A beautiful, but unusual baptism

An unusual baptism. They are all special, but yesterday I saw something different. Sweet little guy. Hair combed. Wiggling and smiling, but not screaming. Relatives filling the 2 front pews. As the pastor put his hand in the water, he stopped and asked an usher to bring in some cool water. It was too hot to baptize! We continued with our part and soon the water was carried in and the sacrament was completed.

Anniversary of my baptism--72 years ago

Baptism and catechism for converts to Christianity in the 4th century.

"The candidate for baptism is to present himself before God in true repentance and humility, making sincere confession of his sins, and in the knowledge that there is one God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who together with the Holy Spirit, is the rewarder of those who diligently seek. Him. At baptism the sins of the believer are remitted; he receives the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, and symbolically he shares in the burial and Resurrection of the Lord."

That's a brief summary of 28 lectures given by Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem, titled "Catechetical Lectures." Eighteen of the lectures are addressed to persons desiring baptism, and 5 are addressed to the newly baptized. Our own baptism and confirmation were not that challenging, but they do have a history, and God does the heavy lifting. This is from the 4th century.

 
It seems the candidate also had an exorcism to be cleaned of evil spirits and it involved some nakedness to symbolize Christ who was naked on the cross. The candidate also went into the pool 3 times as a symbol of Christ's death, burial and Resurrection. He was then anointed with oil as Christ's gift of grace and the soul was sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Then the new believer was ready for the Eucharist which is no longer bread and wine, but the real body and blood of Christ. That was topped off by commemoration of the patriarchs, prophets, Apostles, and martyrs and the Lord's Prayer with a benediction.

 
There is very little agreement among Christians on anything--certainly not baptism or communion. But most of us can find elements of our own baptism in this ancient description. I was baptized on Palm Sunday of 1950 (April 2), and still find elements in that service and the baptisms I see at our Lutheran church in the 21st century.

This information about Cyril's baptismal instructions is from p. 93-95 of Magill's Masterpieces of Christian Literature in Summary Form (1963).

On Birthdays

Facebook makes a big deal about birthdays.  And often I forget or overlook those notices, even though many people just love receiving congratulations from people they never see, or often haven’t met. It might be the only time anyone makes a fuss over her or him to make the day really special with images of birthday cakes and balloons.

Father Peter John Cameron, author, editor and playwright, reflected on the birth of John the Baptist (celebrated June 24).  Just in case you don’t know that story from the Gospel of Luke, John was Jesus’ cousin. Their mothers, Elizabeth and Mary, were pregnant at the same time and John recognized Jesus in the womb and leaped for joy:

“The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist is a sacred reminder of the fact that every day I need born in my life:

someone who leaps with joy before the presence of the Lord, who makes me want to live my own relationship with Jesus with greater ardor and fervor;

someone to prepare the way of the Lord and to give me knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of my sins;

someone who turns my attention away from my distractions and preconceptions so that I will behold the Lamb of God as the true desire of my heart;

someone who models for me that there is no greater joy in my life than for Jesus to increase and for me to decrease, especially as regards my self-reliance, my self-assertion, my self-absorption;

someone who is a burning and shining lamp whose radiance gives light to my path and courage to my heart, making me want to live for others;

someone so committed to the truth that he is willing to lay down his life for the Truth-become-flesh—witnessing to me that all true happiness comes through self-sacrifice;

someone whose sanctity proclaims that there is no man born of woman greater than he is, but that I can share his greatness if I love Jesus as he did.”

The Baptism of the Lord

Today I was prepared to celebrate the Baptism of the Lord with other traditional and liturgical churches, but it didn't happen. So I'll post a reminder here as a heads up:

The Baptism of the Lord 2020: Sunday, January 12, 2020

The Baptism of the Lord 2021: Sunday, January 10, 2021

The Baptism of the Lord 2022: Sunday, January 9, 2022

The Baptism of the Lord 2023: Sunday, January 8, 2023 (transferred to Monday, January 9, in the United States and other countries where the celebration of Epiphany was transferred to Sunday, January 8)

The Baptism of the Lord 2024: Sunday, January 7, 2024 (transferred to Monday, January 8, in the United States and other countries where the celebration of Epiphany was transferred to Sunday, January 7)

