Understanding Baptism

Last updated on: February 6, 2014 at 8:00 am by Cameron Trimble

Understanding Baptism 2014-02-05T11:03:15-05:00 Cameron Trimble

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

After church on Sunday, I talked with a mother who wants to schedule her son’s baptism. He is not an infant and would be taking the vows for himself. I told the mother that I would want to talk to him about what he was doing, and she asked how long we would need. It was a simple and logical question. The trouble was I couldn’t give her a simple answer. All day wouldn’t be enough to explain the sacrament of God’s covenant with us. I’ve been baptized for almost five decades, and I still don’t know that I understand what it means.

The date she wants to do the baptism is in the middle of Lent, and, generally, we don’t schedule baptisms or weddings during Lent. Her family is going to be in town that day, so it made sense with their calendar, even if it didn’t quite fit the church calendar. I told her that rules like this were made to be broken, and I certainly thought this was a good one to break.

In a sense, baptism is about breaking rules. I mean who of us deserves to receive the unrelenting grace/favor/love of God that baptism signifies?

In our capitalist culture the core doctrine is that you get what you earn, there are no free lunches, quid pro quo …. True grace—a genuinely free gift—has no place in a capitalist culture where the economic system permeates everything, including the church. We sing about grace, but we don’t live it or give it much. There are no role models for it. It isn’t one of the rules/principles of life that we see lived out every day.

No, I can’t really explain what baptism represents because there are no illustrations and every preacher needs good illustrations. Won’t you become one?

by Michael Piazza
Center for Progressive Renewal

Uncategorized

Previous Post

February 5, 2014

Soul Force

Next Post

February 7, 2014 Permission to Experience

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 September 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Peter James Moses Paul