What Is Baptism?
Do you remember anything about your baptism?
If you’re like me – that is, if you were baptized as a baby – the answer is probably “no.”
A second question: do you remember any stories about your baptism that your parents or others present have told you over the years. The two details of the day that I was told about were 1) that my baptism fell on Palm Sunday (1965 – yikes!) and 2) that my grandfather, a Lutheran pastor and missionary, performed the baptism.
I ask and tell all of this in response to one of the keen and vexing contradictions of our present life together in the church, a contradiction made up of two equally true elements. First truth: We confess that baptism is the pivotal event in the life of a Christian. Second truth: Most of us have no memory of our baptism, no clear idea of what it means or why it’s important, and no active sense of how it might shape our daily lives. In fact, I’d be willing to go so far as to say that most of us almost never think about baptism with the exception, perhaps, of when we see a baptism at church or one of our family members or close friends is having a child baptized.
So where do we go from here?
Let me suggest two ways forward. First, I want to share just a little bit of why I think baptism is so important. Second, I want to share a couple of the questions I have about baptism and ask you to share yours. Later this month and next I’ll be working on a fourth volume in the Making Sense series of books I’ve been writing, due to come out this summer. So far I’ve written on Scripture
So a couple of things about Baptism right up front:
1) Baptism is first and foremost God’s activity. Ever wonder why mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox Christians all baptize infants whereas Evangelical and fundamentalist Christians baptize adults? Here’s the reason. While both traditions confess that Baptism is a gift from God, most Christians, following the earliest practices of the church, place the dominant emphasis on God’s unconditional promise to accept us as we are, adopt us into God’s family, and forgive us all of our sin. There can be no greater symbol of that than bringing babies to the font, babies who have not particularly done anything for or against God (actually, most haven’t done anything at all except eat, sleep, gurgle, and you know what :)). Utterly passive in the face of God’s grace, infants remind us that all we can really do is receive God’s love with gratitude and try to live as the persons we’ve been called. Evangelical and fundamentalist Christians, on the other hand, focus more on our response to God’s grace. God’s grace, in this case, is like a blank check that still needs us to sign and cash it, hence their emphasis on “believer Baptism,” Baptism where the candidate is old enough to choose to be baptized.
2) Baptism is primarily about identity. Notice that in the various gospel accounts of Jesus’ Baptism, a voice from heaven invariably announces to Jesus, “You are my beloved son and with you I am well pleased.” So also in our Baptism, God conveys to us our identity as God’s beloved children, children and people so precious to God that God would go to any length to communicate to us that love, even to the point of dying on the cross. Which is why Baptism is so important, as in an age where figuring out “who you are” has never been more complex, Baptism suggests that we best understand “who” we are by paying attention to “whose” we are – God’s beloved children. Baptism reminds us that we have infinite value and worth, that God wants only good things for us, that God will always seek to draw us back into relationship with God and each other and forgive us when we stray, and that God will be with us all the days of our lives.
Now, some questions that, while I may have hunches about, I still puzzle over.
1) What does Baptism have to do with sin? This is a question that actually vexed the early church, particularly in relation to Jesus’ Baptism. John’s baptism is routinely described as one of “repentance for the forgiveness of sin.” But if Jesus is sinless – a primary confession of the church – why would he need it? In later centuries, the church suggested that Jesus didn’t need to be baptized for the sake of sin but did so anyway so as to identify with us. Indeed, as the centuries wore on, Baptism came to be associated more and more with the forgiveness of “original sin” – the idea that we are born in a state of sin inherited from Adam and Eve and therefore initially and immediately out of favor with God. But I wonder if this is the best way to address this question. Indeed, I wonder if the issue of “identity” isn’t just one of the primary elements of Baptism but the primary element of Baptism. Part of that identity is that because God loves us God promises always to forgive us. But is Baptism’s chief function really to remedy our “inherited sin”? I don’t know, but it seems like that would help explain why we don’t think much about it, as Baptism is then something that took place once, a long time ago, and there’s not much reason to focus on it anymore. If Baptism is more about identity – including our ongoing need to be restored to relationship with God – then it seems like something that could matter to us every day.
2) Does Baptism “make” us part of God’s family or does it “announce” to us that God includes us in God’s family? I think how you answer this one greatly shapes your sense of why we baptize in the first place. If it’s the former – Baptism makes us part of God’s family – then Baptism becomes a requirement of life with God now and in the life to come. At its best, this greatly stresses Baptism’s importance, but at it’s worst, it devolves into a “ticket to heaven” mentality where parents want their children “done” just to be on the safe side. If, on the other hand, it’s the latter – Baptism announces God’s inclusion of us into God’s family – then perhaps we can feel some urgency to keep reminding ourselves and each other of that tremendous gift and be willing to imagine how God might also reach out to those who have never been baptized. But does this risk the particularity and uniqueness of Baptism?
Well, those are two of my honest questions about Baptism, and I’d love to hear yours. So if you’d be willing to share some of your questions in the comments, we can perhaps kindle some discussion here and, trust me, help me write a better book! Thanks so much!
I like the distinction you make in your #2 question. For a long time, I have subscribed to the idea that the question baptism answers is not whether God loves us, but is instead whether we know that God loves us. I think this would fall more along the “announce” line of thought. You identified the downside of this understanding: then why baptize at all? For example, why can’t we all simply be told that God loves us? Plus, even if I taught that baptism was unnecessary, I suspect that parents and people everywhere would nevertheless want their kids to be baptized. This might be because they believe moreso in the “make” understanding of baptism, that they need to get their kids “done” to be safe. However, another possibilty is that they want the baptism for themselves and their kids because the ritual itself makes a difference for them. So, here is my question: What kind of difference does the baptism ritual itself make? What actually happens that makes a difference to us when we combine the water and the word in this ritual Jesus prescribed?
Great questions, Jim. I think back to Luther’s explanation of the importance of the word – the reminder or announcement we’ve been talking about – and the physical sign. I think there is something powerful about ritual, about a concrete physical sign that concrete, physical people like us can relate to. The second element of the sacraments – in addition to being tangible signs for tangible people – is the reminder that God works through means. That God always comes to us in ways that are accessible to us. Thanks for the comment!
Jim,
I too like the idea that our Baptism is an announcement of God’s love. This should have a profound affect on our lives, especially if we remember our baptism every day. When we remember whose we are, we are reminded that we do what we do because we are God’s children – not becuase we are trying to be worthy of being God’s child.
In addition, I am reminded that baptism is done within the community. Promises are made on the part of the parents to teach the child the Christian faith. But one thing we often forget is that those of us in the congregation also make promises to welcome the child and be a part of that child’s spiritual journey. Hillary Clinton rightfully claimed that it takes a village to raise a child… as the child receives the gift of baptism, it also receives the gift of a village who models faithfulness and love.
One question that I do have surrounds the role of the Holy Spirit in baptism. How does baptism bestow the Spirit on the child – or does it really?
Thank you DL for this wonderful and thought provoking post about baptism.
Jim, I’m not sure I have an answer as intelligibly as would be helpful for you, but I wonder about the parallel between the baptism ritual and the marriage ritual. My husband and I loved each other before we were married, as we do now after marriage, but there was something amazing and special about taking intentional time to recognize the blessing God has given us, asking for continued blessing and care as we travel a path that is not always easy for any couple, and celebrating that moment with our family, friends, and the people of God, all of whom also promised to support us in this commitment to one another. It’s not a perfect analogy, because marriage is also a publicly accountable commitment that can only be made by adults. That said, many of my non-Christian friends have either foregone marriage or delayed it until after several years of cohabitation. The marriage rite makes marriage different because of the intentional way that God’s presence is acknowledged and welcomed. Following that line of thought, then, the baptismal rite is a public shift in identity that also acknowledges, welcomes, and thanks God for God’s choice to make us adopted children.
Regarding “What is Baptism): I know a mother & father raised in a Catholic family who stopped going to church when their first child was born because they just did not believe that she was “sinful”. None of their children or grandchildren have been baptized nor have they ever gone back to church. Do Catholics emphasize this more than Lutherans?
I (a Lutheran) persoally feel you’re “right on” to talking about Baptism identity as a beautiful way of God’s reaching down to us in Love every day and our remembering His Forgiveness of us on the Cross as the day we all became a Christian.
But I do think Baptism is important and we do need to do it because even Jesus “did” it. As a SS & Confirmation teacher, mother, grandmother, godmother, and pastor, I’m always reminding everyone how they are “God’s child” and sealed with the Cross of Christ forever. But I do think most adults think of it as something that happened once a long time ago and really don’t relate to it much.
I think there’s a real need to emphasize more where our Christian “identy” comes from.
Similarly, I had a relatively who would not allow “Amazing Grace” to be sung at his son’s baptism (even though it was his wife’s favorite hymn), saying “My son’s no wretch.” I think we need to think about what we mean by “sin” and “sinful.” These are important and, I think, truth-telling words, but have been used at times not to point out the need for grace but instead shame people. Probably worth another post!
