Baptism

On Sunday, June 12, 2011, both Laela and Cord were baptized at Valley Fellowship, which is the service we attend through Montreat Presbyterian Church.  I was raised in a church tradition that baptized people when they are older and we dedicate them while they are young, but that is not the tradition at Montreat.  The view of baptism is that it is the new circumcision.  The reason they do it this ways is because in the Old Testament the sign that you were part of the covenant was circumcision and all the boy babies who were part of the people of God under went this rite.  In the New Testament the sign became baptism.  A symbol of dying to our old selves and being reborn.  In the Presbyterian tradition, they believe it should be done as infants just as circumcision was done in the Old Testament.
Now listen, I am not writing this to get into any discussions about infant verses adult baptism, or sprinkling verses immersion.  I was baptized as an adult and Hayne was an infant.  It really does not matter to me.  What does matter to me is this - yesterday my kids were marked with the name of God.  Hayne and I, along with our fellowship of believers, claimed them for the Kingdom of God. This does not save them - that is their choice - but we promised to do everything we could to lead them to Christ and to raise them always telling them who Jesus is and what he has done for them.  How he loves them, wants to know them, suffered for them so he could do that very thing.
Our pastor Richard White, asks us two questions:
1. Do you claim God's covenant promises in their behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus for their salvation as you do for your own?
2.  Do you now unreservedly dedicate Laela and Cord to God, and promise in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before them a godly example, that you will pray with and for them, that you will teach them the doctrines of our holy faith, and that you will strive of all the means of God's grace to bring them up in the nurture and love of the Lord?

I loved this because I want them to know how good God is and how amazing grace absolutely transforms peoples hearts and lives.  I want them to know its not about being good enough or smart enough or talented enough because the gifts God gives are not deserved.  I also want them to know it is not an easy path.  It will be marked, at one point or another, with stumbling and difficulties.  But it is so worth it.  It is the only real, true life out there, no matter what anyone or anything else offers.
 The catch 22 is I also want them to decide this freely of their own will.  Of course I will do all I can to tell them about Jesus, but I will never pressure my kids.  I will not manipulate or coerce, but I will tell them the truth.  It was the way I was raised.   In all honesty, I am not sure I could stop believing.  I could stop following, but the truth of God, his Son and Holy Spirit is ingrained in me.  I want the same to be true for my kids.  I want them to have the foundation or the container they need to grow up safe and secure within the knowledge that they are outrageously loved by and outrageously loving God, and by us.
There is no way we will do it all right.  In fact, I screw up on a regular basis.  But I trust that God is going to pursue them and fight for them just as Hayne and I will.  I trust our community of believers to do the same.  I am so thankful for our friends and family that were able to share this day with us.  I am thankful that my kids will be raised with so many other kids whose parents are doing the same things we are doing - pointing them to Jesus to the very best of our abilities.
Being a parent is a scary thing. I had no idea.  So much is out of our control.  Baptism  was one thing we did to symbolically put our kids on the path toward Christ.  We dedicated them to Him and trust Him with whatever comes next.