Baptism And Me

MON., NOV. 7, 1988, 6:52 AM
FARM, STUDY

Yesterday you witnessed and were a small part of the ceremony of Christian baptism into the Episcopal portion of My Body, the Church. Your youngest granddaughter had her head soused with water blessed for the occasion. She was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, so, naturally, I was there present, and was participating.

Baptism is one of the Christian sacraments in any legitimate tradition. It is the symbolic act that “officially” commences one’s spiritual quest in the earth. Spirit actually enters the small body sometime before or shortly after birth and hence that spirit and Mine can begin to relate, but, practically speaking, there’s not much happening during infancy. The baptism of an infant like Kate is the symbolic ceremony of parents, godparents, and a church congregation publicly pledging to help this small human come to know Me in as personal a way as possible.

The children who were older had more of a sense of participation and already are aware of some relationship between their families, the church, and Me. And yet the help of others is still necessary. They were not yet old enough to assume this quest on their own. Then immediately I must say that chronological age is a rather poor measure of this capacity for relationship.

You have read of children who preach a version of My Gospel even before they can read and intellectually understand the Holy Bible. Some of this is quite sincere and does represent an early link with Me, and therefore the matter of official baptism is a moot point. Conversely, old folks who were baptized early in life come to the point of bodily death without having fulfilled the potential for that early baptism, even during a full life. Sad!

Christian baptism arises from the act of My going, as Jesus, to the river Jordan and being immersed by John, the one who baptized. In one very real sense that was unnecessary, for I already was aware of My relationship with Me and of My ministry ahead. Yet I wanted to endorse the principle of symbolic acts, and hence I established what would become one of the sacraments of the church.

There is merit in being baptized as an adult, for then it can be assumed that the person truly wants this relationship with Me and My Church and will be an active seeker of spiritual growth. There is merit in being baptized as a child, with some conscious choice but only vague knowledge of what the Church is. And… there is merit in infant baptism, symbolizing that you needn’t walk this lonesome valley by yourself, but that Christians help one another along spiritual paths.

You don’t remember your baptism, but you are quite aware of your nurture in the church and family… even as it did not lead directly to your born again experience. It was something done to and for you which should urge you to particular responsibility for the young who come into the fellowship in need of nurture.

The necessarily parallel sacrament is that of Holy Communion. Baptism is a one time sacrament. Communion is the continuing renewal of that relationship. Communion can be taken daily, weekly, quarterly, or even so sporadically, but it is ever the symbolic renewal of baptism. Baptism brings you in, and communion defines what “in” means. It symbolizes the sacrifice I made for you and for all. With the bread and wine as My flesh and blood you are assured of power in this life and of eternal life with Me. It also represents, in positive terms, the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Communion is, in effect, baptism in another, continuing form.