baptism of infants

Recently someone had questions about baptism. Let me discuss some aspects of baptism.
Since the early days of Christianity there have been three modes of baptism.
Aspersion (sprinkling) is alluded to in Ezekiel : "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean." The method of affusion was used on the Day of Pentecost. When Jesus baptized the church with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Peter said it was to fulfill Joel's words, "I will pour out my Spirit on all people" (Acts 2.17). The mode of immersion was also used. Romans 6 speaks of baptism as a 'burial and resurrection.' The word 'baptism' usually means to 'dunk.' But it also has the generic meaning of 'washing.'

The Scriptural words about baptism were spoken to adults. But infants were included in the baptismal actions. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul speaks of the implicit solidarity of the family living under God's covenant. He writes, "For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy." (1 Cor 7.14) This indicates that children could be baptized because parents had chosen baptism. The children belong to the covenant community through their parents' faith, and can therefore receive the sign of entrance into the covenant--baptism. (There are 'household' baptisms in the book of Acts; we can assume that the households included children.) Another passage that relates to this 'proxy' faith is Mark 2. The paralyzed man's friends go through the roof to bring him to Jesus. It says that Jesus healed him because of 'their' faith. The idea of 'lending' a child our faith until the time when the child can 'own' it for themself is part of Christian tradition. We lend children our brains, our reason, our strength, our confidence, etc. We also lend faith.

Paul teaches the covenant understanding of baptism in Colossians 2.11-12 where he says that Christian baptism is analogous to Jewish circumcision. Both are signs of the covenant; both are given to children who are not old enough the rationally understand the implications. Baptism does not have to be understood to be received. It is a sign of God's promise.

We remember how Jesus said, "Don't try to prohibit the children from coming to me." He is not explicitly discussing baptism, but the attitude of inclusion of children is clear in his ministry.

Of course there are passages that speak about the need to repent and believe in relation to baptism. Those were spoken to adults who could repent, not to children who couldn't. Jesus himself was baptized, but didn't repent. He didn't need to. Perhaps children don't need to either. Are they conscious sinners?

Martin Luther responded to this objection by saying that children/infants have always been baptized by the church, yet faith is a requirement; therefore, the only conclusion to reach is that children must be able to have their own kind of faith, otherwise Jesus wouldn't have required something that children couldn't do.

Is there a 'seed' of faith in infants that grows as they are nurtured in the church? There most certainly is.

N.T. Wright, Bishop of Durham, England (Anglican Church) has written about the baptism of infants. When asked how old a child has to be before he or she can actually know anything about God, he answered, "About three minutes old." He goes on to say that the natural focal point of a newborn's eyes is the distance between the breast and the mother's eyes, so that the natural thing that the child does is to establish eye contact with Mom while feeding at the breast. There's an extraordinary sense of 'knowing' that passes between parent and child. If that is so between a human parent and the child, it is reasonable to believe that the creator of all living things can establish contact with a lovely little creature who bears his image at the earliest point of development. Little children 'know' in different ways that adults do. They have the ability to trust. (from an article in Reformed Worship)

Different denominations differ in their emphasis regarding baptism. Some see baptism as a purely human act--the human response to God's grace. Others see baptism as God's act: God effects something through this divinely instituted action. Paul says we are baptized 'into Christ.' (Ro. 6) In other words, baptism does something: it relocates us into the sphere of grace.

Is baptism a human promise or a divine promise? Baptism has to be a response to a divine promise. Without the promise, baptism means nothing. Presbyterians believe that baptism is the seal of the divine promise. There is no greater sign of God's unconditional love and grace than to witness the baptism of an infant. The helpless infant reminds us that "while we were yet helpless, Christ died for us." (Ro. 5.6) There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph 4). That one baptism has different modes and takes place at different ages and receives different theological explanations; but it's the one baptism that places us 'in Christ.'

Jesus told the church to go into the world and make disciples and baptize them. We are baptizing the little disciples-in-the-making. The baptism itself is part of the way we make disciples. First comes the nurture in the faith; then comes the understanding.

Having said all of that, I don't pretend to understand baptism. It's a mystery to me. I could be all wet.

bumper sticker

I saw a bumper sticker the other day
that said:


"God wants spiritual fruits,
not religious nuts."

