...there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:4-6
Today, I am thankful for the United Methodist teaching on the sacrament of Baptism.
We joined Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa when I was 8 years old but our family roots were in the Assembly of God tradition. So up to this time, my only understanding of baptism was immersion.
At my previous church, I saw a new sanctuary built with an immersion baptistry behind the altar rails. I've always been fascinated with water and loved seeing people get into the pool and be held under the water and brought forth again.
I wanted to be baptized but my parents said that I didn't fully understand it and would have to wait. Believer's baptism places more emphasis on the person making the commitment to God.
And so, when we joined Boston Avenue, my parents told me that they even baptized babies in this denomination and so asked me if I wanted to be baptized. Along with immersion, I could choose to be sprinkled or have the water poured over me. Since I had never seen the latter forms, I chose immersion.
At this age, it was not so much about receiving the Holy Spirit or dying and rising with Christ. I just wanted to get wet!
Unfortunately, Boston Avenue didn't have an immersion baptistry. But they did arrange with what was then First United Methodist Church of Tulsa to use theirs. It was a private ceremony with an associate pastor and my parents. No other laity of the congregation were present which is not how we observe the sacrament today. I didn't feel neglected at the absence but rather that it was kind of a cool initiation.
It didn't matter that I didn't understand at the time. United Methodists place the greater emphasis on God's commitment to us!
In August of last year, I took the picture of the baptistry when I was present for Tulsa First's disaffiliation vote. This made their breaking ties with us a bit sad for me.
But as I reflect upon my baptism, I have felt the commitment of God to me through my entire time in The United Methodist Church. I have been afforded great opportunities and a few challenges along the way. But the other thing I like about our understanding of baptism is that we don't require anyone to be re-baptized when they join our church. My parents and older siblings had their baptisms accepted when we all joined the church.
We are not stingy in our understanding of God working in the world. We happily claim God at work in other places - even the ones that wouldn't make the same claim about us! This is a high bar and is a good reminder of who we are called to be. We don't always live it out but our United Methodist theology continues to align us with a better way. I'm thankful for it!
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