Morning! Oh I hate hearing that RK.Did any rain make it south to you yesterday? Sadly we got nary a drop but further south of us saw rain and hail. Too dry as we enter 90 degree temps this coming be week😢
It was so chilly out this morn that husband switched on the furnace. It is a beautiful blue sky day here!
We installed new security cameras around the property and have enjoyed watching what comes through in the middle of the night.Rocky raccoon was here night before last enjoying Pip’s cooling off kiddie pool. Last night a big ol’ barn cat visited…yay we have a free mouser! 🐭 🐈
And we had rain off and on all day yesterday. The talk around here is that it rains constantly. (How I wish we could sent it to you who need it!) The other joke is that the mosquitoes make it unbearable when it isn’t raining. The silver lining is the fire danger is low. I feel sorry for those trying to hay or do construction projects. Weather issues do remind us about how helpless we really are. Although, some people seem to think they can control the climate.
Right now, it is a beautiful sun shiny day, so I will enjoy that.
Good late morning. It’s still coolish out due to the rain. I may try to mow some today. Not sure I am up for doing the whole yard with its wet grass which is much heavier as it collects in the mulching bag.
So sorry to hear you are still suffering with that ailment, Mumsee. I pray you feel much better by tomorrow.
I am trying a new suppldment, Beta Glucan, by Better Way Health, that is suppose to help the immune system improve in its targeting of bugs. I think my body has some auto immune issues that tend to target one’s own body and cause infammation and lessen targeting of what it should attack like cancer. We shall see.
It’s Monday, isn’t it? No, no, don’t say it. I’m trying to mentally ease into the idea.
I’m showering at night lately (instead of the morning) as the high humidity has left me pretty much drenched after walking Abby and doing anything that needs to be done around the house.
I think the patio is decent enough now for the home insurance photos I need to take. It’s not exactly tidy just yet, but much progress was made and I’m appreciating it, not just because I need to do that home insurance assessment. (And how State Farm keeps pestering me … “We see you haven’t started yet …” (it’s an app you use and turn in, supposed to take only 15 minutes but we’ll see …).
For now, it’s back to work this week but good to maybe get a breather after what’s been an especially busy several months for us.
It’ll kick up again with local election assignments — but this round is easier than the primary round that involves so many candidates for each seat.
trying to stay cool somehow. The house got up to 94. But when I headed to the pool the car was 122. Yikes. I already had the trash can loaded but when I got it out at the bottom of the driveway it was almost too hot to handle
later I also realized that I forgot to close two windows so my ac didn’t work too well
thinking of calling my friend on the coast and going for a visit. It is in the 60s there
The temp has risen from 72° to 81°. I mowed the first section which was not bad. Only the sodded part was looking shaggy. Now to wait and let shade creep over more of the yard. But it could rain again or get too hot by time for me to do more.
A bunch of us men get together a couple limes a week to solve all the world’s problems. Today was that day. This is 10 or so men from 2 different churches, myself and half the others are “Baptists”, says so on the sign, the others, well godless heathens as we call them, are more aligned with the Presbyterians.
It is a fantastic bunch, and every week one of them reminds me that iron sharpens iron. I wish more churches did this. The advice and wisdom from a wise brother is something we should all be blessed with. I have like a dozen to run things by. I am blessed by these guys, and thankful to God for them.
Our (Presbyterian) pastor often says we live in a “baptist” (lower-case b) nation when it comes to some theological ideas (the biblical case for infant baptism for example).
We take our US mission seriously 🙂 Just to get and keep you all thinking … hmmm.
Aj ’tis a sweet blessing to have brothers in the Lord to surround you. Praying your leg is continuing to heal and feel better too!
Wait…are you saying Baptists baptism infants Dj? Or am I reading that wrong?
I recall one Reformed church we attend for a short while. The discussion was about Arminianism. One elder in the back was becoming quite agitated and shouted…”Billy Graham is an Armenian…you cannot quote him here”!!! You’d have thought he had cooties or something!
Nope, that would be us Presbyterians (baptizing infants). There are good biblical arguments 🙂
So we’re heading up to 75 today but I doubt our humidity (which peaked at 74% yesterday) will settle down any time soon. Currently (at almost 11 a.m.) it’s at 79%.
I am thinking Atlanta feels good compared to CA today😳 How did that happen? In July?
