Baptism

The Sacrament of Baptism at Barrington United Methodist Church

Introduction

The sacrament of Christian Baptism is one of the most significant events in the life of the congregation. Baptism marks the entry of the baptized into the body of Christ, the Church, and the life of discipleship. The following comments are offered to help capture the meaning of this significant event. Although the Sacrament will be celebrated in the community of the Barrington United Methodist Church, it is important to remember that the one being baptized is baptized as a “Christian,” and “initiated into Christ’s Holy Church.” This is to say that baptism belongs to the whole Church, not a particular denomination nor is it the possession of a particular local church. While people often will say, “I was baptized a Lutheran, or a Presbyterian, or a Methodist,” this is not theologically or liturgically correct. We are baptized as Christians, and “marked as Christian disciples.” Keeping this in mind, we offer the following thoughts on baptism.

What Is Baptism?

Like a diamond, baptism has many facets, each of which helps us to understand the fullness of this significant act. Here are some of the facets:

Baptism is a Sacrament.
A sacrament is a symbolic act in which we acknowledge, receive and celebrate God’s gracious love with us. For baptism, the symbol is water. As water is essential for our lives, cleanses us, satisfies our thirst, is necessary for growth, and is enjoyable, so God’s grace fills our lives with joy and possibilities. Baptism is one of the two historic Sacraments observed by the Protestant Church. The other is the Lord’s Supper. In his Great Commission, Jesus commands his followers to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Baptism is an essential mark of the Church.
Baptism is a rite of initiation.
Through the Sacrament of baptism we enter the covenant community of all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. As the ritual reminds us, “Those receiving the sacrament are thereby marked as Christian disciples and initiated into the fellowship of Christ’s holy church.” At its very heart, baptism is a celebration of the covenant God has initiated among us, and is announced with the words, “The Holy Spirit works within you, that being born of water and the Spirit, you may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. Baptism is our response to God’s covenant. A covenant is a particular relationship that is rooted in trust and promise. As a covenant, Baptism responds to God’s gracious love with our promise to walk as God’s people. We are initiated into the community that lives in this covenant, the community of the baptized.
Baptism is a sign of the New Covenant.
God has initiated a New Covenant in Christ Jesus. Every covenant has a sign. With Abraham the sign is circumcision; with Noah, it is a rainbow; with Jeremiah, it is a new law written on the heart. For Christians, the sign of the New Covenant is baptism. Baptism celebrates the new life we have in Christ Jesus and the promise of God’s saving love with us in him.
Baptism is a marking as a Christian Disciple.
Baptism also marks the baptized as a disciple of Christ Jesus. Such marking is the choice of parents for an infant or child and the choice of the baptized for a youth or adult. In either case, baptism includes a choice to be a disciple and to walk in the way of faithful discipleship. The act of baptism, then, not only marks one’s entrance into the church, but also, his or her entrance into the life of discipleship. For you and adults, in particular, baptism celebrates new life, a dying to the old and a rising to the new. John Wesley spoke of baptism as a “new birth,” indicating this dramatic transformation.
Baptism is a means of grace.
Baptism opens us in specific ways to God’s gracious love. Baptism looks back with joy and gratitude to what God’s grace has already accomplished, to how that same grace active in the present moment, and to the anticipated ways that grace will bless us in the future. In short, Baptism is a means of grace, access to God’s transforming love. As a means of grace, Baptism empowers the baptized to share in the general ministry of the Church, the sharing of the Good News of God’s love in Christ Jesus. In a very real way, all Christians are ordained into ministry by their baptism. Note that baptism “by water and the Spirit. This means that not only are we marked with water as a reminder of God’s love, we also have “the laying on of hands” as a reminder of the empowering work of the God’s Spirit in our lives.

At What Age Should One Be Baptized?

The United Methodist Church, like most mainline Protestant Churches and the Roman Catholic Church, baptizes infants, children, youth and adults. Obviously, there are some differences depending on the age of the person to be baptized. For infants and children, who cannot answer for themselves, it is the parent’s faith that is at issue in the act of baptism. At a later date, the persons go through a process of “confirming” their baptismal vows in the act of Confirmation. For youth and adults, who can answer for themselves, baptism becomes a decision grounded in their own faith. There are denominations who insist that only believers, those who can make a confession of faith, are suitable candidates for baptism. Such churches point to the New Testament and claim that the baptisms spoken of there are of adults, not infants. That is true as far as it goes. However, the New Testament, particularly the Book of Acts, speaks of “households” being baptized. It seems safe to assume that households would include children. Or consider the tradition that called for a male Jewish child entered the covenant family on the eighth day through the rite of circumcision. Do we think God in Christ would be more restrictive in the New Covenant? More importantly, baptism is a celebration of God’s grace offered to us. Grace is that love of God that is not deserved and cannot be earned. What a more appropriate image of grace can there be than an infant?

We simply do not discriminate about the age one is baptized. Each one is welcomed publicly into the family of God. Keep in mind the initiative resides with God, not us. Perhaps the matter is best summed up in the words of our BOOK OF DISCIPLINE: “…because the redeeming love of God, revealed in Jesus Christ, extends to all persons and because Jesus explicitly included children in his kingdom, the pastor of each charge shall earnestly exhort all Christian parents or guardians to present their children to the Lord in Baptism at an early age.” (par. 221) Regardless of age, the baptized is a “babe in the faith” and is launched on the journey of discipleship in which grace will continue to nurture and nourish her or his life.