David, I don’t believe your Grandfather “performed” your baptism on that Palm Sunday – the year I graduated from High School!! He celebrated your baptism, but the Holy Spirit “performed” it!
Great point, Frank. I was uncomfortable with the word even while writing that sentence but couldn’t come up with another. “Officiated” sounded, too, well officious. 🙂 Thanks for suggesting “celebrated.”
Although, when the officiant or presider is labelled as “celebrant, that in truth, all the people/community gathered are “celebrating”, and thus celebrants.
I’m so glad you offered your personal questions on baptism since they’ve both (especially the making versus announcing) has been on my mind recently. I’m also curious about the themes of death that are a part of the baptism ritual. At one time I thought I had heard that there is actually something to the “going under” water and rising again. Something symbolic to dying and I’m wondering if other traditions or cultures focus more on this than the Christian faith does.
Fantastic reminder, Katie, of a part of Baptism that I didn’t take up at all: in what way do we “die” in Baptism or, in as the Bible says, “are joined to Christ’s death” in baptism. And how is this not simply somber or serious but grants a freedom from the cares or worries of the world, conveying the promise of new life. Definitely worth more thought! Thanks!
As a Christian raised in a conversionist tradition, baptized by immersion at 18, beginning pastoral ministry baptizing youth and adults by immersing them while proclaiming, “Buried with Christ in baptism. Raised to walk in newness of life”, I can tell you (and Siri) that something happens in this experience, that does not happen in infant baptism. From this perspective, the problem for me is that confirmation does not carry this same punch. It should be a vision quest (maybe literally, like Jesus) to discover what ones baptism means, to own it, and to begin the awareness of and process of dying to self.
Here’s what I want to see addressed in your book, David:
Baptism theology has always frustrated me.
I believe that God loves us as we are and for who we are simply because we are human beings and it is God’s very nature to love. I believe that God welcomes us all into God’s communion in life and in life beyond death, no matter our religious affiliation.
We can assign nice and interesting theological meanings to the ritual of baptism. And if we believe them, or if that helps us in our life with God and others, then that is fine. People say a lot of beautiful things about baptism, but most of what is said strikes me as odd. Is is really baptism that gives us our identity or causes God to forgive our sins or makes us a member of the body of Christ?
My questions are more basic. Does anything ACTUALLY HAPPEN to or within a person because they are baptized? Does God REALLY DO anything in and through baptism that God isn’t already and always doing anyway? Does baptism REALLY AFFECT A CHANGE within a person and/or their relationship with God? For REAL. If I answer these questions based on my own experiences as someone who was baptized Lutheran as an infant and as a pastor who performs infant baptisms, I would say no. I haven’t seen or felt anything really unique or special happen to a person because they were baptized that couldn’t have happened otherwise.
I guess you could say I am a baptism skeptic. That is why, even though I am a Lutheran pastor, I haven’t had my own daughter baptized. If she wants to do it at some point, that is fine. I am not against baptism and I don’t think it is a bad thing to do. I would like her to have an experience that she remembered and felt was a real and special encounter with God.
In your book, if you told real stories of God actually doing something or changing someone through baptism that God could not have done any other way, then I might be open to changing my mind:) Good luck!
I really appreciate the candor of your response and questions, Siri.
Let me try a few things out – emphasis on “try.” 🙂
I get what I’d call a “metaphysical skepticism” – that is, wondering if anything actually happens or changes or is affected by, in, or through Baptism. And I agree that God loves all of us all the time. I guess I’m wondering about your emphasis on remembering it, or understanding it, or having it be meaningful. On the one hand, I think I get what you mean in that because it happened so long ago that it might not mean much – whether to you or countless others who are baptized and never think of it again. I think that’s part of the appeal, as Gary mentions, of adult or believer baptism. You are an active, choosing, willing participant.
At the same time, I think there’s something about not waiting until someone understands or can choose or participate actively that’s powerful, too. It demonstrates that God didn’t wait, that God not only loved us in general but wants us to know about it, that God actually wants us to grow up surrounded by this profession of love way before we can understand or even attempt to understand it. Could we just tell each other that and hold off on baptism. Perhaps. But there’s something about the sheer physicality of drenching a child in the waters of baptism that makes it three-dimensional. There are lots of rituals, I suspect, that we do with our children that they don’t understand and won’t remember but we do them to establish a foundation with them. First birthday parties (or second or third for that matter); celebrations over first steps, first words, first successful potty training :); huge bear hugs and more. Why wait?
Now, I know that one of the differences is that Baptism, unlike b-day parties and other tangible celebrations, is once-and-done rather than repeated annually (well, hopefully the potty-training celebration isn’t repeated annually). But maybe that’s more of a problem with the way we remember Baptism than baptism. What if we made a bigger deal of anniversaries of baptisms, or regularly washed and remembered Baptism, or lit candles at special times in our child’s life and drew them back to the promise God makes to us at baptism.
Again, I understand the dilemma – wanting Baptism to be more memorable or meaningful or something we participate in. But if we were longing to adopt a child and that child was available to us to love even as an infant, would we wait until they were old enough to understand. I mean, we could foster the child, tell her over and over how much we love her, and then when she’s old enough to consent and remember it all better then have the formal adoption ceremony. But I’m guessing we’d want too badly to include her into our family as fully and completely as soon as possible rather than hold off. We
Anyway, I love the conversation and appreciate the chance to think some things through a little more. (And you can bet elements of this will end up in the book! 🙂 ).
David,
Thanks for your response. I do think there is something to what Gary has to say about the difference between infant baptism and adult or believer baptism – at least at the level of having a transforming experience. It is very un-Lutheran, I know, but I think we Lutherans could learn something from listening to the experiences of Christians who practice baptism in a different way rather than always defending our own theology as if it were the best (I am not saying that is what you are doing, David. That is more of a general comment on how I see Lutherans approaching this conversation with our fellow baptists and evangelicals.)
Your response still includes the idea that baptism is somehow the main way or the best was for a person to be fully adopted into God’s family or to know God’s love or to become a full member of a Christian community. That raises another question. Why? Why is baptism the best way or the main way or even a necessary part of the journey? (Other than Jesus was baptized and the church has been doing it for hundreds of years and it includes tangible combination of water and the word.)
I have been wrestling with this since seminary. I remember dreading the assignment of writing a theology of baptism paper in one of my worship classes at Claremont:) This is hard stuff – at least for me.
Thanks for engaging the conversation! I really appreciate your insights and thoughtfulness.
Peace,
Siri
Thank you, David. The image of adoption is a powerful one. Do we wait to adopt the child until he or she can fully understand, or do we adopt and welcome and help shape the child’s future at the soonest possible moment out of love and a desire for the child to be surrounded with a community of love and grace.
Thank you, Siri! I think your questions are right on. As a UCC pastor, I have asked these same questions many times. Especially “does anything actually HAPPEN”? I imagine that some Christians believe that there’s a fundamental metaphysical change in the person after baptism. I don’t think so. I have been known to say before I baptize a child, “Alice will not magically be made different by her baptism, but this sacrament will make visible what is invisible: that God loves her and has from the moment her life began.” Or something like that. Don’t quote me. 🙂
Katrina, et. al: In my church (Episcopal) we, the congregation, make vows to uphold this child/person in their growth in Christ and I take this very seriously. I have faith that something happens ontologically to a person who receives a sacrament but I will leave to the Holy Spirit exactly what that is.
But as a pastor, the thing I explain we take seriously is that vow on the part of the parish to help the child/adult grow in the faith. So unless I know there is some commitment on the part of the family to raise that child in the faith, I will not celebrate a baptism.
What I’m saying is: as far as what ‘happens’ I only worry about the part I have some small degree of control over–i.e. the person’s ongoing participation into growing stature in Christ. For an infant/child, that means testing the waters (pun intended) with the families to see their commitment to raising the child in church, attending worship,etc.
Believers baptism I attended one at a baptist church the child was 8 or 9 years old. Doubt the fits any age of majority any where. I will stick with a tradition does both.
Hi David,
I am a new pastor and a recent seminary graduate. I appreciate your perspective so much and thank you for your Grace filled words each week on working preacher.
I love your question about baptism being an announcement of what God has already done. In the past year, I have come to a place in my own theology where I feel like baptism is a comforting and beautiful reminder of what God has already done for us, is doing right now in our lives and continues to do.
I was baptized when I was one month old and every year my mom would light my baptismal candle on the anniversary, my family would sing ‘God’s blessings to you’ to the tune of Happy Birthday and we would eat cake. I really appreciate that my mom took the time to celebrate this in our family and is something I still hold on to in my own life.
The most interesting turn of events for me in recent year is that I fell in love with someone while on internship who was not baptized nor grew up in any religious community. Through our dating relationship we had many conversations about God’s love and it amazed me his deep spiritually without any background or prior upbringing. I came to really appreciate his perspective on a lot of things. 🙂 Right after we got engaged, he began to express his desire to be baptized. I tried to be clear that I could not be his pastor. My internship site was his place of employment so he didn’t feel he could be a part of that community. At the time, we were dating long distance so I could finish seminary so I could not go to a church with him and we both knew we would be moving for my first call in a few months.
