Baptism

I will never forget that day. I had to wear a white t-shirt and shorts so that when I got wet, they wouldn't show through my robe and then I changed into the prettiest white dress. My whole family was there, sitting in the folding metal chairs, waiting and watching in excitement as Mr. Law talked about the importance of this Holy Sacrament and the extra piece that made this particular time a bit more special- he had included water from the River of Jordan (I did enjoy that a little bit more than the others I think). As I walked down the steps into the not quite warm (more on the side of freezing) water, I freaked out just a little bit, but Mr. Law was there to hold my hand and I had a sneaky suspicion he wasn't the only one. When it came time, I pinched my nose as he held the back of my head and my hands and slowly immersed me in the water. I had been baptized.

In the scripture (Matthew 3: 13-17), Jesus goes to find John the Baptist so that he (Jesus) might be baptized. John has baptized many people in the Jordan, but he insist that he should be the one being baptized by Jesus rather than the other way around. After a bit of persuasion on Jesus' behalf, John baptizes Jesus. As he came up from the water, the scripture says that God descended from heaven in the form a dove (the symbol of peace) and a voice from the heavens called out "This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

It is interesting to me that the book of Matthew has this event almost immediately proceeding the birth of Jesus Christ (with a few events in between). As I recall, there isn't a reference to Jesus' age (probably wrong though). The focus has been put on the act rather than the little details. Jesus isn't all high and mighty with an ego that puts him above the rest. He has gone to find the same man that everyone else is going to, so that HE (Jesus) might be baptized as well. It is my guess that he knows he is at least somewhat special by this point in his life (look at his comment in Matthew 3:15), but he still understands the importance of being baptized just like everyone else... kinda a huge part of his role as "God in the flesh" in my opinion.

As Christians, we believe that baptism is the word made visible and proof of God's grace and that we are the heirs of his grace. Through baptism we are reborn as children of God in his kingdom and are members of the Holy Catholic Church... one great big happy family with a pretty awesome dad :) Many churches celebrate the act of baptism differently. Growing up in the Disciples of Christ Church, we were baptized sometime around 3rd grade after going through a Pastor's class during which we learned all kinds of ins and outs of the Bible and Christianity. In other churches (I know Presbyterian for sure), people are baptized as infants. Then you can get into all of the different kinds (immersion, water on the forehead... sorry I drew a complete blank there, etc.). While I am a big fan of the way I did it, I don't think any one way is better than the other. The importance is not in the "how", but in the "why".

The "why" of baptism is different for everyone in my opinion. The reason that I prefer being baptized as a child rather than infant is because I was able to discover and understand my "why" better (that part comes through confirmation class for the Presbys who baptize as infants). For me, my "why" was very to the point (after all I was in elementary school and didn't think too deep on subjects that weren't friend related). I loved God and wanted to be his child through baptism (I knew I was already his child, but baptism took it to another level). What I find most interesting, is talking to people who are baptized as adults. The reasons are so vast, yet so similar, and typically they all revolve around a single answer- they want to be part of the body of Christ.

SO... rather than continuing to talk in circles about something that I am only now beginning to really study (and very informally at that), I just want y'all to think about your "why". Why were you baptized? Why weren't you baptized? Has it changed since then?

Just as Jesus did thousands of years ago, people are still being baptized every day. Jesus' "why" was more about bringing all of God's work together through this single act (Matthew 3:15 MSG). I think the overarching "why" of today's society is to be part of the body of Christ and to continue with fulfilling Jesus' "why", bringing together and acting on God's work over the centuries.

As I sit here and think about this, I think about the cross that my Grandparent's gave me for my baptism. It is a gorgeous cross that they got in Alaska, and in the very center there is a single stone. This stone is a gorgeous deep blue with some green swirling through it, almost resembling the earth. It is one of my favorite crosses because it is as if the earth is as the heart of the cross which signifies Jesus Christ. Thinking about his reason for baptism, to bring God's work together, I find it very appropriate that the "earth" (God's creation, including all of his work) is as the heart of my baptism cross, always reminding me of his love and the reason for this Holy sacrament of baptism.

Think about it :)