My first baptism!!! (any pastorly advice?)

[Macrina]

This Sunday, I will be baptizing for the first time. Infant twin boys. I am very excited, and also kind of nervous. Any advice from the more experienced ministers out there?

 

[clonenomore]

While I can't really offer any advice, I do want to say:

AWESOME!!!!!!!

 

[Macrina]

While I can't really offer any advice, I do want to say:

AWESOME!!!!!!!

Thanks. It's overwhelming when I think about it; it's such an awesome, literally awe-some, privilege. I'm just stunned when I actually reflect on the fact that God is going to allow me to administer His sacrament. What a tremendous blessing! God is so good and full of grace!

 

[SoulFly51]

Serious question: why would you baptize an infant? I've always been under the impression that baptism is an act of obediance that a believer makes a conscious decision to fulfill.

What is the basis for baptizing infants?

 

[servant4ever]

I think she's from a different denominational tradition than yours.

Macrina -- congratulations and may God bless that baptism!

 

[Macrina]

servant4ever -- thanks, I am very excited about being a part of this baptism.

Wes -- I'm a presbyterian, and we will baptize either adult converts or the children of believers. Other denominations do this too, and I believe the theology is similar, but I can't speak for them. In my denomination, we believe that baptizing an infant is a sign of God's grace -- an illustration of the fact that God reaches out to us when we are utterly unable to respond. It is an affirmation of faith on the part of the parents and the congregation, who vow to raise the child in a Christian way and offer support for that child's Christian walk. It is also a statement of faith to the God of grace, that we are entrusting our children to our God, trusting that He will guide them to Himself.

We have a tradition called "confirmation," in which kids, usually young teens, who have been baptized as infants, are offered the opportunity to own the faith as their own, to make it a conscious decision on their part and not just something they take from their parents. I am teaching a confirmation class right now, in which we are reviewing the basics of the faith that they have been taught thus far, and engaging them with the material in a way which will hopefully encourage them to further personalize it to their own lives and individual relationships with God.

I hope that helps to explain our customs. With our emphasis on God's completely un-asked-for, unmerited grace, perhaps you can see why I am so overwhelmed with the privilege of being a part of this sacrament. The Lord has certainly been gracious to me by allowing me to participate in His work.

 

[SoulFly51]

I see. Its interesting I ran across this today. I'm about to leave in a few minutes to go baptize a young man who was baptized as an infant.

Everything I have studied from the Bible about baptism has caused me to come to the conclusion that its something a person makes their own decision go through with or not.

 

[Macrina]

I see. Its interesting I ran across this today. I'm about to leave in a few minutes to go baptize a young man who was baptized as an infant.

Everything I have studied from the Bible about baptism has caused me to come to the conclusion that its something a person makes their own decision go through with or not.

Wes, I didn't start this thread for debate. I started it to discuss a pastoral issue with other pastors. There are other threads regarding the theology of baptism around CF (I just saw one in the Reformed congregational forum).

 

[SoulFly51]

Actually the title of your thread is asking for pastorly advice.

Here's a bit for you: Don't baptize infants - baptize adults who understand the commitment they are making. In this way, you will follow the teachings of the apostles instead of the traditions of men.

 

[Macrina]

Actually the title of your thread is asking for pastorly advice.

Here's a bit for you: Don't baptize infants - baptize adults who understand the commitment they are making. In this way, you will follow the teachings of the apostles instead of the traditions of men.

Wes, this is not the first time that you have tried to pick a fight with me. I am well aware that you do not support my ordination, regardless of whom I do or do not baptize. In fact, when I offered an olive branch in the women-in-ministry thread, you did not even respond to my plea that we at least see each other as brother and sister in Christ who are each doing our best to serve God, even though we disagree with each other. That and your other comments towards me have spoken volumes, indicating that your view of me is not one of brotherly love, nor even one of professional respect.

I am considering using the "ignore" function for the first time, but I would rather not. I would ask, instead, that you honor my wish to keep debate out of this particular thread. Please feel free to start a baptism thread in this forum; if I have anything to contribute to the discussion, I will do so there. Not here.