When I attempted to talk to a pastor colleague of mine in the area of my internship site, the pastor refused to do the baptism since my fiance was not a part of that specific community. This pastor wanted him to become an active member of that congregation, attend classes so he could fully understand baptism and maybe then the pastor would consider it.
Now I know our situation was unique but it left me, as a senior seminarian feeling frustrated and a little heart broken. Now even though I am a pastor, my now husband is still not baptized and I am not sure he would feel comfortable as a clergy spouse in MN revealing that information with anyone. I know I am new at this pastor thing, but I do question the action of this pastor. If we believe, as Lutherans, that baptism is God’s action and completely gift…is it necessary to go to a class first? Can we ever fully understand God’s action in baptism? Where is there room for God’s grace and love? I do not believe in private baptism, because one of the most meaningful parts for me is the fact that the whole community confesses with you, promises to walk with you and welcomes you. In this culture, where we baptize babies and never see them again, I believe this witness of any community is really representing the WHOLE body of Christ all over the world.
I hope this makes sense and good luck with your book.
Thank you for your time.
Thanks for your honest sharing, Christine. I’m really sorry for the frustration this has been causing you. While I understand what the pastor is trying to say, I think he has fallen prey to the temptation to regulate grace. Yes, “good order” is valuable, but grace seems to be the grace of exceptions and second-chances and all the rest. I hope you find a pastor or colleague or community that can welcome your husband into the baptismal life!
Christine,
When my husband and I – both clergy- had our daughter baptized, we asked our Conference minister to come officiate so we could be in the parent role. Perhaps there is an appropriate denominational person who would do the baptism if you husband ever decides to be baptized. We also had a special Sunday evening service so that both of our congregations could attend as they chose.
For what it is worth.
Christine,
This story makes me sad. If you and your husband ever find yourselves out by Washington, DC, I’d be incredibly honored to preside at his baptism.
Peace be with you.
I would appreciate any comments you have on the dilemma Christine touched on. As a pastor I had people call me out of the blue wanting their children “done.” I don’t want to regulate grace. However, baptizing a child (which I believe in) causes the parents to make promises on behalf of that child. I made some people angry by saying that I wouldn’t baptize their children unless they were attending worship and we talked about the meaning of baptism. What if the parents have no intention of keeping those promises–i.e., attending worship and providing the child with a faithful community?
No I don’t want to regulate grace. But baptism, I believe, is a commitment. It includes promises made on behalf of the one baptized or by the baptized him or herself.
Thanks for your comment, Linda.
I don’t mean to be flip about “regulating grace.” I do think we want to take Baptism seriously, we want to draw people into a community of faith, we want to engage them in the larger story of the faith that Baptism should introduce them to. And I think it’s an area for pastoral discretion and wisdom. I think what I reacted to in Christine’s post was what felt like an inability to improvise beyond the “rules,” no matter how well intentioned those rules might be. In this case, it sounds like Christine’s fiancé was actively participating in a faith community but had good reason to want to be baptized elsewhere. In such situations – or if a couple, for instance, wanted a child baptized at a home congregation so family could easily gather because there current congregation was in another state, etc. – I’d love to see a willingness to improvise. Beyond that, I tend to err on the side of grace. I would also insist on meeting with folks (whether part of the congregations I served or not) to talk over the meaning and significance of Baptism. (If for no other reason, they should know what they were getting themselves into!) But ultimately I think the most important promises being made at Baptism are being made by God, and so with Baptism and funerals (as opposed to weddings, for instance), I usually always ending up participating whether I thought they were all on board or not – placing the need to proclaim the gospel in these critical moments above the good order I normally cherish.
But please hear me on this – this is counsel and conversation, not a prescription, and I respect that different pastors will come to different, and faithful, decisions.
Thanks for the conversation.
David,
Thank you! During a time on leave from call, I regularly was sought out for opportunities at “the edge of the rules.” I consulted my pastors (of my home church), mentors in supervisory roles, and often felt very blessed to be the one person speaking grace to people who hadn’t heard it before, (though I am VERY clear that some of them HAD had grace spoken to them before.)
My regular response is usually, “let’s talk more about this…” Again, thanks! Mary Kaye
When I read that you were baptized on Palm Sunday, 1965, I recalled that, at least in Northwest Ohio (and I suspect in much of the Midwest) that was a day that tornadoes swept through our area. The power of Baptism is like a tornado. One of my professors long ago described it as “God grabs us by the scruff of the neck and will not let go.” That is the true power of God’s grace.
Our family has recently wrestled with the baptism of my son’s children. His wife is Jewish and they are struggling with blending faith traditions – honoring and practicing both. When we talked about baptism we used the language of announcing God’s love, but also introducing the child to the community gathered. This reminded my daughter-in-law of the Jewish naming ceremony.
The second issue has been the congregation’s response to this blended family. My grandson was baptized in an ELCA church that was small and claiming to want to grow, but every time the child made any noise in church they were asked to go to the crying room or nursery. At Holy Communion the mother was always asked why she did not participate. Needless to say they no longer attend that church.
The baptism of their second child took place at St. John’s where they have felt much more welcomed. There are several blended families they met and had conversation with and my grandson loves coming to church. Living out and learning what it means to be a child of God does not happen with a dousing of water and words, but grows within a community of loving and faithful people who also struggle to live out their baptism every day.
If we do not proclaim and embrace our own baptism, it will be hard for others to understand the impact of this ancient ritual and the need for witness of the community to God’s love for us all.
I am so, so grateful for this conversation. I believe it is a good idea to revisit, ponder, and engage in lively dialogues around our traditions and rituals and theologies.
I will be honest. I came to know and love the Lutheran church and theology when I fell in love with a life-long Lutheran and began attending his church. I experienced quite a switch in teaching and preaching from the Brethren congregation I had attended growing up. Especially refreshing was the emphasis on God’s unconditional and lavish grace… after previously listening to sermon after sermon focused on the law, my/our sinfulness and God’s wrath. ( I can’t tell you the relief after year of wondering if I was good enough, had done enough, and/or needed to go up for yet another altar call.)
Because of this upbringing I do have memories of my baptism, which happened when I was 19 years old and by full immersion 3 times, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). I asked to be baptized after noticing the references to baptism in Gospels, the Book of Acts and the Epistles, followed by prayer and conversation with friends and family members. I believed in Jesus Christ, and felt the urge to take this next step in my faith journey.
Thus, my personal experience with baptism seems to fall more in line with the Matthew 16:16 text: “The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.” (NRSV) The believing came first…then the baptism. I find myself also identifying with the story in Acts 19 about some disciples in Ephesus who had been baptized into John’s baptism, but after an explanation from Paul were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Which brings me to a couple of ponderings I’d like to add to this conversation:
1. As Lutherans, how are doing at naming, claiming and celebrating (in our teaching, preaching, conversations, and curriculum) the fact that many in our pews were baptized, but not as infants? Are we recognizing that some are brought to this ritual and claiming of God’s gift of grace by loved ones while still very young and others are lead to it later in life…and that both are ok?
2. Back to Siri’s question – Does anything actually HAPPEN during baptism? Could you say more about this?
In Acts 19 the disciples were baptized in the name of Jesus and THEN FILLED with the Holy Spirit…and went on speak in tongues and prophesied. Whew! Can’t say that happened when I was immersed – but I do believe God was present in a new way in my life. I hope and pray that is also true as we baptize infants and children… as well as with the parents, sponsors and congregation witnessing the baptism and praying their support of the child. Would appreciate your further comments and insights on this question.
3. In some of our ELCA congregations, “Confirmation” ministries have become the hotspots of mission. Yep – it’s true. Young people invite their friends to confirmation classes. I’ve experienced it first hand – as have friends and colleagues.
Some of these kids are from other denominations; some are from homes where moms and/or dads are no longer participating in congregational or never have. Some have never been baptized – and/or were baptized but have no idea what it means.
And, to be honest, some of our own ELCA kids don’t know what it means either. My experience is that some of the young people in our ministries are actually BAPTIZED UNBELIEVERS. Some are really struggling with making sense of science and faith. Some are mimicking the “moralistic, therapeutic deism of their parents.
A year or so ago I attended a First Third Dialogue at Luther on Confirmation called “Monkey Business” named so because that is what Martin Luther actually called the rite of Confirmation. It was a great event with thought-provoking conversation about our typical ELCA “Confirmation” programs and processes. Included were discussion on baptism…and this thing we call “Affirmation of Baptism.”
Considering these connections my hope is that your book might include thoughts on…
* Understanding baptism as a missional invitation for all ages
* Sensitivity in our teaching/preaching/conversations/leadership training/ and curriculum noting that our pews and classrooms and youth rooms include people who were not baptized as infants
* The connections between baptism and affirmation of baptism for those who don’t remember their baptism and/or would like to revisit and/or celebrate and/or name and claim this grace-bearing gift in their faith journeys.
