Christian Ritual II: Baptism

Text: Mat. 28: 19

Last week we examined the depth, power, and beauty of Christian Ritual, seeing that it produces a unique and important dimension to our soul while simultaneously expanding the outside world. Looking back to Paul and the establishment of ritual in the 1st Century Church, we uncovered an important similiarity between Paul's perspective and our contemporary understanding of symbol and sacrament: The believer is trans-formed in Christian Ritual. Christian Ritual is something we discovered to be profoundly important because it changed both the “in here” and the “out there” for the believer. We were confronted with the fact that Christian Ritual is not just anything, but it is instead a sacred something. Something of great value, of great worth, and of great importance. A sacred thing which changes us both internally and externally. We see ourselves, our world, and God differently. We are made new through Christian Ritual. And then, we are Re-Newed through Christian Ritual.

Now, this week, let us examine Baptism, a Christian Ritual dripping with a history so rich and thick, that it could not be touched on with the detail it deserves. But nonetheless, let us dive into this topic, starting with the roots of this great term, then dicovering its application through history, and finally determining its significance for our modern world. Why do we baptize, and what does it mean?

The verb baptize comes from the greek “Baptizo” which means to dip, bathe or wash. You see baptism was something very common in the time of the New Testament because many religions of the Roman world were using some form of baptismal ceremony as a rite of initiation. Baptism was the induction ritual of new members. Baptism marked new converts.

But baptism was not something invented by the religions of the Roman world. No, baptism has traces in Jewish understanding as a ritual washing or cleansing (called Mikvah). You see, in the time of Jesus, there was no Christianity as we know it. Yet, you may recall that Jesus himself was baptized, and that Jesus called upon his disciples to baptize. Christianity developed out of a Jewish heritage that also understood baptism as part of its initiation for new converts. Entering into the Jewish religion required instruction in the faith, circumcision, and then, after the healing of the wounds, a whitnessed immersion.

As the number of Christ's followers grew after His death and Resurrection, there came to be an understanding of baptism that was uniquely “Christian.” Paul, because of his presence in the New Testament, sets the precendent for Baptismal Theology. And thus, we must at least understand what Paul was trying to tell the readers of his letters.

Text: Romans 6: 3-4

In this unique text, we must remember what Paul understood about the Spirit of God. You see, Baptism conferred upon the believer the Spirit of God, which of course, is the Spirit of Christ. This Spirit is the same inner substance that hung on the cross, and thus “died with our sins”. Therefore, by having the spirit of man inside of us transformed into the Spirit of God, we gain the very Spirit which was crucified on the cross and erased the depravity of our sin. Thus, the water cleanses us not because it gives us the Spirit of God, but because it gives us the very Spirit of God that hung on the Cross for our Sins. And as you can imagine, this is profoundly important.

Paul's contributions to Baptismal Theology created the basis for understanding baptism as the sacred initiation ritual of the Christian faith. Baptism and conversion were synonomous, if you converted, you were baptized. Now Church fathers from the very beginning debated the how, with what, and the whom of baptism. Augustine of Hippo argued that Baptism must be done immediately to a new child in order to erase Original Sin. Tertullian wrote explicitly about credobaptism, or believer's baptism which was performed only after a believer fully understood the ramifications of their decisions. Then there were the later arguments which sprang fromt the Reformation over immersion and sprinkling. All of these debates are centered on getting the ritual correct. And the question we have to ask ourselves is “Why?”

Unless baptism carries with it some tranformative element, there is no need to argue and debate the “Why.” Unless baptism has a unique contribution to the human soul and the believer's experience of God, there is no need to quarrel. So the very presence of the debate testifies to the value, worth, and mystery of this Christian Ritual. People want to perform it
correctly because it provides something powerful and uniquely life-changing.

So where do we stand, what do we think? If there is one thing I want to re-emphasize it is this: Baptism is a Sacred Ritual. It is a symbolic expression relating to God. And being symbolic does not mean that it is “simply” an outward expression of an inward change. No, because it is a symbol it participates in the inward change. It contributes to the inward change. It is a definitive part of our Faith, and as such it is uniquely important. It brings us in communion with God in a way nothing else can. Paul thought that we were physically changed by the Spirit of God that made itself to live within us. Like Paul, we must recognize that Baptism brings God inside of us and adds a new dimension to our soul, to our existence. We see God, we feel God, and we understand God in a way that cannot be duplicated. It is unique, it is power-full, and it is meaning-full.

You will see in your bulletin that there is a page devoted to the description of Baptism as outlined on the Disciple's web page (http://www.disciples.org/discover/baptism.htm). And you will hopefully notice two things: First, that Disciple's affirm the symbolic nature of Baptism. Secondly, that Disciple's affirm form truly doesn't matter. Full immersion, partial immersion, or sprikling are all recognized by the Disciple's at large. Now we do practice full immersion more widely as we feel a desire to connect to first century Christianity, but we do not exclude any baptised individual's from the community of Faith.

Thus, this sermon is not one that is focused on clearing up the debate that has lingered since the first Church Fathers and which was complicated by the Reformation. No, this sermon is focused on re-considering, re-approaching, and then re-acting to the beauty and depth of Baptism. Echoing the words of Paul, Baptism is both the symbolic act of dying with Christ, and then the Rising with Christ. Symbolically we are taken into the primordial water of Chaos which dissolves us, only to re-emerge with a new self, a new identity, a new personhood. You see Baptism is the initial proclamation. It is a public profession which trans-forms the Being of the believer. The “Old” is washed away, and the “New” is brought to Life. The Soul is made anew because it is deepened by a novel dimension of being. The unique and powerful experience that we have with God is truly transformative.

Have you been transformed?

As we close this morning may you re-consider, re-approach, and re-act to the power and depth of Baptism. May you remember that Ritual is important, because Ritual is IN God. May the Holy Shaper of Transformation change your thoughts of God, the World, and yourself. May the God of Love and Life shower his Mercies upon you. And Let us all be both blessed and a blessing to the Most High God as we leave here this morning. For it is in God that all things are brought together, and it is in God that all things are made Good.

Amen.