The Baptism of the Lord 2025: Sunday, January 12, 2025

The Baptism of the Lord 2026: Sunday, January 11, 2026

The Baptism of the Lord 2027: Sunday, January 10, 2027

The Baptism of the Lord 2028: Sunday, January 9, 2028

The Baptism of the Lord 2029: Sunday, January 7, 2029 (transferred to Monday, January 8, in the United States and other countries where the celebration of Epiphany was transferred to Sunday, January 7)

The Baptism of the Lord 2030: Sunday, January 13, 2030

Matt. 3:13-17

Acts 10:34-38

John 3:22-30

Baptism of our Lord, January 10

 

If your church follows the lectionary (C), tomorrow we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 At our church we're in a series on Joel, so I don't know what the Gospel lesson is--it's not listed on the church website.

About 80% of Christian groups baptize infants, but I remember my baptism, Palm Sunday 1950 in Mount Morris Church of the Brethren. (A friend, Sylvia, who still lives in Mt. Morris looked it up--she was probably in the same group). My mother made the trip for instruction every Sunday afternoon for about 6 weeks, and I remember Rev. Foster B. Statler (d. 1971), and how patient he was with a bunch of wiggly, ignorant children trying to be holy. It's a nice memory, but it wasn't faith. That came later and has to be renewed often. Ten year olds don't know a whole lot more than infants, and maybe less!

Date of baptism

Last week Pastor John Stozenbach talked about his baptism in the sermon (on baptism), and mentioned the date, and then asked us if we knew the date of our baptism. I didn't. I was pretty sure it was 1950, but didn't have a clue about the day. So I' e-mailed a friend, Sylvia, who still attends that church and is my age and asked her if her mother might have recorded it (she had great scrapbooks since she was the oldest child--I was lucky to have a photograph being third). Sylvia went to the church archives and found out our class was baptized on April 2, 1950 at the Mt. Morris Church of the Brethren. I looked up the date and that was Palm Sunday. I didn't have a "confirmation" verse, but John told us to select one if we didn't. So I've chosen Acts 2:42, which describes the early church group of the baptized 3,000 converted after Peter's sermon. There were four elements of their life as a church, 1) teaching of the apostles, 2) their fellowship together, 3) sharing a meal (eucharist/love feast) and 4) prayer. Isn't that a nice model, even for old timers in the 21st century?

Then it occurred to me today that when we joined UALC in 1976 it was on Palm Sunday also, and that we were confirmed, whereas those who were Lutherans were received by letter of transfer. So Palm Sunday was a big day.

Friday family photo--the baptism

Why do people bring tiny babies to the coffee shop--especially with it being flu season? Maybe it wasn't the same baby I wrote about at my coffee blog on Nov. 20. The mother said it was 30 days old, and the one I saw two weeks ago was 24 days. Anyway, too tiny to be out and about.

Yesterday packing away some things I came across my son's immunization and well-baby pediatric booklet from Dr. Batterson. I think at first it was once a month, then every 6 months, then once a year. They do grow up, and I do mean up (over 6'), very fast. I doubt that I took him anywhere except to the doctor when he was an infant. Might have had a few people stop by the house to admire him, but I didn't have a car, so we probably stayed home until it was stroller weather in April and May. We put a lot of miles on that red plaid stroller with a rumble seat.


As I noted before, because I was raised in a tradition (back to the 18th century) that didn't baptize babies (Church of the Brethren), we had no sweet little outfits to pass around at baptism time, so this little double breasted suit was practical. I can tell from his position he's trying to squirm out of my arms and get down on the drive-way to crawl.

Capernaum and River Jordon

The city of Capernaum was built on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, about two miles west of the Jordan River. This ancient town is not mentioned by name in the Old Testament, but is referred to as our Lord's own city, where it became the center of His Galilean work and ministry. Jesus traveled there from Nazareth, to the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, and called his first disciples, Andrew, Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee (Matt 4:13-22). He taught in their synagogue (Jn 6:24-59), and it was here that Peter found the coin from the mouth of the fish, upon the command of Jesus, to pay the tax-gatherers (Matt 17:24-27). He resided for a time at Peters house in Capernaum, teaching and healing the sick (Lk 4:31-41). Once He had left, He rebuked the city for their unbelief (Lk 10:15).