Daily Devotionals

Our Executive Presbyter, Dennis Piermont, emailed some pastors
and passed along this daily devotional site....

I recommend it:

click below:

d365

back from vacation

I'm back from vacation. It's always hard to get up and moving after being away.
Things pile up. I have to sit down and take a deep breath and survey the landscape and
decide what the priorities are.

I've been visiting the sick, preparing for worship, reviewing administrative tasks,
writing articles, and resigning from committees. Well, I only resigned from one committee--the Committee on Ministry. I just can't find the time to fulfill all the tasks of that committee and do my pastoral work too. I've enjoyed working with remarkable elders and ministers on that committee.

***

While in Alabama we took care of Norah while mommy and daddy took a trip to Chicago. Jim was interviewing some candidates for the English department of his university, as well as attending the national meeting of Creative Writers (it has another title, but I don't remember it). Glory went along for the fun of it. Went to the Art Institute, did some shopping, and met with an old friend she hadn't seen in awhile.

Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, and Grandfather kep the little one. It was enjoyabe and exhausting. Norah has this habit of resisting sleep, and once asleep, not staying asleep. Someone has to get up with her throughout the night. And of course throughout the day--every minute of the day--someone has to be with her...feeding her, supervising her play time, holding her, taking her for a spin in the stroller, etc. It's quite demanding. Mothers are my heroes. Single mothers are my Super Heroes. How do they do it?

Norah is truly a genius. She's already speaking a foreign language--it must be, because we don't understand it. She learns very quickly. Glory and Jim are teaching her a few words in sign language. (You can get books now that teach sign language for children.)

***

I read a wonderful article in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin by Barbara Bodengraven. She writes about her longings to be a priest in the Catholic Church. It started when she was nine years old and raised her hand during Sister Paul Marie's classroom presentation and asked, "Why can't girls help out at the altar, Sister?" Bodengraven has a Masters in Theology from a Jesuit seminary. She writes about women's struggles to remain within the Catholic Church while not being given the opportunity to serve in ways they feel called to. One woman wrote: "Being a Catholic woman is a constant challenge to bring the Gospel not only to God's people, but allso to a hierarchical and patriarchal institution."

It's sad that people are shut out of service to God by institutions that don't seem to get the inclusive love of Jesus. Women, gays, ethnic minorities--people called of God, but shut out by God's people. The Scriptures' inclusive trajectory will not be stopped. Eventually the doors will be opened. In the meantime, people stand outside waiting to get in.

***

"Do not pray to be at peace in your belief. Pray that your anxieties be given peaceful outlets, that you may be the means to a peace which you yourself do not feel." (Christian Wiman, in the Christian Century)

Advice

I finished reading a book about ministry: Best Advice: Wisdom on Ministry from 30 Leading Pastors and Preachers, edited by William J. Carl III.

Gardner Taylor writes: Two Scottish crofters sat together in a highland church. The preachers' sermon seemed to go on interminably. The first farmer said to the second, "When is he going to finish?" The other said, "He is finished now, he just won't quit."

Eugene Peterson writes: The Holy Spirit descended into the womb of Mary in the Galilean village of Nazareth. Thirty or so years later the same Holy Spirit descended into the collective womb of men and women, which included Mary, who had been followers of Jesus. The first conception gave us Jesus, the second conception gave us the church.

Peterson again: The church is difficult. Many Christians find the church to be the most difficult aspect of being a Christian. Many drop out. It is no easier for pastors. The attrition rate among pastors leaving the their congregations is alarming.

Advice from Alyce M. McKenzie: A sermon only needs one ending. Multiple endings annoy people.

John Buchanan writes: I've learned that sermons are like Scotch whiskey. The longer the time in the barrel, the better the product will be.

There is a lot more substantive stuff in this book.

I would add my own two pieces of advice: (1) Start the sermon as close to the end as possible. (2) Every sermon should have at least one point.

death penalty

I was reading in the Birmingham News the other day that a 49 year old man had been executed the day before. He had been on death row for 26 years. They strapped him down and killed him. Well, we say "executed" instead of killed, because "execute" has more of an official ring to it. But they killed him.

Why do we do this? Because there is still a belief held by many people and some governments that we must do "justice." A man kills another person. We put him in a cage, then kill him because Justice demands it.

