A “Baptismal love letter”

March 10, 2008, 12:00 pm; posted by
Filed under Articles, Featured, Mike J  | 8 Comments

A priest whose blog I read writes “baptismal love letters” to the infants she baptizes and posts them on her blog. (FYI: her blog is here, and those of you who think I’m liberal should read this lady.)

Anyway, I’ll be doing a baptism Sunday for three of our young people, and here’s my letter to them, which will be featured in our bulletin on Sunday. Hope it is meaningful for you too.

Tyler, Melissa and Patrick,

Today you join a ragged band. As you are baptized, I am mindful that Christians have not always lived up to their baptismal vows. Too often, we have been indifferent to truth and to love; too often, we have pursued our own agendas instead of “following Christ in word and deed throughout our lives.”

And yet, here you are. Splendid, youthful, and each of you beautiful. Each of you with God’s Spirit living in you, refracting differently through each of your hearts and personalities. Each of you is a shining testimony: that despite our shortcomings as Christians, God’s Spirit is still active and touching hearts through His church today. Somehow, sometimes despite His people, God still works! Each of you is proof of this.

Today, as you are baptized, the old heads will sigh and cry, and you will be hugged and cheered and loved. But if we are careful, we might forget (and even you might forget) why we cry great tears of joy. We cry, not because you are so young and full of possibility (though you are).

We cry because despite it all, God is still good. We cheer you because you are the most recent evidence that God is still active.

My prayer for you is that you reflect this truth your whole life long. May it not be just for a day when you are young, but throughout your whole lives, may God’s purposes and love be seen in your life. As you grow up and grow old, may you be the hands and feet of Christ, bringing hope and joy to a dangerous world.

~ In Christ’s love, Pastor Mike


Comments

8 Comments to “A “Baptismal love letter””

  1. David on March 10th, 2008 5:05 pm

    Lovely letter. Can I ask you how you feel about baptizing infants?

  2. Mike J on March 10th, 2008 8:28 pm

    Hi David–not a fan, if you mean do I practice it. In our church, though, we do practice open membership which does mean that when a prospective member wants to join, they have to have been previously baptized, but infant baptism “counts.” This is relatively uncommon for Baptist churches around the world but more common in our area.

    I’m glad those I baptize are old enough to read their love letter!

  3. David on March 11th, 2008 9:16 am

    I have been reading lately about the Anabaptists in Europe who were put to death by the thousands (by both Catholics and Protestants) for refusing to baptize infants because they were not old enough to confess Christ, and I found it interesting that they fled here for safety and freedom and are the progenitors of the modern day Baptists(among other groups).

  4. MIke J on March 11th, 2008 1:43 pm

    Yeah, David, the Anabaptists are a thrilling bunch. So many of them drowned in an ironic twist. Whether or not you agree with them theologically, and whatever you think of the legacy of such Dissenters, you can’t help but be impressed with this people’s faith.

  5. Steve on March 11th, 2008 2:38 pm

    Say what you will about me. But at least I didn’t burn Servetus.

  6. David on March 11th, 2008 5:03 pm

    That was Calvin.

  7. Mike J on March 11th, 2008 7:29 pm

    I serve on our region’s ordination committee. We had a prospective ordinand before us who was quite Reformed and I accused him of “being so reformed you’re practically dripping Servetus’ blood all over the place.” We all laughed but I’m not sure we all understood…

  8. Chloe on March 12th, 2008 9:38 am

    Wow, Mike, that was powerful.

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