Making a big splash
We had a backyard baptism last night; one of the young guys from our congregation. Michael Nairs, had three tubs of water poured over his head from a height after confessing his faith.? It was a great time, spoiled only by my camera not recording as much of the event as I’d like.
Of course if we were back in Oz we’d have the baptism in a swimming pool, but no such luck here.? It was great, standing in a small backyard with neighbours sort of knowing what was going on, but not sure whether to stand out and watch.?
On a theological note? TCH tends to do baptisms? with buckets over the head because they see baptism primarily? as a metaphor of the Spirit being poured out, and that’s always from above.? When I queried about the being buried in baptism aspect – going under the water – the response was that in first century Palestine no one actually got buried under the ground anyway, so let’s not read the action of going down and then coming up as the act of burial and then resurrection.
I wonder if we read Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 in the light of our western burial practices?? Lazarus when raised from the dead, and indeed Jesus, did not so much as come up as come out of the tomb.
Mode and method aside, it went well, all very Trinitarian in its confessions, and followed up by a pretty good curry, communion, and a great time of repentance and praise on the back of a reading from Acts 2.
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