The liturgical calendar quickly turns our attention from Jesus's natal moments to Jesus's ministry moments. Before many of us have stored our Christmas decorations, the church is celebrating Jesus's baptism. They grow up so fast!
Having grown up Southern Baptist and become a United Methodist as a young adult, baptism is one of those topics I had to wrestle with. I was baptized into the church as a child, but it was a personal decision to do so. I had to express to my parents and my pastor a knowledge of my sin and God's ability to forgive; a desire to repent and be transformed; and an understanding of my need for Jesus to be my Savior. I was dunked in the baptistery on Sunday morning the day before my 9th birthday. My children were all baptized well before their 1st birthday. Some would say the experiences were altogether different. And while I see the differences, I would venture to say they were more alike than they appear.
I believe when my children were baptized, God did a work in their life because of the faith that my husband and I demonstrated on that day. That is absolutely not to say that my children shouldn't or won't need to demonstrate their own faith one day. But just like the little child that Jesus healed from afar based only on the testimony of the grieving parent, I believe that God enacted a transaction that day because I asked him to in faith. What do I believe he did?
First, I believe God cleansed my children of their original sin. They will still be guilty of plenty of their own sins, but God removed some spiritual gunk out of the way!
Second, I believe God allowed them to enter the covenant. In the same way that babies are initiated into Jewish families by the ancient sign of the covenant of circumcision, so my children are initiated into our Christian family through this new sign of the covenant. They are God's children. They will one day need to affirm that name, but that decision will be made from a position of accepting the name they have been given, not finding a totally new identity.
Third, my children became a part of the Church universal. One day they will have to make a personal commitment to a local church and pledge membership based upon their desire to be a member of the Body of Christ. But today they are "awaiting" their membership vows from a position of belonging. They aren't outside waiting to be let it. They are inside being nurtured until they can fully join the embrace the of the whole church.
Fourth, they are being made heirs of the Kingdom. Initiation into the covenant and nurture from the Body is just the beginning! Their attention is being set on things above, not things below.
Finally, the process of regeneration is beginning within them. Every year, much like a birthday, we light their baptismal candle and tell them they are baptised. We retell the story of how much they cried or smiled or slept through their baptism. We retell who was there, what they said, what they wore. We retell the story until they can tell the story to each other. You know, my kids don't remember their births either. But nobody has to convince them they are alive. They know this by virtue of their senses. We validate their existence by celebrating their gifts, their personhood, and once a year the very day they were born! Same for baptism. Nobody has to convince my kids anymore that they are baptised, that they carry the name Christian. They each individually will work out with Jesus how they will carry that name forth. The church validates their baptism by celebrating their gifts, their personality, and one day their salvation! But as far as it depends on me, my kids will be raised to believe they belong to God just as surely as they belong to me.
Having grown up Southern Baptist and become a United Methodist as a young adult, baptism is one of those topics I had to wrestle with. I was baptized into the church as a child, but it was a personal decision to do so. I had to express to my parents and my pastor a knowledge of my sin and God's ability to forgive; a desire to repent and be transformed; and an understanding of my need for Jesus to be my Savior. I was dunked in the baptistery on Sunday morning the day before my 9th birthday. My children were all baptized well before their 1st birthday. Some would say the experiences were altogether different. And while I see the differences, I would venture to say they were more alike than they appear.
I believe when my children were baptized, God did a work in their life because of the faith that my husband and I demonstrated on that day. That is absolutely not to say that my children shouldn't or won't need to demonstrate their own faith one day. But just like the little child that Jesus healed from afar based only on the testimony of the grieving parent, I believe that God enacted a transaction that day because I asked him to in faith. What do I believe he did?
First, I believe God cleansed my children of their original sin. They will still be guilty of plenty of their own sins, but God removed some spiritual gunk out of the way!
Second, I believe God allowed them to enter the covenant. In the same way that babies are initiated into Jewish families by the ancient sign of the covenant of circumcision, so my children are initiated into our Christian family through this new sign of the covenant. They are God's children. They will one day need to affirm that name, but that decision will be made from a position of accepting the name they have been given, not finding a totally new identity.
Third, my children became a part of the Church universal. One day they will have to make a personal commitment to a local church and pledge membership based upon their desire to be a member of the Body of Christ. But today they are "awaiting" their membership vows from a position of belonging. They aren't outside waiting to be let it. They are inside being nurtured until they can fully join the embrace the of the whole church.
Fourth, they are being made heirs of the Kingdom. Initiation into the covenant and nurture from the Body is just the beginning! Their attention is being set on things above, not things below.
Finally, the process of regeneration is beginning within them. Every year, much like a birthday, we light their baptismal candle and tell them they are baptised. We retell the story of how much they cried or smiled or slept through their baptism. We retell who was there, what they said, what they wore. We retell the story until they can tell the story to each other. You know, my kids don't remember their births either. But nobody has to convince them they are alive. They know this by virtue of their senses. We validate their existence by celebrating their gifts, their personhood, and once a year the very day they were born! Same for baptism. Nobody has to convince my kids anymore that they are baptised, that they carry the name Christian. They each individually will work out with Jesus how they will carry that name forth. The church validates their baptism by celebrating their gifts, their personality, and one day their salvation! But as far as it depends on me, my kids will be raised to believe they belong to God just as surely as they belong to me.
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