June 04, 2008
Taking the Plunge
For over seven years I’ve worshiped and fellowshipped with Ms. Clair, who is a dyed in the wool Catholic. She has faithfully attended my independent, emersion believing church, all the while lovingly and vehemently maintaining, “I’ve been sprinkled and saved. There’s no way you’re going to get me in that bathtub (baptismal).” I and many others are scraping ourselves off the floor as this senior citizen has just decided to take the plunge. Oh my goodness, just tell me the Holy Spirit doesn’t humor us! Clair is not the ‘river’ or ‘pond’ type, so she is waiting for the preacher to locate a church willing to loan out their baptistery. This will be the third baptism for one of the new start-up churches. As word spreads about Clair’s decision many of us are inviting ourselves to her baptism. I really think she could sell tickets!
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Gail;
-----As a serious reader of the translated Word, and a somewhat capable translator of the Greek, I know what was meant when said, “…repent and be dunked…” Even though the Greek baptidzo become, by those New Testament times, a word full of ceremonial meaning, its root meaning was still to immerse. However, since it is a certainty that it had acquired a ceremonial meaning as well, that it could be performed with the use of lavers and pouring from vials, I have always empathized with those who have been sprinkled. That sprinkling looks to the sprinkling of Aaron and the priests at their coronation, the sprinkling of lepers at their cleansing, sprinkling of the unclean as part of their cleansing ceremony, sprinkling cleansed houses, utensils, etc., etc., etc., so I can understand it, though not buy it.
-----But I find it a bit interesting, after I had attended this Presbyterian church a few months, I began to desire to be sprinkled simply in order to relate to my brothers and sisters there. Many of the dunked would probably not be able to agree with me. But I have been dunked already, and I feel because of that I am good to go. To me, the sprinkling would be just an accessory, like sprinkles on ice cream - not necessary, not ruinous, but certainly a treat.
Love,
Steve Corey
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