By What Method Should Baptism Be Done?

In the United Methodist Church, the sacrament of holy baptism may be administered by any of the three modes, immersion, pouring or sprinkling. The candidate or the parents may make a choice of the method. Each of these methods expresses an aspect of the rich symbolism of baptism. Each symbolizes a cleansing or washing. Immersion is a powerful image of our dying with Christ as we go under the water and our rising with Christ as we come up out of the water. Pouring expresses the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, the living water. And sprinkling expresses growth and nurturing. There are churches that maintain immersion is the only valid form of baptism. However, there is evidence in early church history that methods other than immersion were used which is understandable in a arid climate where bodies of water were not plentiful. At Barrington United Methodist most of the baptisms are by sprinkling. However, we can baptize by pouring or immersion as requested.

Baptism is an Act of Worship

The placement of the baptismal font speaks of centrality of the Sacrament in the life of the church. In some churches, the font is found at the entrance of the sanctuary as a reminder that baptism is a rite of initiation. In other churches, the font is located in the center of the worshiping congregation as a reminder of the centrality of baptism for our life together. At Barrington United Methodist Church, the font is located in a prominent place in the chancel as a symbol that baptism with the pulpit and the communion table mark the significant aspects of the life of faith.

Since baptism is the acknowledging, receiving and celebrating of the grace of God in Christ with us, it follows that baptism should take place with the worshiping congregation present where the covenant can be affirmed. Private baptisms are, for all practical purposes, an oxymoron. Sometimes circumstances make it necessary for baptism to take place outside a service of worship. In this case, the pastor will be accompanied by a lay person who represents the congregation in the administration of the Sacrament. The baptism is then reported to the congregation at their next worship service that the newly baptized may be included in the prayers of the members.

How to Schedule a Baptism

The Sacrament of Christian Baptism is celebrated on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at Barrington United Methodist Church. A baptism is scheduled by contacting the church office and setting up at meeting with the pastor. You may request a pastor to lead in the baptismal service. If you do not express a preference the Senior Pastor will assign the lead pastor for the baptism. In the pre-baptismal meeting the parents or candidate and pastor talk about meaning of baptism, discuss any questions or concerns and talk about the service. If parents have attended one of pre-baptismal sessions, they need not attend others.

Because baptism is a covenant celebration, it is important that the family can give some reassurance that the covenant will have an opportunity to be realized. Children of members of Barrington United Methodist Church are obvious possible candidates for baptism. The baptism of children of nonmembers, participating or nonparticipating, will be determined after meeting with the pastor.

Baptism is never administered more than once. As United Methodists, we recognize the validity of all baptisms done in the Name of the Triune God and would never permit a second baptism. We recognize that a person may have had a religious experience that has made a profound impact on his or her life and calls for some acknowledgment. The pastor will help the person discover such an acknowledgment. However, it will not be a rebaptism. There is one baptism by which we are initiated into Christ’s body and made members of the covenant community. One can never undo their baptism. We can refuse to live it out, but never undo it.

Expectations of the Covenant Participants

Role of the Parents

Parents have a primary responsibility for passing on faith to their children. Parents are the role models for faith that children observe most closely. Parents help nurture their children’s spiritual development by:

living a life that is consistent with the Gospel
accepting the ministry and guidance of the Church
worshiping God and reading the Scriptures regularly

Parents are encouraged to prepare spiritually and practically for their children’s baptism by:

reflecting on the meaning of baptism as a sacrament
praying for God in Christ’s help and guidance in caring out their responsibilities
choosing sponsors who will have an important spiritual impact on the child
plan for the baptism carefully and well in advance

Parents can teach their children about the life of discipleship by:

setting aside time each day for family devotions
modeling prayer, worship attendance, service, and Scripture reading
being an active member of the church
participating in Christian witness and fellowship

Role of the Church

In the covenant of baptism, the church present represents the whole Church and proclaims its promise to love and care for the newly baptized. That vow is a powerful reminder that the Sacrament of Baptism unites the baptized not only with God, but also with God’s people. The church’s role is to participate in the life of the baptized by acts of love, care, nurture and support. The church promises to provide classes and other experiences that will enable the baptized to mature in faith and grow in their relationship with God in Christ. A church taking this vow seriously, as we do at Barrington United Methodist Church, takes special care for its programs for children and youth and its support and nurture of parents as they raise their children to be faithful disciples. This is a sacred responsibility to be a nurturing community through worship, service, Bible Study and other learning experiences, and fellowship.

Sponsors and Godparents

While the role of godparents has changed with societal changes, still those selected to be sponsors or godparents should be persons who will have a significant impact on the child’s life. They will share in the covenant and with parents take the vows. Whether or not there are any legal implications to the role of sponsors or godparents is another decision the parents will make. In choosing sponsors or godparents, it would be prudent to choose persons of faith, who are actively participating in a church. Sponsors or godparents do not have to be United Methodist.

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