I was 12 years old the first time anyone tried to denigrate my baptism. This shocking thing has happened to me several times since.
That first time, a cousin of mine, who was 10 then, worked on me almost all of one night.
The boy had just returned that summer from what we called a Jesus Camp, and he was full of fire and brimstone.
We were “camping out” in sleeping bags in the back yard of my parents’ home on the outskirts of Fort Lupton.
He kept asking, “Have you been saved? Have you made your peace with Jesus today?”
He wouldn’t shut up. The night began to grow very dark and long. “Have you been saved? Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?” I ran inside to my Mama, seeking guidance.
“Tell your cousin that you most certainly have been saved, that you were baptized when you were less than a year old,” said my mother.
Her argument, repeated to my cousin, was apparently unconvincing. His persistent pestering did not let up, way late into the night, until dawn threatened.
A second time, I went in for consultation and consolation. Again, Mother sent me back outside, assuring me that my cousin would probably be asleep by then. But no. He began anew.
Finally, I dared awaken my tired mother a third time. She rose from her bed, went to her office desk and retrieved a paper from a file. It was my baptismal certificate – which I at age 70 still have in my possession.
I took it outside to show my cousin. Using my blue and yellow Cub Scout flashlight, I showed him the evidence, the record of my Trinitarian baptism, the pastor’s signature, and the official seal, and my parents’ signatures. Both of them had signed it.
“That don’t mean anything,” said this impertinent cousin. “It’s just a piece of paper.”
I took the precious document inside, placed it back in its file and returned to the lawn and my sleeping bag.
Then I said to my cousin, “If you don’t shut up NOW I will flatten your nose for you. Make no mistake. I will hurt you and make you bleed and cry.” Or words to that effect.
Remarkably, he shut up and we slept for a couple of hours.
-0-
From that time to the present, a strange and threatening thread seems to be running through Christian-land.
The evidence of this thread is the continuing efforts to devalue, denigrate, dilute, degrade, minimize, limit, the very basis of faith, the precious Sacrament of Baptism. My own precious baptism included.
Over time, several persons have actually tried to persuade me that my baptism doesn’t really mean that much, that baptism itself is only a symbolic act, not significantly related to actual salvation. Ahem.
Jesus himself, who most certainly did not need salvation, was baptized. He went out of his way to be baptized, to exemplify baptism to us. Exemplify. To be an example to us of what He wanted us to do.
At the time, John was performing the baptism of repentance wherever he went throughout the land. Jesus asked John to baptize him in front of a large crowd. He wanted witnesses.
John objected. John knew Jesus, and who he was, and how the baptism of repentance would be extraneous in this instance. But Jesus insisted, and John obeyed.
After the ritual, the Father praised Jesus from the heavens. God spoke from the clouds, saying, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt. 3:17) God later said “. . . listen to him.” (Mk. 9:7)
How would anyone question that? Did the Father approve of the action of the Son? Of course he did. He said he was “well pleased.”
Who in his right mind would demean this Sacrament when the evidence is so overwhelming? Occasions in Holy Scripture are numerous in which we are directly, clearly instructed, “Be baptized and believe on the Lord.”
Why then make any attempt to reduce the value of Baptism? This seems part and parcel of an alarming trend which can be called “Light Christianity.”
Sorry everybody. Christianity is not to be taken lightly. Baptism is not to be taken lightly. True Christianity, while it certainly can contain good humor and joy, is deadly serious. There’s nothing “light” about it.
Am I seventy-seven percent Christian? If so, am I comfortable with a dilute commitment? Is a partial, fractional belief satisfactory? Is efficacy achieved with a “light” view?
No. Provision is made for the baptism of desire, for the baptism of blood, for the salvation of the ignorant and innocent. Salvation is available to all, salvation from the forgiving God. If the whole enchilada is ours, should we limit ourselves to a taquito?
I must realize that the attempts to fracture the power of the faith will continue. It won’t be the last time someone tries to persuade me that my baptism isn’t very valuable. It came out of the blue a few days ago.
From childhood to old age, I will always face this insidious trend.
A warning: One is at hazard when one dares to minimize the importance of baptism. “Oh that’s just a piece of paper.” It saddens me to realize I haven’t heard that for the last time. I hope I’m better prepared when it comes up again.
Just a piece of paper? Really? What else is not very important? The scriptures? The priesthood? Holy Matrimony? The Eucharist, the Body and Blood of our Lord?
Light Christianity. What a concept.
-0-
For a further treatise on baptism, please refer to St. Peter Attraction.
That first time, a cousin of mine, who was 10 then, worked on me almost all of one night.
The boy had just returned that summer from what we called a Jesus Camp, and he was full of fire and brimstone.