Who is this "Justice"? Is it some god we bow down to?

They say that God must do justice because Justice demands it. In other words, there is some god named Justice that gives orders to God.

God's people used to have a law: an eye for an eye...a life for a life. When Jesus came, he sat on the Mount and taught that we are to no longer follow the 'eye for an eye' law. Now we are to imitate the mercy of God. He didn't mention this other god named Justice. He taught that there is only one God -- the God of Creation and Redemption.

So, what we do when we (the government) execute someone is the offer a human sacrifice to the god named Justice. This is a primitive concept of religion. Something Christianity has moved beyond.

Of course we need to keep dangerous criminals away from society. We need prisons. But we don't need human sacrifice.

model

Norah is modeling a new outfit that is somewhat too big.

right foot

Norah has a habit of putting her right foot on the tray of her high chair.
We don't know if she's right-handed.
But we're pretty sure she is right-footed.

Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was a complicated man.
We hear lots of caricatures of his viewpoints.
A recent Q & A in Time Magazine with Henry Louis Gates Jr.
gave, I think, a good nuanced picture of Lincoln's views.
Here Gates' statement:

"A fundamental part of Lincoln's moral compass was his opposition to slavery. But it took him a long time to embrace black people. We were raised with a fairy-tale representation that because he hated slavery, he loved the slaves. He didn't. He was a recovering racist. He used to use the N word. He told darky jokes. He resisted abolition as long as he could. But in the end, he was on an upward arc, one that was quite noble."

Gates got it right. Unfortunately, some people portray Lincoln only in his early days--when he held what we would regard as racist views. Or only his later anti-racist views. The picture is more complex.

Lincoln matured. Now there's something to emulate.

ice cream

Norah -- first taste of ice cream

One year old

Norah -- One Year Old

Southward

The trip to Birmingham was pleasant.
As we drove through Kentucky the devastating ice storm's destructive work
could be clearly seen.
Trees broken all over the place.
It reminded me of the sight seen after a tornado goes through.
The bushy evergreens were bowed over from west to east
as if honoring our trip.

Somewhere we passed one of those 'Adult' stores.
And about 100 yards down the road was a big billboard
with the Ten Commandments on it.
Well, actually only the second tablet (last six commandments).
Sort of like, "Take one tablet and call me in the morning."

Since Christmas our granddaughter has gotten smarter.
(Hard to believe.)
Her hair is curlier and longer.
(Pictures later.)

*** ***

If you're worrying about spending a lot of time in purgatory,
take a look at the Vatican's website where there are some simple instructions
about how to obtain forgiveness of sins
and subtract time from your purgatorial stay.
See the instructions here.
(Notice the 'only one per day' caveat; wouldn't want to get
too much forgiveness in one day.)

'Purgatory' and the selling of indulgences was one of the issues that lit the fire of the Protestant Reformation. They're not selling indulgences anymore, but they're still handing them out when you perform certain religious rituals. It all sounds rather Medieval to me. If the Pope can hand out indulgences, why doesn't he just hand bunches out to everyone? It's like a mercy-dispensing-machine. It makes grace sound so mechanical. The Catholic Church sets itself up as the 'middle man' in the process of salvation. No wonder Luther and Calvin and Zwingle and Beza got so stirred up about the Church needing reform.

Railroad

I have finished reading a most interesting book: Nothing Like It in the World by Stephen Ambrose. It's the story of the building of the transcontinental railroad, 1863-1869. I can't begin to describe the magnificent achievement this book narrates.

Thousands of men worked on this great project. Many thousand were Chinese. Many more were Irishmen. After the Civil War, many soldiers who were 'out of work' took up the task, some wearing their old gray uniform, others with blue uniforms--working side by side.

The incredible engineering feats involved in constructing the railroad is just that--unbelievable. No power tools! (No electricity.) Men with muscles and determination and indefatigable commitment worked for years in unforgivable conditions. Through blizzards and searing heat. Making tunnels through snow to get to the work site.

Hundreds of men were killed by accidents: explosions, avalanches, swinging hammers, trains gone wild, Indians. Small towns were set up along the way. Almost every day someone was shot by someone else because of gambling or drinking or anger.

