I
was baptised as a child in a ceremony in which my parents and the church vowed
to nurture me in the faith. They took their vows seriously so that as teenager
I became a member of the church through a profession of faith.
About twenty years later I went to a Baptist
church. My wife was immediately accepted into membership as she had been
baptised as an adult but I could not be accepted for membership because I had
‘only’ been baptised as a child.
Being of the stiff-necked variety I took
offence. I saw this as a personal affront and a slight to all my Christian
friends who had not undergone adult baptism. Was I to be tolerated as a
non-member, like a child or an illegitimate adult in the household of God? The
whole issue of adult baptism is a problem if one has spent one’s whole life
grappling with the issues of faith. It also makes the question of how we treat
the children of the church very problematic.
I resisted for about twelve years but one
Sunday I finally joined a group being baptised and so became a member.
I still have reservations about the
decision.
Has a baptism ever caused you
reservations? Why? Pray about your reservations, and ask God to show you a path
to peace.
Reflection by John Sampson, South Yarra Community Baptist Church, 22 January 2016.
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