Recently there have been excavations that have uncovered the 2-story synagogue. Today, near the synagogue, there is an octagonal Byzantine church with a mosaic floor built upon the site believed to be the house of Peter.

This seems to be the only photo we have that shows "bus five," the group we traveled with up to Cairo. I think we're sitting in the ruins of the synagogue.

Recent excavations beneath the church has revealed houses dating back to the first century. Some believe that one of these houses could very well be the house of Peter.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, after having heard about the River Jordan all my life, but it looks like any little stream in the Midwest. This is the spot where I dipped my hand into the water, made a sign of the cross on my forehead, and prayed. Lutherans don't rebaptize, but many in our group did go into the water and prayed with our pastor. People who do wish to be baptized can rent a gown--not sure if they also rent clergy.

I think this group was Chinese and they were singing beautiful hymns by the water.

It was nearing dusk after a time in the gift shop, so we boarded the bus after a busy day and returned to the ship and the moon over the Sea of Galilee was the prettiest sight I've ever seen--but the bus was moving to fast to get a good photo. When we docked on Wednesday, we were in Ashdod, ready to go to Jerusalem.

You also can't trust those Christmas carols

Some years ago I was told--probably during a sermon--that there weren't three wise men--there were three types of gifts to honor the new born king. So a 19th century minister came up with "We three kings of Orient are/ bearing gifts we traverse afar. . ." Then during Advent our senior pastor preached on the meaning of the carols, and I discovered the Bible doesn't say the angels sang. Nope. They said. Kind of takes the fun out of it, doesn't it? We think we're singing right along with the angels, and they weren't even humming! Also, the Bible doesn't say Mary travelled on a donkey either. Wow, that ruins a lot of Christmas cards and pagents, doesn't it?

Then this week I was listening to Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J. preach about St. Paul. It's apparently the 2000 anniversary of his birth--although they don't know exactly--and there was a special series on the sacraments. I listened to the one on baptism, and learned all sorts of things. Did you know Paul's letters in the New Testament are arranged by size? I didn't. The longest is first, so to look at what he said chronologically about baptism he cited 1 Cor 6:9-11, 12:12-13, Gal. 3:23-27, Romans 6:3, then Col. 2. Also he said St. Paul never spoke about Hell, never condemned anyone to go there, but Jesus spoke a lot about it. I guess I'd never thought about it before, and to think Paul gets all the bad press for being cranky. Along the way he mentioned that 8,000,000 Muslims in Africa convert to Christianity each year, and there's been a large increase among the Kurds. The sermon is about 48 minutes, and quite interesting, although I'm not sure why. He must have quite a following because he has his own web site and program on EWTN.

Given in the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Birmingham, AL on September 4, 2008. Part I: Baptism in Saint Paul's Writings

Martin Luther on baptism

Somewhere I'm sure there is a collection of just this topic. Luther had a lot to say to the "blockhead" reformers who followed him, because he wouldn't budge on this one. When we were in confirmation classes in 1976 our pastor said a wise thing, and I paraphrase, "We can argue all you want on matters of theology or polity, or meanings of different verses, but if baptism is going to be a problem for you, you'll need to find another church." Because we attend the traditional service and not many young families do, we don't participate in as many baptisms as we used to. Many years ago when our son was very small (the children at that time were always called to the front to sit around the font while the baby was baptized, our little guy returned to the pew and whispered to me, "Mommy, I can still feel the water of my baptism on my head." Visually, it's a beautiful experience of grace, like no other. The baby has done nothing, said nothing, accomplished nothing.

"Our baptism, thus, is a strong and sure foundation, affirming that God has made a covenant with all the world to be a God of the heathen in all the world, as the gospel says. Also, that Christ has commanded the gospel to be preached in all the world, as also the prophets have declared in many ways. As a sign of this covenant he has instituted baptism, commanded and enjoined upon all heathn, as Matt 28:19 declares: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father," etc. In the same manner he had made a covenant with Abraham and his descedants to be their God, and made circumcision a sign of his covenant. Here, namely, that we are baptized; not because we are certain of our faith but because it is the command and will of God. For even if I were never certain any more of faith, I still am certain of the command of God, that god has bidden to baptize, for this he has made known throughout the world. In this I cannot err, for God's command cannot deceive. But of my faith he has never said anything to anyone, nor issued an order or command concerning it.