* Are our confirmation programs in need of reformation? (Ok – this is a question that has been around for decades and is fodder for a whole other book…yet, it’s hard to ignore the connections!)
4. And lastly…and obviously…I’m curious about your thoughts about all those believers who never are aware of baptism, or never have the chance to be baptized. With scriptures like Matthew 16:16 it would easy worry and wonder. I’m sure you will also address this in your book.
Thanks again for your thoughts, this blog, and the opportunity to participate in the discussion.
This has been a hard topic for me. I’m 65 and heartbroken that none of my grandchildren are baptized (5 between the ages of 15 months and 10 years) and that none of my children value the weekly gathering and connection with people who self-identify as “Christian”. They all seem to value Christ-likeness and are all great people — but the good news of God’s love, acceptance, forgiveness and grace in Christ expressed and communicated fully and unconditionally in the promise of baptism and nurtured by a community of faith doesn’t seem to resonate. I know that many practicing older Lutheran Christians are having a similar experience. Thanks for opening up this topic for discussion. For me baptism at the heart of my calling (vocation) as Christian and Pastor.
John V, I’m also in my early 60’s, second career pastor, went to sem when my kids were in middle & high school. They were in worship every week, enjoyed youth group, were confirmed and told they were at the top of their classes when it came to understanding theology and doctrine. When they went to college, all church affiliation stopped for the older two (son & dtr). The youngest dtr occasionally worshiped and invited friends to go with her.
This year my son & dil will have a baby. I don’t intend to even mention baptism. I feel the child has already and will receive grace through believers’ prayers. He will be included in a loving family full of generosity and commitment to helping others. He probably will come to church at Christmas & Easter because even his secular humanist parents concede to attend then. He will hear the gospel proclaimed.
My granddaughter was born 2.5 years ago to my dtr and her wife who for their nearly 15 years together have worshiped weekly, tithed, served and shared the good news. Prayer is a daily occurence in their home, as is talking about Jesus. My gdtr was baptized at 2-months and each year they light her baptismal candle. She thinks church is the greatest place anyone can be.
The middle dtr has faith but feels no need to be a regular part of a congregation. Yet in all her actions she demonstrates the love of God for all.
All three of our adult kids live out their baptismal covenant daily, although maybe (in the case of our son) they don’t see it happening. I still believe the Holy Spirit’s claim on them is active and encouraging. Ages 35-39, two of them aren’t congregational in their faith but living it, whether they know it or not. I won’t give up on the Spirit.
Your grandchildren may not be baptized at this time, but your prayers shower them with grace. Perhaps the Spirit will lead them to the font on their own one day. But even if that doesn’t happen, they are still Children of God.
David
While John’s baptism of Jesus is puzzling, the Great Commission is pretty clear and may be a better starting point for discussing why we baptize (because Jesus told us to!).
The stories about baptism in Acts show that from the start the first Christians thought it was important even if they did not practice it in a consistent way.
Luther seems to have been reluctant to ‘reform’ baptism and promoted adult baptism as well the efficacy of infant baptism. At least for Lutherans Luther’s Large Catechism provides a starting point to talk about what baptism does for us.
Finally, for many Christians baptism is at the heart of their hope for salvation. For instance the centerpiece of our Lutheran funeral liturgy is the remembrance and thanksgiving of the deceased’s baptism. As such any discussion of its efficacy should be done tenderly.
David,
How much do you think it matters what words we use in baptism? In an effort to use inclusive language, the first church I served (as an Associate Minister) baptized in the name of “God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.”
Now I use the traditional, “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” but add, “one God, Mother of us all.”
Since baptism is about celebrating God’s love, it seems to me that I should use language that doesn’t raise barriers to feeling that love — which exclusive male language certainly does for some people.
Being raised Baptist, I was immersed and still remember it. I was attracted to the Presbyterian (I’m now a clergy in that denom.)understanding of baptizing children to emphasize God’s love & grace, and that we never can “earn” it. So I had my own children baptized while young, but I have to admit some qualms about them not having the memory like I do. All in all I’m still of two minds about the “when.” I usually do a Remembrance of Baptism for my congregations on this Sunday in January. And I often do infant baptisms during our children’s time, or at least invite all the children up to watch and make other memories. I think of baptism kind of like the Jewish circumcision in that that they are claimed for Christ’s church and loved – a member of the community of faith. BTW, there’s a cool scene in the movie Tender Mercies where the lead and a child get baptized, that gently touches on all this.
Many thanks to all who have written about baptism and shared their stories. To add my two cents, I like to think of baptism as the beginning of the journey of faith. Many of the comments posted speak to the immediate effects of the sacrament of baptism. Is it perhaps also important to look at the longer view beyond that moment?
In baptism we are claimed by God and the parents and sponsors speak promises on our behalf (in infant baptism) to help the baptized begin their journey of faith. Later, in the rite of confirmation, the baptized have the opportunity to reaffirm those promises made by parents and sponsors for themselves.
I also like to think of baptism as our identity (as God’s own) and part of that identity may speak to a call to vocation in God’s kingdom on earth. As vocation of how it is we are to live as Christians and disciples of Jesus.
Many thanks, David, for your writings and the invitation to comment.
What does baptism have to do with sin? For me, sin first and foremost makes me forget whose I am (turns me away from God) and once I have turned away from God it is easy to forget who I am. Sin’s destructive power begins with its ability to leave us blind and deaf to our God-given identity and leave us disconnected from the love of God that gives us life and makes us whole people.
Baptism is a public declaration to the baptized and the community of who and whose we are, beloved, children of God. From the womb to the tomb we need to be assured of who and whose we are, worthy of love and forgiveness and capable of loving and forgiving and so for me baptism is primarily about restoring our God-given identity and washing away the sin, individual and corporate, that would keep us from seeing and hearing whose and who we are, holy and chosen.
Thanks for the great conversation as we head towards the Baptism of Our Lord this Sunday.
I am thrilled at the number of posts and the wonderful reflections in them. Baptism is the most defining moment in our life because of the identity it celebrates and the promises it gives. I cannot preach without referencing baptism in some way.
As a pastor one of the saddest things is when you never see the family again after the baptism despite the conversation ahead of time and the outreach afterwards.
I emphasize growing into our baptismal relationship as a life-long process that is only completed when we die. The rite of baptism is like a wedding ceremony; the couple use that moment to celebrate their new life with family and friends then they go to a new home and live it. Being baptized and never returning to church would be like a couple each going back home after the wedding to live with their parents instead of living with each other after the celebration.
I also think most people understand the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life but the indwelling of the Spirit who is active in their lives every day is a mystery. I have been trying to emphasize that more and this year with John’s gospel is the perfect time to lift that blessing.
I have wondered about the need and significance of baptism for awhile. As someone exploring the history of Christianity, I am interested in the meaning baptism had on the early Christians. Wasn’t it a definitive (perhaps dangerous) marker of their intention to follow Jesus? They and their households? Didn’t it set them apart from others? It seems that in our century we are moving toward less boundary marking.
On the other hand, I know people make this decision in countries where being a Christian is not popular nor safe. Baptism then is something really huge. Not so in our time and country. How do we then bring back it’s significance when, too often, the rest of our lives take little notice of God and our relationship with him?
What I like about baptism is that it happens within community and includes promises from parents/sponsors/congregation to nurture the faith of the baptized. Perhaps these promises could be more relevant? specific? open ended? partIcipatory?
Hey David,
For me my baptism was not and really never has been the “free ticket to Heaven” deal. Rather it is that baptism is symbolic of my turning from sin, being washed clean by Christ and that as we are lifted from the water we are arising to new life in Christ and by being baptized publically we are by our actions of obedience declaring to the congregation and ultimately the world that we are sold out to Christ, that He is our Savior and Lord! (in a nutshell) Love this website by the way! It has been helpful to this “working preacher in so many ways!
I’ve had this conversation about baptism with several people in my life recently, and I’m so grateful for the conversation here. I would also call myself a “metaphysical skeptic”: I’m not convinced that anything “happens” or changes in our lives, which is in part because God has already done the loving and welcoming. If God loves us all, regardless, aside from the presumed necessity for salvation (which is another topic entirely) then baptism doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know. If I don’t choose that love, then why would I choose my baptism? Not growing up in that tradition, I know there are places that allow multiple baptisms. I do admit that I have never seen that process, but I would wonder when and how often I would have to choose or symbolize it. When I have a spiritual uplift in my life? When I feel God particularly close? I’m not sure I would always choose correctly…but in my theology, God is present, ever loving and utterly regardless of how I feel about it, God will continue to be those things. That beings said, when the Spirit moves, do we deny baptism? Do we encourage it? Or do we encourage understanding, teaching and as David said wisely “err on the side of grace”.
