A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to go spend two days with a small group of new Presbyterian pastors from around the west coast at a Company of New Pastor's retreat. We gathered in Malibu at a retreat center and spent two days getting to know each other, offering feedback to people as we shared what was happening in our lives/ministries these days, and just relaxing a bit. It was a great gathering in spite of all the rain we got that week!
The rain was a bit appropriate, however, as our theme for the week was reflecting on baptism--our own, participating in others, the role baptism has played in our discipleship process, how we remind people of it in our churches, how being a baptized believer can and probably should change our lives, the theology of baptism etc. Those who know me well will know this is one of the theological topics closest to my heart, and has been for a long time. I'm not entirely sure why this is, but from the time I was little I have always been fascinated by baptisms. I loved watching babies be baptized in our home congregation growing up, and even though I didn't always understand what was being said, I knew something special was happening. That feeling has continued into my adult years, and when I show up and see a baptism set up I immediately know it's going to be a worship service that God will mysteriously appear in.
I know there are many different understandings of the sacrament of baptism, and I know many reading this blog don't agree with the way I understand it, and that's perfectly fine. One of the places I have had to come to over the years is to be able to say, "here's what I believe, here's why I believe this is the theology that makes the most sense to me, and here's what we will choose to do for our children/family someday, but honestly, we'll never know for sure." Many churches practice "believer's baptism," or baptizing people or children old enough to "choose God," which is the theology that places more emphasis on our ability to choose to follow God, and these moments in a worship service are amazing. To hear a person stand up and confess with their mouths why they are coming forward to become a part of the family of God is certainly a moment where we stand upon Holy Ground. Many churches (in fact, the entire Christian church historically, back to the 2nd century) has practiced infant baptism, placing the focus and emphasis on God's desire to draw us into a covenant relationship with him before we are able to do anything to "earn" God's grace and favor. Both views of baptism have scriptural 'defense,' both are historically accepted by the church, and both emphasize different but very important views of God and his action among us.
One of the reasons many advocate for not baptizing a child as an infant is that "they won't remember this important day, I want my child to remember this moment." That's valid. And one of the things we talked about quite a bit on our retreat. How do we help people remember that their baptism matters in their life of faith, even if it was years ago, even if they don't have a cognitive memory of it? It shouldn't just be a one-time thing that never is talked about again. It wasn't designed to just be a rite of passage or a formality that everyone "had" to do. No! It is our initiation point into the family of believers, into a community that God has made a covenant with--to be faithful to us, to protect us, to comfort us, to
love us! We talked about how to bring it back to a more central place in our worship services, not just on days someone is actually being baptized, but every week. We threw out all kinds of ideas that are Book of Order approved but just rarely get put into practice. For instance, during the time of confession, announce that we are forgiven while pouring water into the baptismal font--so people see and hear the sound of the water that has washed their sins away. This is one of the reasons Catholic churches have holy water in the entrance to the sanctuary that people can touch--it's a tactile reminder of their baptism, of the fact that they have forgiveness of sins. Martin Luther once wrote that every time a person touches water--in the bath, in the kitchen, while walking in the rain, she ought to remember that is it this same water that has washed her clean, it's this water that, when combined with the Word of God, has changed her. Somehow though, most of Western Christianity has moved away from this. We don't walk around remembering we've been marked as a believer by water, we don't reflect on what happened in our baptism when we wash the dishes or clean our children. We forget. And because of that I think we walk around often burdened under the weight of our sin, we don't remember it's been taken from us! We don't remember we belong to the God of the universe, who
chose to be in a relationship with
us! We forget we are the adopted sons and daughters of the Risen King! What would happen if we chose to remember these things throughout the day as we washed our hands several times, as we did the dishes, as we ran through the rain to our cars? Would that change how we walk through our days? I think it might.
Friends, may you go forth into this day with the confidence that you can live as one created, redeemed, cleansed, and adored by the Father in heaven who has called you to be His own.
A prayer of confession with baptismal themes:
Eternal God, our judge and redeemer, you delivered us through water, but we long to return to Egypt.
Your Word calms the storm, but we timidly cower in fear.
Your justice would flow down like rivers, but we obstruct its flow.
You bid us bathe and be healed, but we limp and struggle in pain.
Have mercy on us, and cleanse us, Lord God. Deliver us and grace us with joy, that we may die daily to sin and rise daily to new life in Jesus' resurrection. Grant us the gift of your grace that we might always give glory to your name, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
