Further Thoughts on Baptism

by George McLaird, Pastor Emeritus, Sausalito Presbyterian Church

I do not belief that we have ever been, or can ever be, separated from the God Almighty, The Absolute Ultimate. As a result, in baptism, I see no singular occurrence and certainly no "mending of fences" between God and humanity. I see baptism as multifaceted.

Christian Baptism Can Be Compared To:

• The first step on a life-long journey; in this case, a spiritual journey;
• The launching of a ship where, with great ceremony, best wishes are given to the ship for her successful voyage of the seven seas;
• The celebration of a significant day, not unlike a birthday, anniversary, or Independence Day.

What Christian Baptism is not:

• washing ones sins away by performing magic;
• saving a lost soul from eternal hell;
• creating a child of God (we are already children of God);
• being rescued from the power of Satan;
• an act which should be endured for the sake of satisfying grandparents, parents, or others who insist upon it being "done";
• attempting to get "on God's good side" so that good-luck will follow your child through life;
• erasing "inherited sin" which some believe to be passed down from Adam and Eve.

Christian Baptism can be:

• the initial act of a life-long, spiritual journey;
• a religious ceremony which, we hope, will establish a base for spiritual growth through-out ones life time;
• an initiating or bonding ceremony within the Christian tradition that implies enrollment, entering, and a welcome into the greater spiritual family;
• a ritualized act celebrated in the presence of the family, friends, and congregation;
• one of the steps to be taken in following both the example and teachings of Jesus.

Christian Baptism imitates a new duplication of the spiritual training Jesus received. Christian baptism includes elements that attempt to duplicate, in modern times and in a different religion, the core or essence of the religious and spiritual training received by Jesus who was born, raised, lived, and died a Jew. That is, baptism indicates a willingness on your part to take responsibility for your own spiritual training. Jesus' spiritual training began by following the Jewish custom of circumcision when he was eight days old. (If there was an official, initiation ceremony for infant girls in those days, we are unaware of it.) This act, undertaken by Jesus' parents on his behalf, is one of the reasons we believe infant baptism.

By choosing baptism for yourself you are placing yourself on the spiritual path. Soon after the ceremony of circumcision, Jesus was taken to the temple for a simple ceremony of giving thanks and receiving prayers of blessing by the rabbi. This ceremony included acts of dedication. The child was dedicated to God and the parents dedicated themselves to teaching the child the way of God (see Luke 1 & 2). When he was about twelve, Jesus was taken to Jerusalem to participate in the Passover meal. It was on this occasion that

"...all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when they (his parents) heard him they were astonished..." (Luke 2:46ff.)

His ability at the age of twelve to converse intelligently with the leading religious scholars of his day, implies a significant religious training and, perhaps, is an indication that he was a spiritual prodigy: no one knows for sure. In those days, as it is today, it was the custom among Jews for a boy, at age thirteen, to participate in his barmitzvah. Given all available information, though we have no record of Jesus' barmitzvah, it seems likely that such an event took place. For the next eighteen years there is no officially recognized record of his life. It is enjoyable but hopeless to speculate about where he was or what he did during that period.

Nevertheless, the record takes up as abruptly as it left off, and we see him at about thirty years of age requesting to be baptized by John the Baptist. At his baptism both he and those around him heard a voice, identified as coming from heaven, which declared, "You are my beloved Son..." (Luke 3:22) or "He is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17) In modern Christian baptism the pastor makes this declaration. This declaration is spoken on behalf of the entire congregation and Christian community and on behalf of God. The declaration emphasizes what we believe, i.e., that the person who is being baptized is a child of God.

What is clear and important is that you will not just be sprinkled with water during a ceremony in the Sausalito Presbyterian Church. Instead, you are now included in the spiritual tradition of Jesus of Nazareth, being have the responsibility to teach yourself to live by the highest principles or values taught by Jesus; truth, justice, and mercy.