On another note, I lean far more to the side of baptism as announcement rather than invitation. I am, however, a FIRM believer in rites of passage as a way for us to stop, take time and mark these moments, teachings or events in our lives. I believe this announcement, even if nothing changes or nothing, still matters in my personal life by simply marking the place and moment. I was raised ELCA Lutheran but never knew my Godparents (who, despite being good friends with my parents, moved very soon after I was baptized and didn’t stay in touch) nor did we mark the day and celebrate with lighting the candle (in fact, I looked it up on my baby calendar when I was being confirmed because no one in my family could remember!) Although this moment was in no way marked thereafter, I know that from the beginning, without my choosing, I am marked by this event.
That being said, I appreciate very much the discussion in comments around welcoming adult or even non-baptized members. We have a “rural legend” here at camp about a few counselors that felt moved to bring their campers to the lake and “mass baptize” them all when they found out that they hadn’t been. While that is neither our tradition or our theology, it begs the question of how do we recognize and still welcome those that either have different understandings or different histories with their own baptism. In the same way that we hope parents don’t want their kids to “get done”, I believe we should encourage teaching and theology surrounding baptism before we jump to the “you should, you shouldn’t”.
Final thoughts: have you heard of the movement a few years ago in atheist and humanist communities to “revoke” their infant baptisms that they did not choose? It was a ceremony involving hairdryers blown on their foreheads. I will try to find the article…there’s a lot of interesting fodder there.
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/atheists-conduct-de-baptisms/story?id=11109379
I too am finding this discussion very interesting and am learning a lot. Growing up in the ALC/ELCA, I was baptized as an infant and never even saw an adult being baptized until I was in seminary. My reflections are from a United Methodist perspective as I answered the call to ministry in the United Methodist tradition.
I agree that Baptism is God’s act of grace enacted by a celebrant and a candidate. I understand that Baptism as bestowing one’s identity as an adopted member of God’s family is central to the practice of baptism. While it is true that as God’s creation, each person is already God’s child, Baptism physically and metaphorically/metaphysically brings the person into the actuality of God’s family. That’s why Baptism in the midst of community is so important – to incarnate the concept of the Body of Christ. In the ritual, I often remind the congregation and the family that the person receives a new name through baptism – “Christian” and I emphasize that the person is now a part of the Body of Christ that we live out through the Church (universal).
I also draw the sign of the cross on the person’s forehead and accompany that with words that explain the ‘seal of God’ upon the person. I repeat the sign of the cross on the forehead at important points in a person’s life… as I’m praying with someone about to undergo surgery, on Ash Wednesday with the imposition of the ashes, when a person is close to death, when I’m praying with someone following a difficult diagnosis, when we do the affirmation of Baptism, when a person comes for healing prayer, etc. I also make the sign of the cross on the forehead of the deceased person at the closing of the casket, often with the family gathered around and always accompanied by prayer. I accompany the sign of the cross with a reminder that in Baptism, the person was given the seal of God’s love in the form of the cross and that nothing can break that seal of love.
Regarding being baptized by the Spirit – before Baptims, a person may believe that the Holy Spirit is God’s presence and channels God’s grace and that he/she is touched by the Holy Spirit; however, it seems to me that Baptism is the sign act that gives the Spirit to actually reside within the person (if, of course, the person accepts it).
The tie in to sin – as a United Methodist clergy, I have celebrated baptism by both ‘sprinkle/pouring’ and immersion. Prior to actually celebrating an immersion baptism, I thought the main difference would be simply the amount of water used to “wash away the sin.” I was surprised to discover that the immersion baptism was a much more powerful sign act of dying to the old and being raised to new life than sprinkle baptism. That immersion baptism experience clarified the tie in of sin for me – while the water ‘washes’ the sin away, I have begun to wonder and meditate on the tie in of ‘the deep’ which in the Bible represented evil (sin) and certain death; hence, when immersed, the candidate is plunged into the deep in a way that only through God’s action mediated by the celebrant can the person be raised to new life. I have begun to use much more water in the Baptism rite within the Sanctuary, pouring a significant stream of water each of the three times.
In the United Methodist tradition, a confession/profession of faith is a part of the ritual prior to the actual act of Baptism. I typically have the youth in Confirmation class write their own confession of faith; and I have begun encouraging adults to do that also. I am often amazed by the struggle most people have stating, in their own words, what they believe and what they are willing to commit to living out.
Sorry for the length of this post – I love to ‘talk’ theology!
David, a couple related things your conversation partner in a Making Sense chapter on baptism might ask (if they are like people I’ve mentored on baptism):
1.) “Baptism seems like an exclusive ritual to me. Is God choosing/adopting some as children and leaving others out?” To this I try to emphasize that baptism is about particularity, not exclusivity. God loves everybody, no doubt, but God isn’t like a rock star who just says in a general way to the crowd, “I love all you guys. Peace!” God speaks to–and washes–a particular human person, calls him/her by name, and announces “You _________ are mine.”
2.) “Who gets baptized, especially with infant baptism, feels accidental, almost arbitrary on the global scale. What’s up with that?” I’m not sure I have any great answers for that one yet. It’s essentially like Why are some children born into a situation of hunger but others of plenty?
GREAT discussion! A few thoughts and tidbits
1) re the metaphysical skeptic … I struggle responding to people who sayids about people who are baptized and are agents of evil
2) The Episcopal church cals baptism full inclusion in the church; therefore we do not separate communion and baptism (when people suggest that small children shouldn’t take communion because they don’t understand it, I suggest that as sacred mystery, none of us “understand” it. This also ends up making confirmation a “ritual in search of a meaning” as one person put it. While I find that harsh, I hope you’ll address the connection between these sacraments.
3) It gets even messier when discussions about “open table fellowship” come up.
4) in play of officiate or celebrate,we tend to use “preside”. It may also sound officious but suggests that all celebrate and one or more lead on behalf of the community. Fwiw.
5) finally, you’ve probably heard the bit about the parent who worries that their child was baptized in the name of Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer; she complains to the bishop, worried that her child won’t get into heaven. Bishop responds: the child will be fine. It’s the priest I’m worried about.
Patriarchal language is a reall issue, but this always makes me smile.
Thanks, all, for the fantastic discussion. I’ve been trying to respond to various individual posts but the conversation has grown so rich and dynamic that I think at this point I’ll try to step back and write a follow-up post that tries to incorporate much of the wisdom garnered through this conversation and responds to some of the questions and challenges. Responds, however, not answers, as there are a variety of legitimate and faithful angles of vision from which to think about this. So, please, continue the conversation, I’ll keep reading and learning and thinking and write a little more next week.
David
I find this topic fascinating as well. I was baptized as an infant (in 1956, David! You’re a kid!) and then my parents left the Lutheran church and I grew up in Pentecostal churches. At 9, I was rebaptized (pink bathrobe in a lake in a Minnesota September — brrrrr).
When I later became a Lutheran, I was, I’ll say, “reclaimed” by my infant baptism. I didn’t know, at that time, exactly WHY we baptize babies, but my thinking led me to the conclusion that it is the only way to demonstrate that this is 100% God’s action. I can have done absolutely nothing. (That’s not to say that baptisms later in life aren’t great and valid and all that.)
I also like your comments in section 2 and the question of what really happens in baptism. What really happens in the Eucharist, for that matter? What really happens when we gather?
Part of our task as preachers is, I think, to name the meaning — to name what really happens. Part of THAT is naming that I don’t fully know myself what really happens. What I do know is that the One Who Matters is present and acting — somewhat aggressively, actually — to make me a beloved child of God. And every day for the rest of my life, that identity will bless me, dog me, frustrate me, challenge me, and drag me into relationships that change everything.
So really — here’s my question: how do we describe how huge this really is? I remember reading Luther on baptism and one of his comments was that it is no small thing to make an enemy of the devil for the rest of the person’s life. I don’t see that as a jumping-off point for a sermon, but it’s a really significant thing that happens on that day. How do we proclaim it in a way that moves it away from a cultural activity with a beautiful dress (or baby suit) and into the essential identity that it is?
Peace, y’all!
I thought I would address one of the questions that you brought up regarding Jesus’ baptism. It was the one regarding Jesus receiving a baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I may have missed this discussion through skim reading the passage, so if I jumped over that part of it, I apologize. It’s one of the passages I have wondered about, and I thought this would be a good source to flush it out a little.
The way that I see the baptism for the forgiveness of sins is a foreshadowing of what is to come and a hope for us all. If we believe that Jesus bears our sin on the cross and that Jesus keeps it, then the question is, what will Jesus do with our sin once he has it? Will he bring about the judgment and destruction upon us as is discussed in the Old Testament, or will he leave behind a blessing? We can say that Jesus forgives it, but what assurance do we have; I would say we can go back, look at the baptism of Jesus, and be reassured that the Trinity’s (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’s) desire is to not hold our sin against us, but actually forgives it. This goal; this forgiveness that all humanity receives through Jesus’ death and resurrection is something in which God is well pleased. It’s not just in the Son but in everything the Son is about to do.
That’s more of where my thoughts are at the moment, and I’m interested in hearing other perspectives of what it means that Jesus receives a baptism intended for the forgiveness of sin.