We were “camping out” in sleeping bags in the back yard of my parents’ home on the outskirts of Fort Lupton.
He kept asking, “Have you been saved? Have you made your peace with Jesus today?”
He wouldn’t shut up. The night began to grow very dark and long. “Have you been saved? Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?” I ran inside to my Mama, seeking guidance.
“Tell your cousin that you most certainly have been saved, that you were baptized when you were less than a year old,” said my mother.
Her argument, repeated to my cousin, was apparently unconvincing. His persistent pestering did not let up, way late into the night, until dawn threatened.
A second time, I went in for consultation and consolation. Again, Mother sent me back outside, assuring me that my cousin would probably be asleep by then. But no. He began anew.
Finally, I dared awaken my tired mother a third time. She rose from her bed, went to her office desk and retrieved a paper from a file. It was my baptismal certificate – which I at age 70 still have in my possession.
I took it outside to show my cousin. Using my blue and yellow Cub Scout flashlight, I showed him the evidence, the record of my Trinitarian baptism, the pastor’s signature, and the official seal, and my parents’ signatures. Both of them had signed it.
“That don’t mean anything,” said this impertinent cousin. “It’s just a piece of paper.”
I took the precious document inside, placed it back in its file and returned to the lawn and my sleeping bag.
Then I said to my cousin, “If you don’t shut up NOW I will flatten your nose for you. Make no mistake. I will hurt you and make you bleed and cry.” Or words to that effect.
Remarkably, he shut up and we slept for a couple of hours.
-0-
From that time to the present, a strange and threatening thread seems to be running through Christian-land.
The evidence of this thread is the continuing efforts to devalue, denigrate, dilute, degrade, minimize, limit, the very basis of faith, the precious Sacrament of Baptism. My own precious baptism included.
Over time, several persons have actually tried to persuade me that my baptism doesn’t really mean that much, that baptism itself is only a symbolic act, not significantly related to actual salvation. Ahem.
Jesus himself, who most certainly did not need salvation, was baptized. He went out of his way to be baptized, to exemplify baptism to us. Exemplify. To be an example to us of what He wanted us to do.
At the time, John was performing the baptism of repentance wherever he went throughout the land. Jesus asked John to baptize him in front of a large crowd. He wanted witnesses.
John objected. John knew Jesus, and who he was, and how the baptism of repentance would be extraneous in this instance. But Jesus insisted, and John obeyed.
After the ritual, the Father praised Jesus from the heavens. God spoke from the clouds, saying, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt. 3:17) God later said “. . . listen to him.” (Mk. 9:7)
How would anyone question that? Did the Father approve of the action of the Son? Of course he did. He said he was “well pleased.”
Who in his right mind would demean this Sacrament when the evidence is so overwhelming? Occasions in Holy Scripture are numerous in which we are directly, clearly instructed, “Be baptized and believe on the Lord.”
Why then make any attempt to reduce the value of Baptism? This seems part and parcel of an alarming trend which can be called “Light Christianity.”
Sorry everybody. Christianity is not to be taken lightly. Baptism is not to be taken lightly. True Christianity, while it certainly can contain good humor and joy, is deadly serious. There’s nothing “light” about it.
Am I seventy-seven percent Christian? If so, am I comfortable with a dilute commitment? Is a partial, fractional belief satisfactory? Is efficacy achieved with a “light” view?
No. Provision is made for the baptism of desire, for the baptism of blood, for the salvation of the ignorant and innocent. Salvation is available to all, salvation from the forgiving God. If the whole enchilada is ours, should we limit ourselves to a taquito?
I must realize that the attempts to fracture the power of the faith will continue. It won’t be the last time someone tries to persuade me that my baptism isn’t very valuable. It came out of the blue a few days ago.
From childhood to old age, I will always face this insidious trend.
A warning: One is at hazard when one dares to minimize the importance of baptism. “Oh that’s just a piece of paper.” It saddens me to realize I haven’t heard that for the last time. I hope I’m better prepared when it comes up again.
Just a piece of paper? Really? What else is not very important? The scriptures? The priesthood? Holy Matrimony? The Eucharist, the Body and Blood of our Lord?
Light Christianity. What a concept.
-0-
For a further treatise on baptism, please refer to St. Peter Attraction.
Baptism is certainly important. It is the outward expression to what we have decided in our hearts.
ReplyDeleteTo me it is like worship. Some people believe worship is singing songs at Church. I believe it is the outward expression and the overflow of whats going on in our hearts.
Like baptism it can have no meaning if the heart hasn't changed to reflect the meaning.
Without heart change the worship is only music, and without the heart change a baptism is only getting a little wet...