My mom's getting baptized, and I'm so excited for her. She called to tell me today, and I was likely more subdued on the phone than I am on the inside.
My mom is a confirmed Lutheran, but not all churches accept the sprinkle as a true baptism. As my parents now attend a Baptist church, baptism is essential for membership in the church. Some will totally oppose this "regulation." I can already hear the responses that the masses might have. But, if you want to be a member of a certain body, you are in effect saying you believe the same things, too.
In all the churches I've attended, baptism has been described as an outward sign of an inward process. Becoming a Christian is a personal thing. It's between you and God, but your journey should not end there. If it does, you will still have a spot in heaven, but you will miss the extraordinary blessings right here on earth. And another key is that you have to be able to understand this choice before you can make it. That's why some faiths do not believe in baptizing infants. We do believe in dedicating their lives to God, but the whole personal relationship is just that -- personal. That's another reason why you won't find a "baptism primer" in our churches. We roll the baptism tank out as many times as we need to, but we don't have yearly baptisms of the 8-year-olds. However, I digress a bit.
People were made for relationships. One big relationship in particular. Basically, baptism is telling your family, friends and church family that you are a believer and have a relationship with Jesus. It's a public profession of faith. It says, "Yeah, I believe. I'm not perfect, but Jesus was. And, hey, I'm probably gonna need some help on this journey."
I will never forget the night I was baptized. It was late September, and I was a freshmen in college. I had gone on a weekend retreat with some Christian friends because it really sounded like a fun opportunity. I hate alter calls because I think they can sometimes manufacture responses. But, I was standing there thinking about my life and my walk with God and halfway wondering how many times the song would play.
Suddenly, I had this nagging and quite overwhelming desire to take my relationship with God to a new level. But, I had a little problem. I was sort of angry at my father, and that might be stating it a bit mildly. I was not sure how in the world I would ever be able to have any relationship with my dad, let alone a loving one.
Hmm. Something I could not take care of on my own was never something pleasing for the control freak in me. OK, I found myself walking down the aisle, but without the tears. I'm just not that kind of girl. I had never been baptized, but I could not recall a time I had not believed in Jesus.
I just didn't know how to make him real to my life. It was a fairly cool night in Missouri, and I shivered as I slipped into the camp pool that was being used for the baptisms. I shared why I was standing there with the excited group of students and their advisers.
As I was brought back up, I felt the most amazing things. First of all, there was a physical response for me. I felt warm and like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. Actually, it was lifted. I felt it physically. It was like being wrapped up in a blanket fresh from the dryer. It was amazing. And then I felt really light and happy.
My dad was driving a truck over the road during this time, but he was home the next weekend I was home from college. That was a God thing. I hugged my dad for the first time in likely 15 years. Our relationship started right then and there. It wasn't always easy because we are both stubborn. But, now, I'm so proud to call him my dad and love him with all my heart.
1 comment:
I absolutely respect your belief in full immersion baptism as an adult, and your faith and walk with Christ has been inspiring to me. I just thought I would give you a diferent perspective. I believe that you are baptised as a symbol of the grace of God. That you don't need to "do" anything to be accepted by Christ or be a part of his family. You are baptised and accepted into that family because Jesus died for our sins and not because of anything we have done to deserve it. Baptism of infants is a full inclusion of children into the church and the body of Christ. Confirmation, prayer, testimony, and faith are all outward displays of the inner relationship one has with Christ.
However, I also believe that every faith has its own rhetoric and beliefs. The Bible is the authoritative voice in the church, but God made us all different. We were given gifts and personalities by God that fit better in one denomination than another. So there you have it...Heidi's Rants for the day!!!!!
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