David, I look forward to what you will present in your fourth volume in your series. I have found N. T. Wright’s book “After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters” of great usefulness in helping articulate what it means to live the Christian life of discipleship in a modern world. About baptism, I believe it is time we re-form the “architecture” of baptism in our churches. To be sure there are historical and theological reasons for why baptismal fonts in our churches have “shrunk” to their present modesty of size and, in many churches, of place, i.e., in corners or easily moved “out of the way” (would we do the same with an altar which is the locus for our other sacrament?). Luther looked to the Greek and also German (“taut” for baptism and its relation to “tier” for “deep”) and preferred immersion/effusion and even dipped babies! Of course, Luther would caution against debating about how much water lest we assume we are the ones in control. Where I presently serve we underwent a major renovation/expansion a few years ago. As a result of a process of discernment and learning, the congregation concluded “we want a font that looks like a font” (instead of the small, movable font someone had made). If someone had told me that I would someday be pastor in a 100 plus year old German Lutheran congregation where I would be able to baptize adults, youth and babies “in the water’ during worship I would have laughed out loud in disbelief. However, that is what we do. The large bronze font features running water 24/7 and greets worshippers at the entrance to the church and when floor grates are removed a baptismal pool is revealed. I recently baptized a ten year old in the water, turned to the other parents and dipped their infant in the water….. When we first installed the baptistry parents would tell children not to touch the flowing water streaming down the font’s sides which drew children to it like ants at a picnic! I would tell them, “No, let them touch the water and mark themselves with it, too. Our font just as it is will teach them more about baptism than 100 eloquent children’s messages about baptism would.” And it’s true. Not only the “how” of baptism in our congregation but also the font itself has helped us grow as a baptismal community of disciples of Jesus!
Three seemingly unrelated scenarios:
I was baptized in a plastic water tumbler with my mother’s bright red lipstick smeared on the edge. Pastor Derrick had the flu and came to the hospital immediately, gowned and masked, because I was being rushed into surgery that I had little chance of surviving. He ran alongside in the hallway, praying and baptizing on the way. Every plastic water tumbler becomes for me a reminder of that baptism, which I only know about because those present told me and because I lived.
Next, some 12-13 years later, the Lutheran congregation where my family was now worshipping met in a Catholic convent chapel for three years while a new church was built. It was a glorious space. Eventually, a baptism was scheduled and the sudden realization hit–there was no baptismal font in the convent! I remember the wild scramble to “figure out something suitable.” As Sr. Michelene explained, “We are all baptized here, so we never thought about needing one!”
Finally, now years later, I was asked to preach for a funeral for a young person in the community who had tragically committed suicide. It was at another church. I was at a loss when I came into the worship space and realized there was no baptismal font present. How do I preach that God has already had the first and last words over his child in the waters of baptism, and that nothing–not even this tragedy–can come between that relationship…and no baptismal font to be the visible sign? The font was stored in a closet in the sacistry. I asked if it could be brought out and placed in the center of the congregation. The hosts clearly didn’t understand why, but reluctantly brought the font out and I filled it with water, and preached from the font.
In baptism we are commissioned to become visible signs of God’s mercy and love at work in the world. It’s easy for us to lose our grip on that. In none of these three stories is the “font” important–but the continuing visible sign certainly is! The sign is meaningful as we see baptisms celebrated, as we touch water and hear/remember words spoken over us, and the stories are told over and over and over, until we finally celebrate the gift in its fullness, when we trustingly hand one another over to God at the end of life.
I’m loving this discussion.
I was baptized two days before my 13th birthday in a Baptist church, by full immersion. It was a meaningful experience and I’m thankful for those who helped spark faith in me and brought me to the place where I asked to be baptized. So I get the arguments in favor of believer’s baptism.
But–and here’s where I fall on the side of infant baptism–I fully expected that my baptism would create some permanent observable change in me. I thought it would make me more prayerful, more devout, more aware of God, a ‘better’ person, better able to get along with my parents in my troubled adolescence, and of course it didn’t. I was still the same person afterwards. So this speaks to the question of what happens ontologically in baptism–are we changed, and if so, why isn’t it obvious to us? The Lutheran answer is that we remain simul peccator et justus, which makes perfect sense now, but I didn’t have the benefit of that understanding at the time, and I wondered if my baptism had failed somehow, or maybe I was doing something wrong.
Baptizing infants removes that question (at least in regard to the infant!) and transfers the whole action, whatever that is, to God.
I still wonder about the ontological change that occurs, or doesn’t. Not that the Holy Spirit can’t do all the things we attribute to him/her in our theology, but what about all the unbaptized whom God loves just as much? Are they left out? I’m a Lutheran pastor now, and the older I get the more questions I have about things I have taken for granted for years. So thanks, David, for opening up the discussion and being honest enough to share your thoughts and your own questions–and for guiding this discussion.
Baptism isn’t something that happens at a particular time or moment. It is a lifetime experience.
The Words God speaks to Jesus at his baptism are virtually the same ones that are spoken at the transfiguration. And those words are pointing him and the disciples into the future — to Jerusalem, to beatings, to crucifixion, to death, to life.
Baptism is a lifelong experience. It is God bathing you, hugging you, pouring scented oils of gladness over you, dressing you and sending you off into a baptismal life in the world. Or maybe in the light of Sandy Hook sending you off to school.
Baptism is a lifelong experience. When I talk to parents about baptism I remind them that when we have a baby who can’t speak or understand us it doesn’t mean that we don’t talk to them. We coo at them, say, “mommy and daddy love you”, reinforce their name, and have regular one way conversations with them. I always suggest they should speak words of God’s love for them as well.
Baptism is a lifelong experience. For the last 36 years I have done an experiential prebaptismal worship experience with the parents and the baby based on prebaptismal rites of the early church. Over the years I have baptized probably more adults and teenagers than most Lutheran pastors, but mostly they have been babies.
A couple of years ago I had an 8 year old. Since he was old enough to understand, I had to rethink how to explain what I was doing to him. When I came to explaining being marked by the cross to him I put out my arms in the shape of a cross and asked him, “What does this look like?” He stood dumbfounded. I told him to turn and face his father. I had his father put his arms out in the form of a cross like I did. Immediately he said, “a hug.” Which was exactly what I wanted him to say. I explained that the mark of the cross on his forehead meant he is always being hugged by God.
#1 I am giving thanks to God right now for all of you and for your ministries in the world!
#2 Sticking with the idea that baptism is about identity, maybe we could say that the relationship between sin and baptism is one of foreshadowing: that in our baptism we proclaim that our identity is now and will always be in God alone. The reality is that we will sin (and sin and sin…) and the reality is that we will sin in a world hellbent on categorizing and quantifying and assigning value to not only our actions but our very selves. I hear it all the time, “I know she’s going to heaven because _____” (and the blank is never filled in by “she is a beloved child of God” it’s always filled in by her “worthy” actions). If our baptism is not a “get out of hell free” card and it is also not our cure for the curse of sin, maybe it is God’s promise to us in the water and word, just like it was for Jesus, that the world does not get to define us (because God knows it’ll try to!). And if that’s the case, then I need to remember my baptism not just on the anniversary of my baptism, or on the Sunday we hear about Jesus’ baptism, or even on every Sunday of the year, I need to be reminded of it every time I wash my hands, every time it rains, every time I drink water, every time I’m thirsty, and a thousand times in between because every second of my life I am getting messages to the contrary…messages that tell me that who I am depends on my sex, my ability, my income, the length of my hair, the length of my legs, the size of my waist, the size of my knowledge, my age…and with every drop of water the Holy Spirit breaks into that reality and says, “You are my beloved daughter, with you I am well pleased.”
Beautifully said. Thank you.
Good discussion on baptism! I’ve been involved in catechumenate ministry for a number of years which influences my thinking on baptism. As practiced in the early church, and today in some places, there’s a long period of preparation for baptism where people learn and practice what it means to be a Christian. In the process at my church, people can drop out at any point if they decide they’re not ready to be joined to the church and follow Christ (which after all often involves picking up your cross, which sometimes isn’t too appealing for people). Those who decide not to be baptized are, of course, still welcome to worship with us and we assure them of God’s love for them. Baptism from this perspective not only announces one’s inclusion in the family of God, it shows that one is willing and wants to live life as a follower of Christ (or for babies, that their family is committing to raising them in the faith). Baptism is a community affair – because the whole community is a part of preparing people for baptism (in our case through being catechists, sponsors, and blessing them in multiple times before baptism), leading to growth in faith not only for the baptismal candidates, but for the church as well.
I’ve recently read Aiden Kavanagh’s book The Shape of Baptism and he raises the point that baptizing “indiscriminately” may be harmful to church because it “weighs down the church with a multitude of Christians who are so only in name, and who do harm to the Church by confirming unbelievers in their opinion that, far from being a living society, a leaven that should raise the world’s mass, the Church is a worn-out institution, ineffective, unreal, surviving only by custom.” It seems baptism is about building up the Christian community as much as it is about letting a person knows God loves them. The latter can be done in a variety of ways; one can only be joined to the body of Christ through baptism. Right?
