My last post still has me thinking about baptism.
One of the greatest joys of my life has been the different moments when five of my six children have made a decision of faith for themselves. They each made a decision to be baptized when they became believers. They had all been baptized as infants, however they each insisted that they wanted to have an experience, a memory to hang their hat on when the faith journey got long and hard. Somehow they understood at a young as that though the common water means nothing, the symbolism of baptism means everything.
My first three children, now 19, 17, and 16, plus my fourth child who was an infant at the time, all decided to be baptized at the same time. As the wonderful day approached, words began swimming in my brain and I quickly captured it on paper.
The Baptism
A holy time, a holy place
Water pours down
Like the bride’s veil of lace.
The Church is the Bride.
Christ, the groom.
We remember again
In this holy room.
A holy time, a holy place
As parents come bringing
Their child of grace.
Commitment and prayers
And dreams for days ahead.
Of trust in God the Father
And all that He has said.
A holy time, a holy place
As lives come to profess
Their need for grace.
To proclaim their allegiance
To Christ the Lamb.
To say, “Here, Lord, it’s me;
I give all that I am.”
Holy ground I’m walking on
Following the Light.
I will take this narrow path,
And press on with all my might.
I’ve decided to follow;
For He’s called me by name.
Though none go with me,
I won’t be ashamed.
A holy time, a holy place.
Love’s pure Light
Filling the space
And water flows down
Like the blood from the cross.
My greatest gain
comes from His greatest loss.
Holy ground we’re walking on
Following the Light.
We will take this narrow path
And press on with all our might.
We’ve decided to follow
For He’s called us by name.
Though none go with us
We won’t be ashamed.
Water covers my face
As His Blood covers my sin.
A holy time to remember
Again and again.
Different denominations have differing thoughts on the when’s and how’s of baptism. I respect all of them.
But one thing we can all agree upon– Baptism is a beautiful thing.