True, one should add faith to baptism. But we are not to base baptism on faith. There is quite a difference between having faith, on the one hand, and depending on one's faith and making baptism depend on faith, on the other. Whoever allows himself to be baptized on the strength of his faith, is not only uncertain, but also an idolator who denies Christ. For he trusts in and builds on something of his own, namely on a gift which he has from God, and not on God's Word alone. So another may build on and trust in his strength, wealth, power, wisdom, holiness, which also are gifts given him by God. . .

If I were baptized on my own faith, I might tomorrow find myself unbaptized, if faith failed me, or I became worried that I might not yesterday have had the faith rightly. But now that doesn't affect me. God and his command may be attacked, but I am certain enough that I have been baptized on his Word. . . nothing is lacking in baptism. Always something is lacking in faith. However long our life, always there is enough to learn in regard to faith."

Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings, (Fortress, 1989) ed. by Timothy F. Lull, p. 364-365. The 2005 ed. has been google scanned.

Reformation Sunday

We both forgot to wear red; looking around the 8:15 service I see many others did too. In the Cornerstone this week Pastor Eric Waters writes

"Because we were the first of the Protestant churches, many of our fellow Protestants look on us with suspicion as being "too Catholic." They point to our practice of infant baptism, belief that the bread and wine of Communion really is the Body and Blood of Jesus, and the recitation of the Creed as proof that we're still stuck in the superstition of the Middle Ages. On the other hand, the Roman Catholic church looks on our longer sermons, various liturgies, and disagreement with the Pope as proof that we went too far. In short, most of our fellow Christians look on us as neither fish nor fowl: too Catholic for some, too Protestant for others."

My husband was baptized as an infant (Presbyterian), and I was about 12 (Church of the Brethren). If you ever want to see a Lutheran pastor go pale in your adult confirmation/transfer class, just ask to be re baptized. On the other hand, there are Protestant churches that would want to do mine over, because they wouldn't trust the minister or denomination who presided at mine. Lutherans and Catholics see infant baptism as done by God, not by man, so Lutheran pastors don't do that. I think Luther himself gave a good explanation, because he really had more problems with the reformers (in my opinion) who came after him (he called them dolts and blockheads) than the Catholics and Humanists. To the argument that you don't remember your baptism, he replies

Were I to reject everything which I have not seen or heard, I would indeed not have much left, either of faith or love, either of spiritual or of temporal things

He asks the anabaptists. . . How do you know who your parents are. . .you don't remember your birth, so why should you honor your parents? Why should you obey the government if you haven't seen the leader. How do you know the apostles preached. If you can't believe anything you haven't seen, felt or experienced, says Luther, you're in the devil's pocket.

To the argument that you need to believe before baptism, Luther really works up steam

For if they follow this principle they cannot venture to baptize before they are certain that the one to be baptized believes. How and when can they ever know that for certain? Have they now become gods so that they can discern the hearts of men and know whether or not they believe? . . . You say that he confesses that he believes. Dear sir, confession is neither here nor there. The text does not say, "He who confesses," but "He who believes."

And how many times would you be rebaptized asks Luther. Each time you have a fresh sense of your faith, or after each doubt is put down.

So when next day the devil comes, his heart is filled with scruples and he says, Ah, now for the first time I feel I have the right faith, yesterday I don't think I truly believed. So I need to be baptized a third time, the second baptism not being of any avail. You think the devil can't do such things? You had better get to know him better. He can do worse than that, dear friend. He can go on and cast doubt on the third, and the fourth and so on incessantly. . . the end result? Baptizing without end. All this is nonsense. Neither the baptizer nor the baptized can base baptism on a certain faith. . .

Since our baptizing has been thus from the beginning of Christianity and the custom as been to baptize children, and since no one can prove with good reasons that they do not have faith, we should not make changes and build on such weak arguments. . .

