Is this re-baptism/self-baptism in the EO?

[OpenDoor]

Dailymotion - Jesus baptism re-enacted - a News & Politics video

I found this video and I thought it was interesting. Are the Orthodox members being re-baptized or self-baptized, or is it just a holiday celebration?

 

[gzt]

I can't watch the video right now, but there is only one baptism and you cannot baptize yourself. If the people have been baptized (and they probably have), this is a pious custom that is not baptism.

 

[OpenDoor]

I can't watch the video right now, but there is only one baptism and you cannot baptize yourself. If the people have been baptized (and they probably have), this is a pious custom that is not baptism.

That's what I thought . When you can please check out the video. I was surprised by what I saw.

 

[OpenDoor]

this is a pious custom that is not baptism.

I would also like to hear more about this custom. I did not think the Orthodox Church would practice this.

 

[choirfiend]

GZT is correct, it is not baptism. And I dont believe that it is something enacted in just any body of water, but only the Jordan. A reasonable comparison of pious custom may be following the steps of Christ as He carried His cross throughout the city, as I believe some people do.

 

[OpenDoor]

GZT is correct, it is not baptism. And I dont believe that it is something enacted in just any body of water, but only the Jordan. A reasonable comparison of pious custom may be following the steps of Christ as He carried His cross throughout the city, as I believe some people do.

So this celebration would not be practiced outside of the Jordan river?
Can anyone tell if they are saying, "I baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit"?

Edit: Also what does the crossing self, before going under the water mean?

 

[gzt]

They would certainly not be saying that.

We cross ourselves a lot.

 

[Michael G]

Troy crosses himself before every play on the football field!

 

[Coralie]

Orthodox cross themselves at the drop of a hat (well not really, but nearly that much).

Entering a church... leaving a church... driving past an Orthodox church... before eating... after eating... before starting a task... before bed... upon waking...

As well as whenever "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" or "the Trinity" are mentioned...

Some people will stand and cross themselves whenever the Virgin Mary is mentioned... ditto the name of a saint, or the expression "and all the saints..."

Also, whenever the priest says, "let us commit ourselves and one another, and all our lives, to Christ our God..."

Lots of people also whenever saying or hearing "Lord, have mercy"...

Seriously there is nooooo way an Orthodox wouldn't cross themselves when re-enacting Christ's baptism!!

 

[OpenDoor]

Orthodox cross themselves at the drop of a hat (well not really, but nearly that much).

Entering a church... leaving a church... driving past an Orthodox church... before eating... after eating... before starting a task... before bed... upon waking...

As well as whenever "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" or "the Trinity" are mentioned...

Some people will stand and cross themselves whenever the Virgin Mary is mentioned... ditto the name of a saint, or the expression "and all the saints..."

Also, whenever the priest says, "let us commit ourselves and one another, and all our lives, to Christ our God..."

Lots of people also whenever saying or hearing "Lord, have mercy"...

Seriously there is nooooo way an Orthodox wouldn't cross themselves when re-enacting Christ's baptism!!

Interesting

 

[OpenDoor]

Is there a name for what they are doing in the video?
Is it practiced all year?
Is it only done in the Jordan?

 

[choirfiend]

I dont think there is a name for it. It looks like the main event is on Theophany, though I do not know if it happens other times.
Qasr Al Yahud in the Jordan river - Epiphany & Baptism | All About Jerusalem

On Theophany, we have a service wherein we bless water, whether in our church's font or the local river or lake, as Christ sanctified the waters by entering them to be baptized. Many people partake of then dipping in the blessed water, particularly in Russia, where is it freezing and holes need to be cut in ice to do it. The Greeks have a practice where the blessing cross (made of wood) will be cast into the lake three times, then men will jump in to try to be the one to recover it. These are all just different cultural traditions; the Tradition of the Church is the teaching about Christ and how the waters are sanctified through Him.

 

[buzuxi02]

These are mock baptisms that take place in the jordan river by christian tourists not limited to only the Orthodox. Pilgrims to the Holy Land like to retrace the footsteps of Jesus Christ, so they take a 'dip' in the Jordan in remembrace of Christ's baptism at the hands of John the baptist.
One way you know these are mock baptisms and not the actual Orthodox sacrament of baptism is that in the real thing, the priest in a loud legible voice must say the name of each person of the trinity before each immersion.

 

[gzt]

After watching the video, I concur with everybody else here.

 

[Monica child of God 1]

These are mock baptisms that take place in the jordan river by christian tourists not limited to only the Orthodox. Pilgrims to the Holy Land like to retrace the footsteps of Jesus Christ, so they take a 'dip' in the Jordan in remembrace of Christ's baptism at the hands of John the baptist.
One way you know these are mock baptisms and not the actual Orthodox sacrament of baptism is that in the real thing, the priest in a loud legible voice must say the name of each person of the trinity before each immersion.

yeah. One of my co-workers told me that he got baptized Orthodox while on a trip to the Holy Land. I said, "No you didn't."

M.

 

[Gregorios]

I would love to do this myself but it's not baptism just immersion in the Jordan River as Christ did, it's not uncommon to retrace Christ's steps during His Passion, some people may even carry a cross. Oh and as far as crossing yourself..I crossed myself three times before posting, just cause

 

[OpenDoor]

In Evangelical communities they have a practice similar to this, but I think they view it as valid baptisms (or recommitting oneself to God). Would this be acceptable to Orthodox?

If not, what would need to be altered to make it an acceptable practice?

 

[-Kyriaki-]

Why would we alter it to make it acceptable for us? We don't need the practice, we have our own. If we want to recommit ourselves to God we go to confession (seen as renewing our baptism) and go from there, we don't need to re-enact our baptism.

 

[Macarius]

In Evangelical communities they have a practice similar to this, but I think they view it as valid baptisms (or recommitting oneself to God). Would this be acceptable to Orthodox?

If not, what would need to be altered to make it an acceptable practice?

The idea of recommitting one's life to God isn't foreign to Orthodoxy; we just already have a sacrament for that: confession. And we do it a lot. Monks, daily; parishoners anywhere from bi-weekly to once every couple of months.

If confession confirms, by grace, our recommitance to God and Christ, then this renewed faith expresses itself through pious actions like venerating icons (one means of remembering the saving actions of Christ & asking for His grace), or the sign of the cross (another means of remembering the saving actions of Christ & asking for His grace), or in taking care of His creation (as charitable works are also a means of remembering the saving actions of Christ & asking for His grace), or through worshipful prayer / liturgy (I'm guessing you can see the pattern here)...

It is two distinct things - the return to repentance / recommital and the pious act(s) resulting from that.

So to us, immersion in the Jordon would probably be seen as a pious act not unlike venerating an icon. But it would not be seen as sacramental (unless, of course, one were to be sacramentally baptized in the Jordon).

Hope that helps clarify

 

[Blackknight]

As with everything you have to look at the action being performed in the proper context. There is nothing saying that you can't be baptized in the Jordan river, in fact it would be pretty cool to do so but at the same time there is no rule saying that you can't re-enact Christ's baptism in the river either.