The transcontinental railroad was a project as big and difficult as the Kennedy's goal to get men on the moon. A monumental achievement. The financing aspect of this gigantic undertaking is followed throughout the book. Daily anxiety over the need for more money. The government issued bonds. In the private sector men put their financial future on the line.

Abraham Lincoln played a major part in getting the project off the ground. It was actually during the Civil War that Lincoln pushed through legislation to initiate the construction. Lincoln had been a supporter of the idea in his early years as a politician.

The transcontinental railroad connected the Atlantic and the Pacific and literally brought the country together. It opened up commerce and development and national security.

The story of how bridges were built and tunnels put through mountains without our modern technology and equipment is astounding. Nothing shows the American spirit better than this majestic enterprise. I was inspired by the story. It made me believe in the power of the human spirit. I've never been much interested in railroads like some people are. But this book opened my eyes to the importance of this part of our history and our inventiveness.

Connections are so important.

"Quotes"

I read a good quote the other day:

"A quotation, like a pun, should come unsought, and then be welcomed only for some propriety of felicity justifying the intrusion."

Isn't that great?

Written by Robert Chapman, a 19th century British clergyman.

Preaching

I just read a book about preaching. About once a year I like to read something on preaching. This book is entitled The Fully Alive Preacher: Recovering from Homiletical Burnout by Mike Graves. Now, I'm not homiletically burned out. But I thought it sounded interesting.

All preachers go through 'dry periods.' We get tired of doing the same thing over and over. We need a break. Graves writes about how the preacher must keep a balanced approach to life, time, and work. He writes sections on "the Sacrament of Looking" -- "The Sacrament of Walking" -- "The Sacrament of Napping" -- "The Sacrament of Reading" -- "The Sacrament of Friends" -- "The Sacrament of Music" -- "The Sacrament of Movement" -- "The Sacrament of Bread and Wine" -- "The Sacrament of Dessert."

He covers the subjects of how to organize the sermon; whether or not to write a manuscript and whether to use it in the pulpit; preaching without notes; finding stories to use in the sermon; the weekly schedule of sermon preparation; whether or not to use the Lectionary for preaching; how much time to spend in study every week in preparation; etc.

He makes a big point of how Fred Craddock changed the way most American preachers look at sermon organization. The traditional way of shaping a sermon had been deductively. But Craddock turned that upside down and approached the sermon development in an 'inductive' manner. (I've heard and read Craddock, and I have to say he is one of the best preachers I've ever heard.) There has also been a movement in the last few decades regarding 'plotting' sermons; i.e., preaching 'narratively.' A narrative sermon is a sermon that takes you along on a journey. Plot is movement.

Even though I didn't learn anything new in this book, it was good to be reminded of important questions preachers have to think about regarding how to go about preparing and giving sermons. There are different styles of preaching, each of which works in different contexts. The best sermons connect with peoples' real needs, keep the people awake, and serve up some delicious and nourishing spiritual food.

Didn't Jesus say, "Feed my sheep"?

Lullaby

[photo taken at Cox Arboretum]

I haven’t blogged for awhile. My mind has been tired and distracted. I’ve been putting all my energy into pastoral care—visiting folks in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices.

Caring for a family that has a loved one dying takes a lot out of me. For more than a week we watched as Mary slipped away. The emotional roller coaster takes its toll. Sometimes you feel like your efforts are so feckless. Yet I know that prayers and Scripture readings and hugs and words of comfort do give strength to the family. My experience of waiting for the time of death to come is like continually listening to an unresolved chord of music……….. It just seems to go on and on without resolution. But God has his time.

A week ago Friday when we were in ICU keeping vigil with Mary, watching her struggle to keep breathing, a song came over the loud speaker—a lullaby. The nurse told us that the song indicated that a baby had just been born in the hospital. A few minutes later the lullaby played again over the loud speaker. The nurse said that meant a second baby had just been born. Mary continued to labor to breathe. Without the next forty-five minutes the lullaby played two more times! We had no way of knowing how many women were giving birth. But there was a good chance that there were at least twins in that number.

The lullabies were songs of hope to me. Think about it: right in the midst of a dying there was birth. In the midst of death came life. Crucifixion and resurrection. God is the God of new birth.

It was three days later that Mary was born into a new world.