The Beauty of Baptism

Yesterday we were privileged to witness Dennis and Lovanna being baptized into Jesus Christ. It was such a powerful testimony to the work of God, Christ and the Spirit in their lives. Baptism is a beautiful metaphor enacted in the context of a community of faith. Its beauty is witnessed in the following dimensions: initiation, commission, resurrection and identification.

Baptism initiates us into the family of God. This is the language and picture of birth. Being “born from above” makes us aware that baptism is a physical, symbolic act of an inward transformation that connects to the people of God. It is a communal act.

Baptism commissions us to go forth as a witness. In obeying the Great Commission, we are commissioning others. Every person baptized in the water and Spirit is commissed to go forth and share the good news of Jesus.

Baptism resurrects us with our Lord. We re-enact the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus at every baptism. Those being baptized have been united in the death and resurrection of Jesus in a way that is hard to understand. But, we are raised “from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

Baptism identifies us as people of grace. Sin and death no longer have mastery over us. Since we are dead to sin and alive to Christ, our identity is rooted in the giftedness of salvation. Consequently, we offer ourselves back to God as a graced-gift!

Baptism is a gift from God. It symbolizes transformation and humility all wrapped up together. It is a work of God in which the Spirit is imparted. Yes, indeed—baptism is beautiful, both in what it symbolizes and what it does. Thank God for his unspeakable gift in Christ!

In Christian love, Curtis

The Hardest Journey

Over forty years ago a meeting took place in Japan in which the leading Christian thinkers gathered together to address what seemed to be the loss of spiritual depth in modern culture and humanity. Among other topics, they addressed the inward awareness of God, attention to the ills of society and heart-felt compassion that responded to such crisis.

Out of this momentous meeting Douglas Steere, one of the participants, wrote a pamphlet entitled, The Hardest Journey. The title came from a passage in Dag Hammarskjold’s book (actually a publication of his personal journal), Markings. If you have not read Markings, I encourage you to get a copy and read it for your own edification.

But the quote that Steere appropriates for his pamphlet is the following: “The longest journey is the journey inwards.” Not only is the journey the longest one, it is the hardest. It is hard for the following three reasons:

So many things blind us to an inner awareness of God’s presence.
Too many Christians turn a blind eye to the ills of society
Heartfelt compassion is often blocked by apathetic acquiescence

We can live our daily lives on auto-pilot so much we lose our ability to sense “God’s abiding presence.” We live on such a fast-paced schedule we have blinders on and are not still long enough to see the ills of our society all around us. And finally, we lose the ability to feel deeply the pain of others because we quietly accept what we do not have the time or inclination to change.

A long and hard journey—who wants to take that on? I remember a couple of years ago climbing to Chimney Tops in the Smokies. The trail was treacherous at places, winding, and uphill all the way. Rocks, boulders, large tree roots, slippery paths, etc. all added to the difficulty of the climb. But the breath-taking view at the top was worth it all! Every time I make a long climb to a summit and an outstanding overlook and panoramic view, the shutter lens of my inner soul takes a snapshot that leaves the picture imprinted on my mind forever. It was worth the effort.

Whenever we take the time, make the hardest and longest journey, to be aware of God’s inner presence, enabling us to respond to the ills of society with a heartfelt compassion, it is all worth the effort!

In Christian love, Curtis