Serious question on infant baptism. I had son baptised as an infant in my mother’s church. To please her (not that she’d asked, but I thought it would be a nice gesture). She was a widow. I was a nominal Christian without a personal relationship with Jesus. When a nominal Christian does infant baptism just for show, does that count when the mother is not even a church member?
Lawn crews have now mowed lawns on each side of our yard. Now I feel I must mow the rest of our yard.😃 I have the cheapest lawn crew around the neighborhood! Cut rate and top notch. What a deal!
One of my favorite pastors, long since gone home to heaven, once said he was a Calminian.
I’m not a deep thinker, certainly not theologically. I’ve never quite figured out how Calvinism vs Arminianism makes a difference to how we should live. (But I’m willing to be educated if anyone wants to try.)
Infant baptism carries with it the commitment of the parents and the church (in which the parents are members in good standing) to raise the child in the faith.
It does not impart salvation, but rather recognizes the child as a part of the Christian community in which he or she was born.
I remember a reporter who used to sit behind me years ago — he and his wife could not have children and were going through the adoption process. But once they adopted a baby they wanted to have her baptized (they had Anglican backgrounds but were not believers or church members).
I remember our discussions about all of that, he was so surprised that they were getting turned down by churches because of that lack of parental commitment to raise the child in the faith.
Thanks, DJ. My Baptist church was dying two years ago (long and tragic story) and we decided to “merge” into a multi-location Reformed (RCA) church in the area. At least some of our former members objected to the merger, especially to the idea that babies might be baptized in our sanctuary.
The senior pastor over all the locations said that they will baptize babies if requested, but describes it much as you did, DJ, and makes it clear that it’s not a saving action. I can live with that.
The multi-location model has the advantage that you don’t have to build a full staff at every location. Each location has its location pastor and part time worship and childrens’ ministry coordinators, but other ministry leaders (youth pastor etc) and staff are shared by all locations. It’s worked out well for us.
I miss a lot of things about our old church, but I like the new one too.
I am not aware of any baptism that saves people. I could see why they would say no if the couple was not believing as they might send the child the false idea they would be saved through it and not need to address it ever.
Kevin, I know in the Southern Baptist denomination, only a Believer’s Baptism is worthy of church membership. The baptism is by immersion, but my pastor at one point said he’d make other provision for someone unable to do the posture required for a dunking.
I guess my question was more about if there is any equivalent to a believer’s baptism in churches that practice infant baptism.
As for my mother’s church, we had taken her to numerous services so knew the people. Also Art and I were members at a large Presbyterian church downtown where we got married although we no longer attended since having a baby. I thought I was a Christian because of church membership but later knew I was not understanding salvation correctly. So it is a rather complex scenario, not cut and dry. I mostly did the baptism for my mother but thinking now more clearly, I thought we were Christian parents baptising our son and dedicating him to God and promising to raise him Christian. I ended up doing that despite not understanding what I was promising at the time. This is helping me to better understanding to write it all out.😃
I am remembering the command in the Bible to “Repent and be baptized!” Just thinking on how babies can’t repent. Not passing judgement on anyone, just seeking better understanding.
Glad your new church situation is working out, Kevin. It does sound good.
Baptism definitely does not indicate salvation so I am not confused on that point. Trying to understand what counts toward membership requirements in various denominations.
Almost unbelievable that my ‘new to me’ church will celebrate its 170th Birthday on August 4th! And I still hold strong connections at my former church that was started on the remains of my church that had died. I went from the youngest church in the neighborhood to the oldest.😃
New members are examined by the elder board to determine that there is a “credible confession of faith.”
If so, and if they desire to become a communicant member, they are asked to stand before the congregation on a date set and answer these questions:
* Do you believe the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, to be the Word of God, and its doctrine of salvation to be the perfect and only true doctrine of salvation?
* Do you confess that because of your sinfulness you abhor and humble yourself before God, and that you trust for salvation not in yourself but in Jesus Christ alone?
* Do you acknowledge Jesus Christ as your sovereign Lord and do you promise, in reliance on the grace of God, to serve him with all that is in you, to forsake the world, to mortify your old nature, and to lead a godly life?
* Do you agree to submit in the Lord to the government of this church and, in case you should be found delinquent in doctrine or life, to heed its discipline?
DJ, that membership process sounds very similar to that of our former Baptist church, though the testimony before the congregation is a little less specific.
I haven’t looked into our new Reformed church’s membership process yet. I feel like a member since we were sort of “grafted in” from the old church, but I think technically I’m not.
