Celebrating Baptism


Today I had the privilege of baptizing into Christ a young woman. This was my first baptism at Central Woodward Christian Church. It was an exciting moment -- her family and friends were joined by her church family in welcoming her into the fullness of the body of Christ.

Baptism is for most Christians one of the most holy and sacred events of the faith. Although our practices may differ, all across the Christian church, from Pentecostals to Greek Orthodox, we welcome people into the faith through Baptism. Some sprinkle water on infants, others baptize infants, and still others -- as is true of my denomination -- immerse candidates on profession of faith. Each tradition can argue the merits of their position -- and I've argued those of mine on many occasions over the past 30 plus years. Each tradition, as it considers the sacrament of baptism, has its own sensibilities and purposes, but for me believers baptism by immersion has a special sense and meaning.

I've been thinking about baptism lately, in part due to the fact that I was going to do a baptism at the church, and because I've been asked to write the new edition of a denominational pamphlet on baptism. When I think of baptism, my own experiences influence my thinking. I was born and raised Episcopalian, baptized as an infant, and later confirmed in the Episcopal Church. Later on, during high school, I had a conversion experience, and felt the need to be rebaptized -- which I did at a high school camp in a creek.

If you read through the New Testament you will find a number of passages that relate to baptism. All of them seem to speak of baptizing persons on profession of belief. Because the Greek word baptizo is most commonly translated to dip or immerse, the founders of my tradition thought that was sufficient evidence for the primacy of baptism by immersion. Ultimately, the debate rests on interpreting circumstantial evidence.

But what is baptism designed to accomplish?

We know that John the Baptist baptized people as a sign of forgiveness of sins. Jesus, whom Christians generally assume was without sin, however, was baptized -- identifying himself with us. On the day of Pentecost Peter answered those who asked him what they should do to be saved by telling them to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and they would then receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Paul speaks of baptism in metaphorical terms. In Romans 6 he writes of baptism:

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6:1-4).


I love this passage because it's so descriptive of what happens in baptism. In baptism we are buried with Christ, we share in his death, and in doing so we die to the old life, and as we're raised out of the waters, we rise to new life in Christ. The imagery is powerful (at least to this proponent of believers baptism upon profession of faith). The imagery fits well with the message of 2 Corinthians 5. which speaks of the new creation, with the old passing away and the new emerging. It fits as well with the intent of John 3, where Jesus is depicted telling Nicodemus that he must be born again.

Each of these images powerfully speaks to the new birth. How precious and how powerful it is to have the opportunity to begin life a new.

Baptism is for the Christian community the point at which one enters the body of Christ -- for those who practice infant baptism that act must be followed up with something like confirmation. It is the point at which the covenant relationship between believer and God is sealed.

Indeed, it is something to be celebrated.

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