Again, Wes, let's try to see each other as siblings in the faith and fellow servants, even when we disagree. I specifically ask that you treat me with the respect I have tried of offer you. If you cannot do this, you will be on my "ignore" list. Thank you.

 

[clonenomore]

...Again, Wes, let's try to see each other as siblings in the faith and fellow servants, even when we disagree. I specifically ask that you treat me with the respect I have tried of offer you. If you cannot do this, you will be on my "ignore" list. Thank you.

Amen, amen, and amen! Excellent post, Macrina!

Wes, I'll look forward to the Baptism thread that you start in this forum...

 

[Wakeup2god]

In that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptised. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God - he and his whole family.
Acts 16:33-34

Was this before or after a six week course on baptism to establish if they really understood it? (sorry for the sarcasm). Peter said 'repent and be baptised'. My concern would be with the parents not with the childs age. Have they repented like the jailer? If so they can dedicate their children to God, if this means by baptism thats cool. Maybe some churches would do it differently but I'd personally like to see more family units/households being saved.

 

[SoulFly51]

http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=14320536#post14320536

 

[Macrina]

http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=14320536#post14320536

Thank you for starting a new thread, Wes. If I have anything to contribute to the discussion (and the time in which to do it, heh), I will do so in that thread.

 

[wild01]

Macrina, just be glad you live in a warm climate. 2 months ago a young couple from my congregation insisted on being baptised in the Rio Grande. They didn't get off work until after dark. It was 5 degrees out when they took the plunge. As the girl was getting out her shorts brushed up against a metal pole and froze to it. I am very glad my pastor asked someone else to help him in the water. A group of us jump in the river every friday, but thats quite different than standing in the river long enough to dunk 2 people. Good luck and God bless, no matter what difference of opinion I have concerning infant baptism, it's never going to hurt anything one way or the other.

 

[wild01]

How did it Go??

 

[Macrina]

How did it Go??

Thanks for asking, wild01. It went very well, and I'm only just now coming down from the clouds.

On a practical level, it was everything I could ask for, babies didn't cry or anything.

On a spiritual level -- I was just so blown away that I got to participate in something like this. It was so amazing, I could feel myself shaking with awe when I took the first child in my arms. (no, I didn't drop him! ) I just felt the BIGNESS of God, if that makes sense. What a privilege, what excitement, to be able to serve in this way. It's like when you're a little kid and you get to help mom or dad out with a chore -- or should I say "help," because the work doesn't really require us, it just requires God. But in His grace, He allows us to participate in His work. I am just so thrilled that I got to be a part of this amazing time. I really felt God at work in that sacrament, and I was inspired to seek growth in my own discipleship.

 

[babbred]

I'm sorry Macrina, because I know we've agreed in the past, but here I have to totally disagree with you. I'm currently enrolled in a pastoral program in a denomination that allows infant baptism. Both DH (who's also a minister in the same denomination) and I have agreed that we will never perform one. Basically we agree with Wes. There is no scriptural basis for it. Those verses that talk about families being baptized do not say there were infants in the family. I myself was saved and baptized at the age of 7, so I have no problem with children doing it, as long as they're old enough to understand what they're doing. That's the NT pattern. Over and over again, it talks about adults being baptized after they had repented of their sins. I know the "it's just a sign of grace" argument. It's the one our denomination uses. However, the actual wording of the ceremony makes reference to Pentecost, where Peter was addressing adults, and says things like "now this baby is welcomed into the family of God." So where was the baby previously? Floating in limbo somewhere? Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me." He didn't say they could do so only if they had been through a ceremony.

 

[benedictine]

Congratulations, Macrina.

 

[Macrina]

Thanks, Benedictine, it was a very special experience.

Babbred, it's okay that you disagree with me on this. You don't have to agree with me on everything. I see that you've already found the other thread, though, so I'll let the debate go on there. To be honest, on a board where I've been labeled a false prophet and one who is called of Satan, I have limited energy for debating, as you can imagine. I hope you will agree with me that this doctrine is not one which is essential to salvation, and that we can still be in communion with each other in spite of it.