Jesus' baptism

I wonder if you have been baptized? I wonder if you are thinking about being baptized? I wonder if you have questions about whether infant or adult baptism is best, or if immersion baptism is possible at St Clement’s? Your wondering is welcome. I will tell you that your priest is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to baptism. I have been what they call “double dipped.” I was baptized as an infant in an Anglican Church with the traditional three scoops of water from a font poured over a child’s head in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit. I was also baptized when I was 18 in what is known in free church traditions as believer’s baptism. This involved a large tank filled with water where baptism candidates were immersed totally—vividly expressing the Christian’s participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

There are three prominent symbols in any celebration of baptism. There is water, oil, and light. One of my favourite parts about preparing candidates and families for baptism is talking about where we see these images show up in our daily lives. A favourite body of water —  the ocean, a lake, a local swimming hole. Oil is  everywhere from car engines to cooking, and light— in the sun, the moon, and the stars, as well as in the electricity and other modern comforts of our homes that require light. 

The three symbols of baptism: water, oil, and light draw deep meaning from the bible. There are the waters of creation, the parting of the Red Sea in the exodus, and the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. Notice that those bodies of water are all part of the natural world. This is why the water for baptism at St Clement’s comes from the Coleman Creek. “Chrism [oil] evokes a rich variety of biblical images: the anointing of kings (1 Samuel 16.13), the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2.9), and the eschatological seal of the saints (Revelation 7).” And, of course, in the Gospel of John, Jesus is called the light of the world, and followers of Jesus are called to shine their light like a city on a hill, and not to hide it under a bushel or to let anyone blow it out. 

Whenever we come to church, we have an opportunity to recall these powerful symbols of our baptism. We can dip our fingers in the water in the baptismal font and make the sign of the cross. We can light a candle on one of the votive stands. We can ask for healing prayer and anointing from one of the clergy or lay pastoral visitors. If you haven’t been baptized, all of these symbols  are open to you, too. You do not have to be baptized to dip your fingers in the water in the font, or to receive healing prayer, or to light a candle in church. Perhaps instead of recalling your own baptism, you can remember Jesus’, even as you consider whether baptism might be right for you. Remember: Jesus was baptized later in life, when he was an adult. It is never too late to be baptized. 

You might be wondering whether it’s better to be baptized as an infant or as an adult. Anglicans welcome both. Baptism in the Anglican tradition is a sacrament, which is defined as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. When we celebrate baptism, we are using outward and visible signs: water, oil, and light, to acknowledge an inward and spiritual grace that is already true about a person. We celebrate baptism to acknowledge publicly that every one, every human being is beloved of God. This is what was said of Jesus at his baptism, and because Jesus was fully divine and fully human, by extension it is said of us, of our humanity, too.

While baptism at the font is the most common form of baptism in the Anglican Church, immersion baptism in a larger body of water is possible, too. If that’s something you’re thinking about, I’d be happy to talk about how we can make that happen. The only thing you need to remember is that baptism in the Anglican tradition is considered indissoluble, which means, while it is possible to be “double-dipped” in some other Christian traditions, for Anglicans, once you've been baptised, you are marked as God’s own forever and you needn’t have a do-over or a refresh. 

However, if you have been baptized but are looking for a way to reaffirm your faith, perhaps after a long absence from church or a period of unbelief or wrestling with your faith, then taking steps to reaffirm your faith may be something you’d like to take part in. The liturgy for reaffirmation comes with lots of cool symbols, too. I promise. 

So, what happens after a person is baptized? Does anything change? At a celebration of baptism, the entire community has a chance to renew the vows made at their baptism as a reminder of how we strive to live as baptized Christians. We call this the baptismal covenant, and it includes several questions that help jog our memory about what it is we are called to do after we’ve been baptized. 

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? When we've been baptized, we are called to keep up our faith by meeting with other Christians for worship, to share the Eucharist, and to pray. 

Will you persevere in resisting evil and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? When we've been baptized, we are called to confess the sin that infects our hearts and infects our world. A friend recently told me about a powerful experience he had as a young boy making his first confession to a priest. After he had read from this piece of paper the things he was sorry for, the priest told him he was forgiven and then crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it in the bin. 

Will you proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ? We are called as baptized Christians to see each and every person we encounter as beloved of God—and to treat each other as such. This is indeed the good news of God in Christ.

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbour as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? Look no further than the example of Renee Good, a Christian, a U.S. citizen, a wife, and a mother, who was shot dead last Wednesday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent as she attempted—unarmed—to protest the intimidation and mistreatment of her neighbours. Look no further than the clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, who were told by their bishop this week to get their affairs in order in the event they were called to stand with their bodies between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable. Look no further than the thousands gathered a mere 12 hours ago in Tehran, holding cell phone flashlights, calling into the night: “See us. We are here. In the heart of darkness. Without internet. Without connection. This is our revolution. We are standing.”

Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God's creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth? As baptized Christians, we are called to care for the more-than-human creation, too, to see the natural world as beloved of God and to care for it as though our humanity depended on it, because indeed it does. 

It would seem the life of a baptized Christian is a tall order. Thank goodness for Jesus’ own baptism where that water was first sanctified so that waters of baptism in every time and place might be made sacred, too, bestowing upon all who pass through them the forgiveness of sin, the new life of grace, an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love God, and the gift of joy and wonder in all God’s works. Amen. 


Image source: St Clement's Anglican Church