::The
Conversation::
September 11,
2006
Dunked,
sprinkled, dipped, splashed, poured, or misted. Baby, child, youth,
adult, middle-aged, or just aged - baptism is an important sacrament of
Christian churches everywhere.
Methodists understand baptism as a means of grace, or a channel by
which the grace of God is made known and made real in people's lives.
As one official UMC document records, baptism is "the initiatory sacrament by
which we enter into the covenant with God and are admitted as members
of Christ’s Church." As a community who believes that God's prevenient
grace is already active in our lives, baptism is an outward sign of
that already present reality. Therefore baptism does not depend on the
profession of faith by the baptized. So while adult baptism is
celebrated as wonderful moment, infant baptism is practiced and
celebrated as well.
Further, we believe that baptism in the name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit is a sign-act that re-orders the life of
individuals and their supportive communities around some radical
statements about faith and God's grace. Some of those principles are:
-
Renouncing the spiritual forces of wickedness
-
Supporting the church in its ministry for the world with prayers,
presence, gifts, and service
- Pledging to create a community that nurtures young people in the ways
of Christ
Many forms of baptism are
practiced and the UMC encourages the use of large volumes of water
whenever possible in order to communicate the abundance of God's
grace. Maybe we will get that pool installed in the sanctuary
after all!
Carl
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READ Galatians
3:26-29 We tend to think of baptism as a personal
experience. When did I get baptized? How did my pastor
deliver the water? Etc. This section of the bible, however, suggests
that we share in one baptism, all the same, and that in that sharing we
create a community of Christ that transcends national, ethnic,
political, or econimic boundaries. Who are some Christians that you
share a baptism with that exemplify this newly created community in
Christ?
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