Is Baptism’s intention exclusionary or invitational? On the one hand, I completely agree with what I think is your point that baptizing everyone may lead to “weighing down” the church with Christians who claim their faith without adopting a transformed life and living as God’s leaven for the masses. On the other hand, is the Christian life’s focus about ethical and compassionate living? If so, how does it differ from the lives of ethical and compassionate Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and people of other religious traditions? I’m speaking against my own thoughts in some ways as I believe that baptism is an outward expression of our willingness to live newly transformed lives connected with Jesus’ own baptism, life, death, and resurrection. However, I wouldn’t say that I’d seek to limit who and when I’d baptize someone regardless of whether or not I think or have evidence to “know” whether or not the baptism I accomplish will be somehow efficacious in terms of how that person does or doesn’t live out their Christian faith. Hope is a constitutive Christian principle along with communal growth and nurturing.
Thanks for the conversation. Regarding your first question, when someone comes to the church seeking baptism, we invite them into a time of baptismal preparation. Some critique the catechumenate as being a bunch of hoops to jump through – we prefer to see it as a gift we give to the catechumens (which also ends up being a gift to the whole congregation). Those who go through the process would most likely agree it has been a gift to them, often life-changing (as the baptismal process ought to be!).
In practice though, our church doesn’t require everyone to go through the catechumenate to be baptized or to have their children baptized. However, I think in not doing so we may shortchange people. I think of a man we baptized at the vigil a few years ago who because of timing issues couldn’t commit to the catechumenal process in its fullness. When he took off his robe to be immersed in our horse-trough font and to know the freedom of a Christian, it revealed the shackle around his leg – his whereabouts were being monitored and he was on his way to prison for manslaughter. I’m glad he was baptized but sad he didn’t have the time to be more fully known and to know our Christian community – had this happened, he probably would be receiving more support and prayers from the congregation than he is.
Regarding your other questions, baptism joins us to the body of Christ and Christian community, which hopefully entails ethical and compassionate living, but goes beyond that. Muslims, Jews, etc. are all children of God and loved by God, but are not (at least visibly) part of the church.
The major point, though, I’m trying to make is baptism is more than a covenant between the individual and God, it involves the Christian community as well.
As a lifelong Lutheran, I have been bothered by the phrase “adopted” used in baptism services. If we are all God’s children, formed by him, being known while in the womb, why the need for adoption?
Recently my husband and I had the joy of being sponsors for our daughter-in-law as she was baptized along with her infant daughter. She has many questions for me, being new to the Lutheran faith. One that I find difficult to answer is the need to be baptized in order to enter God’s heavenly kingdom. I do not really ” buy into” that one, but lack words to explain to her. Help?
Thank you for this wonderful article and meaningful dialogue. Your original post prompted me to write an article in our parish weekly epistle. I have a couple of comments to make here. First, I don’t recall anyone mentioning the practical realities regarding the introduction of infant baptisms. Early Christians lived with the real world realities of high infant mortality rates and limited life expectancies. The construct of “original sin” consequently created pastoral and theological concerns about an infant or a child’s eternal salvation. Adult baptisms were the paradigm up until the 3rd Century. A question may be “are we still concerned about whether or not a baby will be eternally condemned because they weren’t baptized? I hope and wish not but it’s my sense and experience that the threat of eternal damnation is the (sub)conscious basis for many families yearning to baptize their infants and ensure that there daughters and sons are confirmed later on.
That point aside, here’s one thing that I believe is importantly different between baptism in the Lutheran and Episcopal Church traditions. A candidate for baptism in the Episcopal Church tradition, adult, child, or youth, must have a sponsor who is a baptized Christian. He or she needs a mentor — a companion along The Way. Someone else mentioned earlier on. Vows are liturgical actions for the Episcopal Church’s sacramental activities (marriage, ordination, confirmation, and baptism). The people of the community have to verbally affirm their presence and participation in the newly baptized person’s life. This may be “window dressing” but it is nonetheless important from identifiable and spiritual points of view. Being there matters, whether we fully understand what’s going on or not.
Anglican Liturgist and theologian Louis Weil writes words to the effect that baptism doesn’t serve the purpose of granting someone an immortal life. Baptism outwardly and demonstratively expresses that the baptized person willingly and freely accepts God’s love by choosing to live a transformed life that is overtly different than that of persons whose lives are connected to this world rather than God’s love. I interpret that to mean that sponsors and parents accept such responsibilities on behalf of the children they present for baptism. In my world, probably because of my Baptist roots, I think that we should be practicing youth and adult baptisms and I nonetheless think that we should baptize infants as long as we are clear about why we are doing so. God loves us. God came to be among us to incarnate and demonstrate God’s loving character and passion. God, in Jesus the Christ, chose baptism as something to share with the people around him and seemingly his followers adopted the practice too, albeit for reasons based upon their own 1st Century Judaic contexts. Why do we do it now… that’s your original question, isn’t it? I do it because I believe it matters, symbolically, relationally, and in ways that I don’t understand within my own mortal and religious sensibilities yet with my heart and soul.
David, my mind is moving beyond Baptism to the sacrament of Holy Communion… how do we understand this also as a means of God’s grace in light of the meaning of Baptism that you so neatly word.
Believer’s Communion vs. non-believers Baptism
Funny, I’ve also been thinking about that, both in terms of recognizing how our life is shaped by both sacraments (and other elements of our worshiping life) and also that perhaps soon the time would be ripe for an article of communion! 🙂
I am glad to see a conversation about the sacrament of Baptism. While there is a great emphasis on the importance of Holy Baptism I don’t see much in the way of serious theology taking place outside of the seminary, and I sometimes wonder if it is even getting much play in those halls of learning. In thirty years of ministry I have struggled with almost all of the issues that are mentioned in this conversation, and most of all with trying to understand what the often used cliche, “to err on the side of grace,” really means? These are important questions. I have to say as I read all of the respnses I felt myself becoming a little dismayed that so little attention was given to any sort of historic theology relating to Holy Baptism, and even less to scripture. It is as if what we may personally think or feel about baptism is of primary importance, rather than what Scripture and historic teaching have to offer us. Certainly the incredible regard with which Scripture treats this sacrament ought to capture our attention and cause us to ask some questions. Like why does Matthew choose the passage we call the “great commission” as his parting words to his readers. Why is John’s gospel so permeated with water images that evoke the memory of Holy Baptism at almost every turn? Why does Peter proclaim that baptism saves? Theologically it seems we could find it useful to ask again why in its teaching and practice has the church, in almost all of its tradtions, worked to hard to protect the practice of this sacrament, and to proclaim so strongly the necessity of Christian participation. Some seem to feel we should move away from these roots, and perhaps they are right. My theology has transformed in ways I would never have guessed it could over the years. But one thing I insist on, is that when I change my understanding it has to be grounded in solid Biblical and theological teachings. I am sounding pretty preachy… I apologize for that… but it comes from a love for my sisters and brothers, and the church and sacraments.
One youth gathering my sons attended was on the subject of baptism
The title of the retreat: the Wet Walk
Kind of says it all; we walk all the moments of our lives “wet” with God’s love
I read all of the comments and now I feel bewildered. I reacted strongly to Christine’s post about her now-husband’s request to be baptized. This man was turned down, turned away and DENIED. It seems we are no better than Pharisees in requiring the right credentials, the right classes and to keep “good order”. I can only wonder what spark of light was extinguished by this denial. I wonder if he’ll ever request acceptance again.
My concept of Baptism is that nothing magically happens to the child, although there may be a stirring within the parents and sponsors as they make promises to bring the child to church to hear the WORD and to teach the child the commandments and the Lord’s Prayer. I see it as the beginning of a journey, a relationship, an identity for the child.
I was baptized as a baby and my parents kept their promise to take me to church on Sunday and to teach me the prayers. I was confirmed and active in the youth group. I was the kid in confirmation who drove the pastor crazy because I had deep questions and there were no answers…this led to doubt and frustration. As soon as I left for college, I left the church.
For the next 12 years, I kept God out of my life (so I thought) and doubted it’s existence while wandering in the desert of my own making. It wasn’t until I returned to church, with my own children in tow, that I began to hear the WORD with “ears to hear”. It was then, I was able to accept and reclaim the identity I was given as a child, marked with the Cross of Christ forever.
It wasn’t until I confessed of my unbelief that I was baptized with the Spirit. It was powerful, it was profoundly spiritual and completely out of “good order”. This began my journey with Christ, my relationship with Christ. I am thankful to my parents for giving me this identity as a child, for making the promises and keeping them. When I returned to church, I felt at home, accepted and welcomed. God didn’t leave me, I left God. But, God is very persistent and didn’t give up on me. I needed to accept the gift I had received as a child and open the gift and allow it to grow.