I was grafted in to that new baby church, too, as a former member. I later found out that new people were informed of an expectation of a certain level of financial commitment (from the new pastor). One of the various reasons I left. I had never been part of a church that talked about money with new members. Saddened to find that out.
Janice, I can never be a member of my local Baptist church because I was poured or sprinkled in the Methodist church I was attending as a new believer. I did it in good faith, believing I should be baptized, nor did I know there were other forms of baptism. I, with no Christian guidance, chose that church as I did not want to be pulled into a false cult. But I believe it was an effective obedience to God and I do believe He has baptized me with His Spirit, and so we go forward.
We also have new members classes that run for several weeks for those interested in membership. It’s all pretty thorough.
If coming in from another church there usually are transfers if it is another Reformed congregation, but that may extend also to other denominations (I think it probably does) though some vetting by the elders might be involved.
We recognize sprinkling, pouring and dunking, all. lol
Mumsee, I was sprinkled at confirmation at age twelve in the Presbyterian USA church. To become Southern Baptist I had to do a Believer’s Baptism with immersion. I was in my 40s. I assume the church did not say to you that because you had been baptised the oyher way first that you were disqualified for that reason ? Did you made the choice to not do the second baptism or was it not even offered? That would have been a gross error on the part of that pastor. Wow! Anything is possible.
I got to thinking more about my family and baptism. Art was immersed as a young boy in the Baptst church. I was sprinkled as a Presbyterian at age 12 and immersed as a Baptist in my 40’s. Son was sprinkled as an infant. I prepared the baptistry for sprinkling babies at the Methodist church for a number of years. An earthenware pitcher we received as a wedding gift was used at the Methodist church when the pastor wanted to add the act of pouring the water into the baptistry in front of the congregation. Also, I think my brother was baptised by immersion at a Baptist church while in college.
Here I am at age 70 still sorting through baptism.🙃
I understand the Baptist desire to rebaptize someone who was baptized as an infant, thinking somehow that that isn’t “real” baptism, but I don’t understand rebaptizing because the person wasn’t immersed. Scripture simply is silent on the mode. (That Jesus went down into the water doesn’t mean he was dunked. It’s actually rather hard to imagine John the Baptist single-handedly immersing long lines of people. It has been argued that you could stand in the water and have it poured over you. Scripture simply doesn’t say.)
As for why do we baptize if it doesn’t save anyone, and why do we baptize infants who don’t yet believe, well the Old Testament parallel is circumcision. Circumcision didn’t save anyone, it was a sign of faith, but it was applied to the children (sons) of believing parents and not just to the father. The case has been made that Jewish believers (who made up most of the early church) would have assumed that their infants should be baptized, having understood that the sign of the covenant is also applied to one’s children. If there had been intended to be a change, that baptism is applied only to adults (and to children who have publicly professed their faith), that would have been explicitly said.
Those who practice “believer’s baptism” often assume that since Scripture never specifically tells us to baptize our children, that we should not do so. Yet with this argument, we should do so unless we are specifically told to <i>stop</i> including our children as members of the covenant community (and we aren’t).
Isn’t it all good that our Lord looks upon the heart!?😊
I was sprinkled in the Methodist church at 12. I was dunked at the Baptist church at 21.
While at the RPCNA church the babes were baptized as “covenant children”.
In the Baptist church and others children were “dedicated” to the Lord.
We were not members of the reformed church officially. We were considered “adherents” We went through the members class but could not agree with a couple of stances of the church. Because of that we started getting the cold shoulder from some of the elders and their wives which was so sad. We decided to move on and leave quietly after speaking with the Pastor. We truly loved that small body of believers.
I saw a clip of Alistair Begg speaking of the thief on the cross. He knew nothing but Jesus said he was going to be with Him. Timely to see that today.
Janice, I could have been rebaptized but disagreed with that, which would make me a bad Baptist right off the bat! My husband was, so he could help with admin and vote for chair colors or whatever those people do.
From my perspective, we have been members there for years. He as an official signed on the line member. Me as merely bought and paid for by the Blood of the Lamb, chosen by Him to be a tool for His purposes, member of the Body of Christ. It works.
Mumsee, if you feel like you could share why you thought it wrong I would appreciate it. I suppose if I had been a true believer at age twelve and was told I had to be rebaptised at the much later date just to join the church, I might have felt that way. But I felt convicted to have the Believer’s Baptism under my circumstances.
