Baptism has an unfortunate history in the church of being a divisive issue. Differing opinions about the nature of and process of baptism have divided the Church and churches and created disunity in the family and body of Christ. It is a shame that the preeminent symbol of our unity with Christ--in His death; His resurrection; His new life--should be so marred with a history of disunity.
This history of disunity over the subject of Baptism has created for many within the church an attitude of confusion and even fear for the topic. I have personally been approached by many individuals who have been full of questions about Baptism: "should I be baptized again?" "Is there a right or wrong way to be baptized?" "Why should I get Baptized?" "Is it necessary for salvation?"
We are enthusiastic practitioners of Christ's Baptism for many reasons, but first and foremost because Jesus, our king, has asked it of us. I think we can get lost in the intricacies of the question "why?" and forget the simple truth that Baptism is, before all things, an act of obedience. It has been for many the first act of obedience. And for some this is enough quiet many of the questions. I am baptized because it was asked of me.
Christ became a man and lived a life here on Earth. In submission to God’s will He allowed himself to be killed and placed in the grave. Three days He was in the ground and on the third day He came back to life. He walked out of the tomb and is alive now, an eternal being in heaven with God.
We practice full immersion baptism, not because we feel this is the only way, but because we feel that it is an accurate recreation of what is described in the bible. However, if there is not enough water handy you can bet that you will find us improvising.
When you are baptised this way there is a beautiful imagery that illustrates and symbolizes Christ story. As you submit to God’s call you are brought to the water, just as Christ was brought like a sheep to the slaughter in submission to God's will. You are then submerged in the waters just as Christ was lain in the grave. You are brought up out of the waters, an image of the Resurrection we celebrate today! And you go out into the rest of your life a new creation!
And there is truth to the symbols. We are united to Christ through our submission to God’s call. We are united with Christ in His death--he calls us to take up our cross daily; to die to ourselves so that we can be alive in Him. We are united with him in this Resurrection that we celebrated last Sunday. And as we live out this existence as a new creation, we have unity with Him in the new life that He won for us.
Well it means that we are moving against the currents and trends of this world. We live in a dieing world which is defined by how it becomes less and less. All the pain and suffering; the injustice; the sickness; the decay and despair--all of these thing are symptomatic of a dieing world. But in our unity with Christ we have tasted something different. We live this new life in opposition to the death we knew before. We comfort pain and suffering; confront injustice; heal the sick, and bring rejuvenation to the decay. This is who Christ has called us to be: agents of life in a dieing world.
But we live in the in-between. Yes we have been made new in our hearts, but we are still here in this world. We still experience death in us and around us--even as Christ is delivering us from it.
Death is hard to deal with, and it comes in many forms.
If you are dealing with death in any of its manifestations than Jesus wants to meet you there. And in unity and relationship with him he wants to deliver you from death, and see resurrection in your life.
This is part of our vision at the Vineyard Church BCS: To be united with Christ in His death, resurrection and new Life.