Brief Baptism Reflections

We just had another baptism in our church last Sunday. It's been a while. I hope to see more adult baptisms here as well: someone new coming to the faith and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace and the concomitant community. That's a great thing as well.

I have to confess that infant baptism is not that weird to me. I grew up Presbyterian, so that's what we did. When I became old enough to really question the matter, all I had to do was to see some biblical support. I understand that for those who didn't grow up with such a practice, or even the theological framework behind the practice, that this is quite a step. And I TOTALLY respect folks who believe that baptism seals the believer (Baptistic folks) as opposed to sealing the promise (Presby-types).

In seminary, I remember an evangelism professor say, "I prayed that my child would never know a day when she could remember not knowing Jesus." I thought that weird, since most of my college ministry experience taught me the necessity of knowing THAT MOMENT. That was where assurance could be found. Now of course there is a moment when the Holy Spirit regenerates the heart and that person is "born again" (John 3). But for many folks, the date isn't an option. And that's good. Because all they have to hold on to is Jesus. Not a date/time/place.

Now a covenant child can obviously have such a date/time/place. Plenty do. But it's certainly not bad when they don't. In fact its normal. That's what we pray for when we place the covenant sign/seal upon the child and claim God's promise.

BTW-if you didn't get it by now, the picture is of the musical artist presently known simply as "Seal" (not the first thing I think of when I see him though).