I had wanted to be baptized in the Jordan River but decided the church sanctuary was fine once I heard about the big rats in the Jordan😳 I also appreciate the symbolism of immersion, and the cleansing of sins. Mine were many so the more water the better! Maybe at twelve sprinkling was sufficient😃
Wandering Views 
Good morning! Smoke in the air here.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Morning! Oh I hate hearing that RK.Did any rain make it south to you yesterday? Sadly we got nary a drop but further south of us saw rain and hail. Too dry as we enter 90 degree temps this coming be week😢
It was so chilly out this morn that husband switched on the furnace. It is a beautiful blue sky day here!
We installed new security cameras around the property and have enjoyed watching what comes through in the middle of the night.Rocky raccoon was here night before last enjoying Pip’s cooling off kiddie pool. Last night a big ol’ barn cat visited…yay we have a free mouser! 🐭 🐈
LikeLiked by 3 people
Good morning, all. Another beautiful day with sun shining and flowers blooming.
My usual bright and cheery, aromatic tea smells like old dishwater this morning.
mumsee
LikeLiked by 4 people
And we had rain off and on all day yesterday. The talk around here is that it rains constantly. (How I wish we could sent it to you who need it!) The other joke is that the mosquitoes make it unbearable when it isn’t raining. The silver lining is the fire danger is low. I feel sorry for those trying to hay or do construction projects. Weather issues do remind us about how helpless we really are. Although, some people seem to think they can control the climate.
Right now, it is a beautiful sun shiny day, so I will enjoy that.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good late morning. It’s still coolish out due to the rain. I may try to mow some today. Not sure I am up for doing the whole yard with its wet grass which is much heavier as it collects in the mulching bag.
So sorry to hear you are still suffering with that ailment, Mumsee. I pray you feel much better by tomorrow.
I am trying a new suppldment, Beta Glucan, by Better Way Health, that is suppose to help the immune system improve in its targeting of bugs. I think my body has some auto immune issues that tend to target one’s own body and cause infammation and lessen targeting of what it should attack like cancer. We shall see.
LikeLiked by 2 people
This is a Christian company, too.
https://www.betterwayhealth.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s Monday, isn’t it? No, no, don’t say it. I’m trying to mentally ease into the idea.
I’m showering at night lately (instead of the morning) as the high humidity has left me pretty much drenched after walking Abby and doing anything that needs to be done around the house.
I think the patio is decent enough now for the home insurance photos I need to take. It’s not exactly tidy just yet, but much progress was made and I’m appreciating it, not just because I need to do that home insurance assessment. (And how State Farm keeps pestering me … “We see you haven’t started yet …” (it’s an app you use and turn in, supposed to take only 15 minutes but we’ll see …).
For now, it’s back to work this week but good to maybe get a breather after what’s been an especially busy several months for us.
It’ll kick up again with local election assignments — but this round is easier than the primary round that involves so many candidates for each seat.
LikeLiked by 3 people
trying to stay cool somehow. The house got up to 94. But when I headed to the pool the car was 122. Yikes. I already had the trash can loaded but when I got it out at the bottom of the driveway it was almost too hot to handle
later I also realized that I forgot to close two windows so my ac didn’t work too well
thinking of calling my friend on the coast and going for a visit. It is in the 60s there
jo
LikeLiked by 2 people
The temp has risen from 72° to 81°. I mowed the first section which was not bad. Only the sodded part was looking shaggy. Now to wait and let shade creep over more of the yard. But it could rain again or get too hot by time for me to do more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A bunch of us men get together a couple limes a week to solve all the world’s problems. Today was that day. This is 10 or so men from 2 different churches, myself and half the others are “Baptists”, says so on the sign, the others, well godless heathens as we call them, are more aligned with the Presbyterians.
It is a fantastic bunch, and every week one of them reminds me that iron sharpens iron. I wish more churches did this. The advice and wisdom from a wise brother is something we should all be blessed with. I have like a dozen to run things by. I am blessed by these guys, and thankful to God for them.
Allen
LikeLiked by 6 people
Good to hear that, AJ
Our (Presbyterian) pastor often says we live in a “baptist” (lower-case b) nation when it comes to some theological ideas (the biblical case for infant baptism for example).
We take our US mission seriously 🙂 Just to get and keep you all thinking … hmmm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aj ’tis a sweet blessing to have brothers in the Lord to surround you. Praying your leg is continuing to heal and feel better too!
Wait…are you saying Baptists baptism infants Dj? Or am I reading that wrong?
