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To listen to an audio version of this post, visit www.covenantchurch.ca/podcasts/covenant-weekly.

Good morning, Covenant family. This past Sunday was Easter Sunday. And it was a strange one for me. For the first time that I remember in my life I wasn’t with my home church on Easter Sunday. And for the first time in my adult life, I wasn’t involved in helping lead on Easter Sunday. I’m grateful to all those who led Covenant Church’s Easter celebration. And I’m grateful to Covenant’s board for releasing me to participate in celebrating the baptism of someone who is a really special and integral part of our family. And there is something inherent in baptism that I want to highlight in this Covenant Weekly. It is seen in John 20 and how this gospel tells the story of Jesus’ resurrection. This is the Covenant Weekly for April 7, 2026 - Resurrection Edition.

As John tells the story of the resurrection, he begins with Mary Magdalene coming to the tomb and finding the stone rolled away. She concluded that someone had stolen Jesus’ body and came running to tell the disciples. In a fun way of telling the story, Peter and “the other disciple” ran to the tomb…and “the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.” This seems to be John taking another teasing poke at Peter.

But John, “the other disciple,” just peeked inside the tomb. Peter bolted right into the tomb. There they saw all the graveclothes that had encompassed Jesus still laying there. They had no idea what had happened and returned to where they came from.

Mary, distraught, stayed outside the tomb and John tells us she saw two angels who asked her why she was crying. Then, another person approached her and asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” John, not one to build suspense, has already told us that this is Jesus, but Mary didn’t recognize him yet. She began to respond, thinking this was the gardener, and pleaded with him to tell her where Jesus’ body was. Then, in simplicity that is typical of John, we read, “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’”

What I love about this story is that Jesus’ resurrection and his connection with his disciples, starting with Mary, is deeply personal. Yes, it is communal. Jesus came building a called out community, a family. But that doesn’t negate the personal. And Mary was the first to really hear it and understand it.

We sing a song that says, “He knows my name.” But do we believe it?

In all the chaos of the world, does God care about you? Is God concerned with me? And if so, is it really in a deeply personal way or is it just in a general “God loves the world”...“God loves all people” kind of way?

Jesus’ interaction with Mary gives us a glimpse of God’s heart. Yes, God loves people. And God loves persons - individuals. You. Me.

What does this have to do with baptism? Baptism is a personal thing. It isn’t exclusively individual - it involves the community, the family of God. But that doesn’t override the personal nature of it. Baptism, in our anabaptist tradition, is the personal public expression of one’s own connection with God through Jesus. 

To draw on John’s telling of the resurrection, baptism in our way of saying, “I’ve heard Jesus call my name and I have responded! I’m personally one of the family now!” And the rest of the family, as witnesses, get to celebrate it.

As you read this, I hope and pray you can hear Jesus calling your name. If you’ve never publicly acknowledged the personal nature of his call to you, alongside your personal response, I invite you to consider it. Baptism, more than just a ritual or tradition, is an opportunity to do just that. To publicly say and show that God’s personal love has come to you and you have received it.

And, if you’ve heard it before and responded, I pray you hear it again and remember the personal nature of God’s love for you.

But I especially pray that you will hear Jesus calling your name if you’ve never heard it before. God’s love is big enough to encompass the world. And specific enough to know and call you by name. He loves you.