When they say, "Children cannot believe," how can they be sure of that? Where is the Scripture by which they would prove it and on which would they build? They imagine this, I suppose, because children do not speak or have understanding. [goes on to tell the story of John and Jesus in their mothers wombs as an example that children can know and understand and believe]. . .What if all children in baptism not only were able to believe but believed as well as John in his mother's womb?

He gives another example from a betrothal and wedding where a girl marries reluctantly and without love then after 2 years, she loves her husband.

Would then a second engagement be required, a second wedding be celebrated as if she had not previously been a wife, so that the earlier betrothal and wedding were in vain?. . .

Rebaptism is relying on works, says Luther. God's Word is unchanging even if the person doing the baptism does not have faith.

The unchanging Word of God, once spoken in the first baptism, ever remains standing, so that afterwards they can come to faith in it, if they will, and the water with which they were baptized they can afterwards receive in faith, if they will. Even if they contradict the Word a hundred times, it still remains the Word spoken in the first baptism. Its power does not derive from the fact that it is repeated many times or is spoken anew, but from the fact that it was commanded once to be spoken.

You can read Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings ed. by Timothy Lull on-line.

Ylvis lives!

This morning I was reading hymns for my morning devotions, using the 1995 "With One Voice" by Augsburg-Fortress. Our congregation (ELCA) doesn't use it, although some of the newer hymns do appear from time to time on the screen, and I can see from lightly written pencil marks (I used the church library copy), that a musician has used this copy. I came across one of my absolutely most favorites, "I was there to hear your borning cry," which is sometimes used at baptisms, sometimes funerals. It brings tears to my eyes each time I hear it, therefore I had no idea is was "new," with a copyright date of 1985. Believe me, in hymnbooks, that's new.

It's against copyright to jot down all the verses (there are only 3), but it's about God's love at all stages of life--birth, baptism, confirmation, wandering away from the faith as a young person, coming back in mid-life, and finally,

"When the evening gently closes in
and you shut your weary eyes,
I'll be there as I have always been
with just one more surprise."

REFRAIN

"I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old.
I' rejoiced the day you were baptized,
to see your life unfold."

In other words, this hymn is about me! And maybe you. So I googled the author (text and music) and found all this stunning information about John Ylvisaker (pronounced like Elvis) an accomplished Lutheran musician, hymnist and writer about my age. Here's the story of how this hymn was "birthed." I also discovered websites that discuss vintage Jesus vinyl of all things (see Heavenly Grooves), and a lovely journal from Luther Seminary (St. Paul), Word & World, which I've linked to on the left. I've printed off to read at the coffee shop today, "Imaginative use of the arts; music and audio: 10 steps toward responsible innovation," (5/3 1985) and "Which way are you leaning?" (12/3 1992).

God is alive and on the Internet, battling the forces of evil, as he has been doing for eons.

4336

Monday Memories--head covering or prayer veil

Somewhere I have a small envelop containing a prayer covering. Mother always kept a few in her desk so that if we were visiting around Easter or the fall communion date for the Brethren Love Feast, her daughters or granddaughters could wear one to the service, and I think I may have brought one home after her funeral in 2000. There is a fairly long, but not unbiased, article about head coverings for Mennonite women here. We were not Mennonite and most Brethren women gave up the veil or covering in the 1920s. I've seen photos of my maternal grandmother in a bonnet similar to the ones on the left when she was a young married woman. As I see it, they have both a spiritual and cultural use. Among the Brethren, it was called dressing "in order," and it reminds us that there is a God given order between men and women, and humans and God. But they are also a witness to others about your faith and help maintain modesty. Women who cover their heads would look a bit silly with bellies hanging over waist bands, and bursting bosoms over the top of skinny t-shirts. Even sillier than those who do it with no head covering.

I was probably 11 or 12 when I was baptized. My parents drove from Forreston (15 miles) so I could attend the instruction classes at the Church of the Brethren in Mt. Morris, which I think were on Sunday afternoon. Most of the class was the children in this photograph. After baptism, I was given my own prayer veil which I wore to communion to sit with the women, twice a year. The last I wore a covering was about 10 years ago when I attended communion at my parents' church.

Interesting selection of head coverings for women over the centuries, including Lutherans, Episcopalians, Baptists, and Anabaptists.