I recall one Reformed church we attend for a short while. The discussion was about Arminianism. One elder in the back was becoming quite agitated and shouted…”Billy Graham is an Armenian…you cannot quote him here”!!! You’d have thought he had cooties or something!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Nope, that would be us Presbyterians (baptizing infants). There are good biblical arguments 🙂
So we’re heading up to 75 today but I doubt our humidity (which peaked at 74% yesterday) will settle down any time soon. Currently (at almost 11 a.m.) it’s at 79%.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Won’t it just rain at some point if the humidity gets much higher??
LikeLiked by 2 people
I am thinking Atlanta feels good compared to CA today😳 How did that happen? In July?
Serious question on infant baptism. I had son baptised as an infant in my mother’s church. To please her (not that she’d asked, but I thought it would be a nice gesture). She was a widow. I was a nominal Christian without a personal relationship with Jesus. When a nominal Christian does infant baptism just for show, does that count when the mother is not even a church member?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lawn crews have now mowed lawns on each side of our yard. Now I feel I must mow the rest of our yard.😃 I have the cheapest lawn crew around the neighborhood! Cut rate and top notch. What a deal!
LikeLiked by 1 person
One of my favorite pastors, long since gone home to heaven, once said he was a Calminian.
I’m not a deep thinker, certainly not theologically. I’ve never quite figured out how Calvinism vs Arminianism makes a difference to how we should live. (But I’m willing to be educated if anyone wants to try.)
LikeLiked by 3 people
Janice, to your question, what do you mean “does it count”? (I ask as someone for whom infant baptism is a bit foreign. 🙂 )
LikeLike
Infant baptism carries with it the commitment of the parents and the church (in which the parents are members in good standing) to raise the child in the faith.
It does not impart salvation, but rather recognizes the child as a part of the Christian community in which he or she was born.
I remember a reporter who used to sit behind me years ago — he and his wife could not have children and were going through the adoption process. But once they adopted a baby they wanted to have her baptized (they had Anglican backgrounds but were not believers or church members).
I remember our discussions about all of that, he was so surprised that they were getting turned down by churches because of that lack of parental commitment to raise the child in the faith.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, DJ. My Baptist church was dying two years ago (long and tragic story) and we decided to “merge” into a multi-location Reformed (RCA) church in the area. At least some of our former members objected to the merger, especially to the idea that babies might be baptized in our sanctuary.
The senior pastor over all the locations said that they will baptize babies if requested, but describes it much as you did, DJ, and makes it clear that it’s not a saving action. I can live with that.
The multi-location model has the advantage that you don’t have to build a full staff at every location. Each location has its location pastor and part time worship and childrens’ ministry coordinators, but other ministry leaders (youth pastor etc) and staff are shared by all locations. It’s worked out well for us.
I miss a lot of things about our old church, but I like the new one too.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I am not aware of any baptism that saves people. I could see why they would say no if the couple was not believing as they might send the child the false idea they would be saved through it and not need to address it ever.
mumsee
LikeLiked by 3 people
I believe this was the first discussion I got involved in, and maybe initiated, on World.
mumsee
LikeLiked by 3 people
Kevin, I know in the Southern Baptist denomination, only a Believer’s Baptism is worthy of church membership. The baptism is by immersion, but my pastor at one point said he’d make other provision for someone unable to do the posture required for a dunking.
I guess my question was more about if there is any equivalent to a believer’s baptism in churches that practice infant baptism.
As for my mother’s church, we had taken her to numerous services so knew the people. Also Art and I were members at a large Presbyterian church downtown where we got married although we no longer attended since having a baby. I thought I was a Christian because of church membership but later knew I was not understanding salvation correctly. So it is a rather complex scenario, not cut and dry. I mostly did the baptism for my mother but thinking now more clearly, I thought we were Christian parents baptising our son and dedicating him to God and promising to raise him Christian. I ended up doing that despite not understanding what I was promising at the time. This is helping me to better understanding to write it all out.😃
I am remembering the command in the Bible to “Repent and be baptized!” Just thinking on how babies can’t repent. Not passing judgement on anyone, just seeking better understanding.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Mumsee, good point to add — baptism does not save anyone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad your new church situation is working out, Kevin. It does sound good.
Baptism definitely does not indicate salvation so I am not confused on that point. Trying to understand what counts toward membership requirements in various denominations.
Almost unbelievable that my ‘new to me’ church will celebrate its 170th Birthday on August 4th! And I still hold strong connections at my former church that was started on the remains of my church that had died. I went from the youngest church in the neighborhood to the oldest.😃
LikeLiked by 2 people
New members are examined by the elder board to determine that there is a “credible confession of faith.”
