I will be preaching on the baptism of Jesus this Sunday and it's caused a lot of self reflection.
I have been looking for a word that describes how I feel regarding my own baptism as an infant.
Resentment feels too strong, but it is appropriate in a sense - I do wish my parents had allowed me to choose my own baptism when I was ready.
Discontentment might be a better choice.
Disquiet or vexation could work as well. (Yes, I am using an online thesaurus to help me figure this out.)
Misgiving?
Annoyance?
A little bit of all of those?
Yes.
And it's not just because I have switched theological teams. It's true I grew up Methodist and now pastor an American Baptist Church, but these feelings have long been with me.
Don't get me wrong. I am all for new parents bringing their babies before the church, asking for prayer support, and pledging to bring the little one up in the faith.
But let's call it "infant dedication", not baptism.
Because dripping some water on an infant's head seems to reduce baptism to a ritual.
And if it's nothing more than a ritual, why is baptism stressed so often throughout the New Testament?
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