In studying and growing in faith, my thoughts and views have changed over the years. I no longer think the same as I did 30 years ago. Are we born as sinful beings? I say NO. For me, a newborn is pure, innocent, pure love, totally dependent on others, not sinful. Is he born into a sinful, fallen world? YES. He is contaminated by worldly things he sees, hears and has happen to him over time that corrupts him. (This point of Original Sin has turned many away from the faith. It’s a big sticking point.) Original Sin (in my thinking) could be genetics….the genetic code we are born with…
I’m not ordained, I am a lay-person. Is ordination the starting point of a journey or the end of a journey? Once you are ordained, do you now know everything there is to know about the bible and faith? Is marriage the beginning of a new life and the end of an old life? Is baptism the beginning of the journey or a one-time event? All of these things are events that are marked on a calendar, turning points, endings of one way of life and beginnings of another. In my thinking, we need these dates, these turning points….to look back and see how far we’ve come on this journey. We learn that when we were young and thought we knew everything there was to know, we didn’t know much at all…and the more we learn and grow, the more we know there is much more to learn. Maybe next year, more will be revealed to me to change my thinking once again.
Remembering the original context from Luke 3 (especially, and parallels) — There is a strong and healthy tension between John’s gospel (Luke 3:19 “with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news”–it is good news — even the fiery stuff about flee the wrath to come you brood of vipers… etc) and the blessing of Spirit and word, ‘you are my beloved son…’
John preaches (in my hearing, a bit differently from your take, David, in last weeks postings, the same radical sharing gospel Jesus preaches. Those with more than enough should share down to enough. Those with ten coats should give nine. Those with a lot should give at least half. (As Zack in Luke 19, the clearest parallel).
Yea the fire next time John preaches turns out to be the purifying fires of pentecost, but the pentecost event itself continues the radical sharing theme — selling houses and properties to provide for all — this is a lot more than just tithing, even what we usually consider generous giving beyond tithing.
Baptism is too huge to cover in a few sermons or book chapters but as some have noted above the Romans 6 and Col and Peter readings all imply radical new start.
So how to square with most of us being baptized as infants?
I think we need to allow the full tension to be there and preach both and — radical accountability and sharing and radical grace and inclusion. With the Holy Spirit filling in the particulars as we go…
Blessings, all, in this conversation.
Thanks for you insightful post on baptism David! I really appreciated your thoughts and your honesty in your questions. Your focus on God’s activity, our identity as children of God, and the announcement are very meaningful. I have been thinking about this a lot as I am teaching baptism in our church daycare. Not all of the children here are Lutheran or have been baptized. I suppose I have been using the announcement theology to teach them.
One question has been on my heart for a couple years now. In our confessions courses, my professors repeatedly taught that baptism is for the living. They too wanted to get rid of notions like the ‘ticket to heaven.’ But I was faced with a difficult situation as a chaplain. I was asked to baptize a child who had drowned and was on life support. I said yes out of concern for the family. And it was amazing how God worked through that situation. As I called him beloved child of God, it really seemed to comfort the family and God’s Spirit was present. And when nothing else could be done those words of love mattered. So my question is, ‘who is baptism for?’ Maybe there is just as much meaning for the community as for the one being baptized.
That’s an important insight, Jamie. I think when it comes to the kind of pastoral judgmental call like the one you describe, I always err on the side of what comforts the afflicted and so I think you made the absolutely right decision. Yes, baptism is an announcement that has the capacity to speak a word of gospel to many of us, not just the one being baptized. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I haven’t read the whole conversation yet, but I am a campus minister who regularly preaches in contexts where I would guess there are students or others present who have not been baptized. I think baptism is terribly important, but I also am convinced that the love and welcome of God I preach about does not exclude those who have not been baptized. I expect someone can tell me just which parts of the Lutheran confessions illustrate that I am wrong, but when I turn and look at the gathered community while I preach, I am sure that God is calling me to proclaim the same healing, commitment and compassion to each one. Maybe a parent/child image helps? The relationship is – understanding and appreication is not required.
David and everyone, what wonderful comments and thoughts regarding baptism and living a faithful life. understand that early in the life of the church people waited until close to their death before being baptized. That way they didn’t have too many sins built up so to speak. No reason I believe to not be baptized.
But as a new grandfather my son and daughter-in-law do not regularly attend worship and so my grandson has not been baptized. Sure I wish that he would be baptized but I do know that regardless he is still a child of God and that God holds him close regardless of the service or not.
But one aspect of baptism that I didn’t see (or maybe just missed) addressed is the understanding of how being baptized should focus every Christian to live out their vocational calling every day.
So I hope David that in your next Making Sense book you can bring together your thoughts on baptism and vocation.
Awesome, thought provoking discussion! Thanks so much to all of you for sharing your thoughts and struggles. Last year I was blessed to baptize my first grandchild–a wonderful celebration! But it also resulted in some tension because some family members didn’t believe in infant baptism. So I posted the following to explain my Lutheran understanding of baptism: https://www.facebook.com/notes/kindred-lutheran-church/baptism/10150947285373459
This is a really helpful essay, Andrew. Thanks for sharing it!
Why is the New Testament silent on Infant Baptism?
Baptist/evangelical response:
The reason there is no mention of infant baptism in the New Testament is because this practice is a Catholic invention that developed two to three centuries after the Apostles. The Bible states that sinners must believe and repent before being baptized. Infants do not have the mental maturity to believe or to make a decision to repent. If God had wanted infants to be baptized he would have specifically mentioned it in Scripture. Infant baptism is NOT scriptural.
Lutheran response:
When God made his covenant with Abraham, God included everyone in Abraham’s household in the covenant:
1. Abraham, the head of the household.
2. His wife.
3. His children: teens, toddlers, and infants
4. His servants and their wives and children.
5. His slaves and their wives and children.
Genesis records that it was not just Abraham who God required to be circumcised. His son, his male servants, and his male slaves were all circumcised; more than 300 men and boys.
Did the act of circumcision save all these people and give them an automatic ticket into heaven? No. Just as in the New Covenant, it is not the sign that saves, it is God’s declaration that saves, received in faith. If these men and boys grew in faith in God, they would be saved. If they later rejected God by living a life of willful sin, they would perish.
This pattern of including the children of believers in God’s covenant continued for several thousand years until Christ’s resurrection. There is no mention in the OT that the children of the Hebrews were left out of the covenant until they reached an Age of Accountability, at which time they were required to make a decision: Do I want to be a member of the covenant or not? And only if they made an affirmative decision were they then included into God’s covenant. Hebrew/Jewish infants and toddlers have ALWAYS been included in the covenant. There is zero evidence from the OT that says otherwise.
Infants WERE part of the covenant. If a Hebrew infant died, he was considered “saved”.
However, circumcision did NOT “save” the male Hebrew child. It was the responsibility of the Hebrew parents to bring up their child in the faith, so that when he was older “he would not depart from it”. The child was born a member of the covenant. Then, as he grew up, he would have the choice: do I want to continue placing my faith in God, or do I want to live in willful sin? If he chose to live by faith, he would be saved. If he chose to live a life of willful sin and never repented, and then died, he would perish.
When Christ established the New Covenant, he said nothing explicit in the New Testament about the salvation of infants and small children; neither do the Apostles nor any of the writers of the New Testament. Isn’t that odd? If the new Covenant no longer automatically included the children of believers, why didn’t Christ, one of the Apostles, or one of the writers of the NT mention this profound change?
Why is there no mention in the NT of any adult convert asking this question: “But what about my little children? Are you saying that I have to wait until my children grow up and make a decision for themselves, before I will know if they will be a part of the new faith? What happens if my child dies before he has the opportunity to make this decision?” But no, there is no record in Scripture that any of these questions are made by new converts to the new faith. Isn’t that really, really odd??? As a parent of small children, the FIRST question I would ask would be, “What about my little children?”
But the New Testament is completely silent on the issue of the salvation or safety of the infants and toddlers of believers. Another interesting point is this: why is there no mention of any child of believers “accepting Christ” when he is an older child (8-12 years old) or as a teenager and then, being baptized? Not one single instance and the writing of the New Testament occurred over a period of 30 years, approximately thirty years after Christ’s death: So over a period of 60 years, not one example of a believer’s child being saved as a teenager and then receiving “Believers Baptism”. Why???
So isn’t it quite likely that the reason God does not explicitly state in the NT that infants should be baptized, is because everyone in first century Palestine would know that infants and toddlers are included in a household conversion. That fact that Christ and the Apostles did NOT forbid infant baptism was understood to indicate that the pattern of household conversion had not changed: the infants and toddlers of believers are still included in this new and better covenant.
Circumcision nor Baptism was considered a “Get-into-heaven-free” card. It was understood under both Covenants that the child must be raised in the faith, and that when he was older, he would need to decide for himself whether to continue in the faith and receive everlasting life, or choose a life of sin, breaking the covenant relationship with God, and forfeiting the gift of salvation.
Which of these two belief systems seems to be most in harmony with Scripture and the writings of the Early Christians?
Gary
Luther, Baptists, and Evangelicals