Friday, June 18, 2004 AD
The Miracle of Holy Baptism
Big day coming up on Sunday: our younger son, Matthew, is due to be baptised (despite having just gone down with chicken pox...).
A number of contrasts with his brother's baptism three years ago. In human terms, it is a "smaller" event (family and godparents only, buffet lunch at home rather than a church hall-full of friends and relations). But for Thomas' baptism, since (as good Reformed evangelicals) we firmly rejected baptismal regeneration, we largely saw it as an opportunity for "witness" - one reason for the big guest list. What's wonderful this time around is having a fuller understanding of just what an amazing event this will be - that Holy Baptism is a supernatural event, nothing less than a miracle.
Here's what will - God willing - be happening to Matthew on Sunday morning. As the water is poured onto him by Christ's minister declaring Christ's Words, Matthew will:
Your prayers will be very welcome - especially that Matthew's chicken pox will remain mild, so that he'll be in good spirits on Sunday, and also for our family members who will be attending, most of whom are likely to find the Lutheran way of doing things unfamiliar or even unwelcome, in a variety of different ways (the guest list includes outright atheists through to conservative evangelicals, and several points in-between).
A number of contrasts with his brother's baptism three years ago. In human terms, it is a "smaller" event (family and godparents only, buffet lunch at home rather than a church hall-full of friends and relations). But for Thomas' baptism, since (as good Reformed evangelicals) we firmly rejected baptismal regeneration, we largely saw it as an opportunity for "witness" - one reason for the big guest list. What's wonderful this time around is having a fuller understanding of just what an amazing event this will be - that Holy Baptism is a supernatural event, nothing less than a miracle.
Here's what will - God willing - be happening to Matthew on Sunday morning. As the water is poured onto him by Christ's minister declaring Christ's Words, Matthew will:
- become a disciple of Jesus Christ;
- be born again of water and the Spirit;
- have his sins forgiven and washed away;
- be baptized into Christ, into His death and resurrection;
- become a new creation;
- put on Christ;
- be cleansed and sanctified by the washing of water with the word; and
- be saved by the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Your prayers will be very welcome - especially that Matthew's chicken pox will remain mild, so that he'll be in good spirits on Sunday, and also for our family members who will be attending, most of whom are likely to find the Lutheran way of doing things unfamiliar or even unwelcome, in a variety of different ways (the guest list includes outright atheists through to conservative evangelicals, and several points in-between).
