like Jesus.
You can live a life of meaning and purpose, a sacrificial, generous life, becoming more like Jesus, not for ourselves, but for the glory of God and the good of others.
Summer has a way of slowing us down just enough to notice who needs care around us…neighbors, friends, strangers, and even our own souls.
So this summer, take your seat on the lifeguard stand. Sit in the presence of Jesus, our Savior, God, and King. Watch for those who need hope. Move toward them with love. Join in the redemptive and restorative work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The world doesn’t need more spectators of faith. It needs people willing to step into the water.
May this be a summer where love moves toward others, lives are renewed, and the Kingdom of God is made visible among us.
I hope you will join us this summer at The Chapel. A few things to note for this summer.
Tuesday Noon Prayer Hour. Nearly every Tuesday this summer, come to The Chapel between noon and 1 for a time of quiet prayer and reflection. Opening with a devotional reflective teaching, times of silence, prayer prompts, and live worship. It is a really simple and beautiful time to rest in Jesus. Come and go as you need. NO TUESDAY PRAYER ON MAY 19TH. We’ll be back on Tuesday, May 26th.
Summer Bible Studies. Our Bible Studies have wrapped for the year, but we are doing an all-church evening Bible Studies on Wednesday, June 10th and 17th at 5 p.m. at The Chapel. Then two more in July. You’ll get a live co-ed Bible teaching from me and Sarah. If you have ever listened to the podcast, it will be like a live version of our Study Notes Podcast. Our hope is that gathering at 5 will allow people to go to dinner with friends or enjoy sunset or some other way that people can continue to build community with one another at The Chapel.
Next-Gen/Youth. This Wednesday, May 20th will be Michael Pratt’s final Wednesday Youth here at The Chapel. Michael has been a huge blessing to us and this community. He and his wife Lindsey are a gift and we are going to miss them dearly. If you have a youth, I hope you will make sure they join the final youth with Michael on Wednesday 6-8 p.m. at The Chapel. Please register here so we know your youth will be joining. I also hope you will send a kind word of encouragement or blessing for the Pratt family in their new season. michael@thechapelatseaside.com
Worship. Join us this Sunday for worship, 8:30 a.m. or 10 a.m. at The Chapel. It will be a busy holiday weekend, so pro-tip, join us for the earlier service. There is a bit more room. If you are traveling or sick, worship with us online at our Facebook page or on our YouTube channel or listen to the sermon podcast wherever you stream. Just search up The Chapel at Seaside.
Parking. Parking is limited at The Chapel and it will be increasingly crowded as summer gets rolling, so we encourage you to park by the school on Smolian and use the linked parking passes. Here is a link to more of the parking passes for Sunday morning worship. Those are good for the morning worship service on Sunday until noon. You can also park in the county lot between Seaside and Watercolor. It is a lovely short walk from the paid lot to The Chapel.
Let us know if you need anything. See you Sunday.
Blessings.
Andrew