Another blog about what I love about church services – Water Baptism.

 

I remember vividly the gutsy journey of my parents to not only accept Christ, but to also change their lives so they would raise their family in a Christian environment. They changed the trajectory of my siblings and me. All of us accepted Christ and so did all of our kids – all eighteen of them. Now we have our own grandkids…wow.

 

I was baptized with my parents, brothers and my sister in our friend’s pool. We all went into the water together and my parents were baptized first, then the kids. Even to this day, I still get a thrill to see entire families baptized together. It is such a great memory since we all live so far away from each other now. I have enjoyed the honor of baptizing my kids. Taylor and Abby in pastoring in Orlando in a pool with our small group watching. Casey was baptized in the Seventh Day Adventist Church we were renting when GFC was in the early years. (I still ask people to close their mouths because he came out with a full load and sprayed it all over my face – then kissed me on the nose.   Love that guy.)

 

Why do I love it? It is such a simple, yet profound way of publically declaring that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life. It’s in the Bible, Jesus did it, and we are told to do it. It doesn’t make a lot of natural sense – dip in the water. I love the challenge to Naaman by his servant in the Old Testament when seeking his healing. “If he (the prophet) had asked you to do something great, would you not done it?” I am like Naaman – if the Bible had asked us to do something hard, we would man up and do it. But this is all about surrendering.

 

Baptism seems so simple but it symbolizes so much. It symbolizes the death of the old, sinful nature. The birth of a new life and a new way of living. It demonstrates a simple picture of the transformation that God does in our hearts. It is a public declaration.   And in doing so, shares a message that words cannot express. It is so simple that any man, woman or child can do it. (Brilliant!)

 

Repent and be baptized…what a great start!