Water

The pastor reached deep into pool of water gathered for this purpose. With great pomp and circumstance, he placed his wet hand upon my head. "Adam Michael Roberts," he said, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Or at least that's what they tell me. I don't remember any of it.

I was just a baby.

This Sunday, we'll do something that will look quite odd to those who don't know much about Christianity.

We'll take a little baby, dress him all in white, surround him with family, hold him over a bowl of water and dribble some droplets upon his head.

All of this will be done with a certain flourish, and with particular words, and several grown folks will wipe tears from their eyes.

The baby in question will be our new son Jack. Those tears will be mine, his mama's, his grandparents and great-grandmother's and aunts and uncles and cousins...you get the idea.

What in the world is that all about?

Good question.

Baptism is not easily understood, is it?

"Sure it is," I can hear some of you say..."the Bible says that we should do it, so we do it and it really doesn't matter if we understand it or not."

Point taken.

And yet, while obedience for obedience's sake is not necessarily a bad thing...what if there was just a little more? What if there was a lot more.

It seems to me that if God asks us to do something, there most likely is a reason.

The reason lies somewhere in the mystery of that baptismal moment. It lies somewhere in the mystery of those tears.

But, not all Christian traditions baptize babies. Here in the Deep South of the U.S., the culturally dominant denominations practice "believer's baptism," baptizing only those old enough to profess faith in Jesus for themselves.

For that reason, lots of SOTH'ers will see what happens Sunday as a "dedication," rather than a baptism. It's hard sometimes to understand how an unaware and non-verbal infant can really be "baptized" without the ability to say for himself, "I believe in Jesus."

Now, trust me, there's nothing that turns off someone who is curious about Jesus faster than two Christians arguing about who's "right." That's the last thing I want this conversation to be. Thank God for all the churches out there who are changing lives and doing God's work. Whether dedicated, baptized or otherwise,

But for the many folks at SOTH who grew up in different traditions, and the many more for whom SOTH is their first church family, what's happening at the baptismal font this Sunday morning (and every other time that we baptize a child) might need a little fleshing out.

I'll be the first to admit --- baptism should happen as a response to God's love. Somebody does need to say something --- the occasion just calls for it.

At Jack's first visit to his pediatrician, she spent several moments baby-talking him, asking him questions in the cute little voice we all tend to use when we talk to the newly born.

His brother Sam, age three, observed this one-sided "conversation" between the doctor and his baby brother. With an informative tone, he told the doctor, "He doesn't speak."

Three months later, that will still be the case this Sunday.

His family will speak for him. We will state our belief in Jesus Christ, and in the love of God that is available to us all. We'll affirm that none of us earn God's love, that grace is a free gift, and that we're placing his feet on that grace-filled path.

And that is good enough.

A "believer's baptism" is a powerful and wonderful thing. Few moments in worship have stirred my heart so much as those spent with adults, both young and old, who profess their faith for the first time and receive this outward sign of God's inner work of love.

But a baby's baptism is beautiful too --- the same grace, but with a different emphasis. Jack's baptism this Sunday will be the same for him as for any other person, and it is the baptism that he will carry throughout his life. In a way that defies my ability to explain it, the goosebumps and teary eyes are a sign and token of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

We celebrate the first half of the divine handshake...God's extension of his love and grace to us all. SOTH will accept its responsibility to lead and teach Jack and all of our children in such a way that they will one day grasp God's hand for themselves.

But that will be up to him, as surely as God leaves that decision up to each of us.

I'm thankful for those who have gone before me...who brought me to that moment of baptism. I may not remember it...but it has marked my life and given more strength than I can probably begin to know.

I'll see you this Sunday...
Adam

LIFE AT SOTH:

Thanks to everyone who came out to take part in some wonderful Easter Sunday services. We had a packed house for worship two times and the positive spirit and connection in our church was very powerful. It was exciting to welcome many visitors and we hope to see them all again.
As mentioned above, we'll be baptizing Jack Spitzer Roberts this Sunday at our 11 a.m. worship. Adam's dad, Mike Roberts, a clergy member of the Memphis Annual Conference will be on hand to preach and lead the baptism. Don't miss this exciting time of worship!

New Sunday School Opportunities!

New Adult classes forming this Sunday!
All classes, children to youth to adult -- 10:15 AM

Pastor's class: "Leading Your Child to Jesus" by Adam Roberts, sanctuary
New Class: "Prayer: Does It Make a Difference?" by Sue Goldsmith, conference room, Ranch
Seekers: Favorite Bible Verses, adult classroom, Ranch