If so, and if they desire to become a communicant member, they are asked to stand before the congregation on a date set and answer these questions:
* Do you believe the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, to be the Word of God, and its doctrine of salvation to be the perfect and only true doctrine of salvation?
* Do you confess that because of your sinfulness you abhor and humble yourself before God, and that you trust for salvation not in yourself but in Jesus Christ alone?
* Do you acknowledge Jesus Christ as your sovereign Lord and do you promise, in reliance on the grace of God, to serve him with all that is in you, to forsake the world, to mortify your old nature, and to lead a godly life?
* Do you agree to submit in the Lord to the government of this church and, in case you should be found delinquent in doctrine or life, to heed its discipline?
LikeLiked by 1 person
If they have never been baptized, that also occurs at that time. If they have, our church recognizes that.
LikeLike
DJ, that membership process sounds very similar to that of our former Baptist church, though the testimony before the congregation is a little less specific.
I haven’t looked into our new Reformed church’s membership process yet. I feel like a member since we were sort of “grafted in” from the old church, but I think technically I’m not.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I was grafted in to that new baby church, too, as a former member. I later found out that new people were informed of an expectation of a certain level of financial commitment (from the new pastor). One of the various reasons I left. I had never been part of a church that talked about money with new members. Saddened to find that out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Janice, I can never be a member of my local Baptist church because I was poured or sprinkled in the Methodist church I was attending as a new believer. I did it in good faith, believing I should be baptized, nor did I know there were other forms of baptism. I, with no Christian guidance, chose that church as I did not want to be pulled into a false cult. But I believe it was an effective obedience to God and I do believe He has baptized me with His Spirit, and so we go forward.
mumsee
LikeLiked by 2 people
We also have new members classes that run for several weeks for those interested in membership. It’s all pretty thorough.
If coming in from another church there usually are transfers if it is another Reformed congregation, but that may extend also to other denominations (I think it probably does) though some vetting by the elders might be involved.
We recognize sprinkling, pouring and dunking, all. lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
One (water) baptism is sufficient.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mumsee, I was sprinkled at confirmation at age twelve in the Presbyterian USA church. To become Southern Baptist I had to do a Believer’s Baptism with immersion. I was in my 40s. I assume the church did not say to you that because you had been baptised the oyher way first that you were disqualified for that reason ? Did you made the choice to not do the second baptism or was it not even offered? That would have been a gross error on the part of that pastor. Wow! Anything is possible.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got to thinking more about my family and baptism. Art was immersed as a young boy in the Baptst church. I was sprinkled as a Presbyterian at age 12 and immersed as a Baptist in my 40’s. Son was sprinkled as an infant. I prepared the baptistry for sprinkling babies at the Methodist church for a number of years. An earthenware pitcher we received as a wedding gift was used at the Methodist church when the pastor wanted to add the act of pouring the water into the baptistry in front of the congregation. Also, I think my brother was baptised by immersion at a Baptist church while in college.
Here I am at age 70 still sorting through baptism.🙃
LikeLiked by 2 people
I understand the Baptist desire to rebaptize someone who was baptized as an infant, thinking somehow that that isn’t “real” baptism, but I don’t understand rebaptizing because the person wasn’t immersed. Scripture simply is silent on the mode. (That Jesus went down into the water doesn’t mean he was dunked. It’s actually rather hard to imagine John the Baptist single-handedly immersing long lines of people. It has been argued that you could stand in the water and have it poured over you. Scripture simply doesn’t say.)
As for why do we baptize if it doesn’t save anyone, and why do we baptize infants who don’t yet believe, well the Old Testament parallel is circumcision. Circumcision didn’t save anyone, it was a sign of faith, but it was applied to the children (sons) of believing parents and not just to the father. The case has been made that Jewish believers (who made up most of the early church) would have assumed that their infants should be baptized, having understood that the sign of the covenant is also applied to one’s children. If there had been intended to be a change, that baptism is applied only to adults (and to children who have publicly professed their faith), that would have been explicitly said.
Those who practice “believer’s baptism” often assume that since Scripture never specifically tells us to baptize our children, that we should not do so. Yet with this argument, we should do so unless we are specifically told to <i>stop</i> including our children as members of the covenant community (and we aren’t).
LikeLiked by 2 people
Isn’t it all good that our Lord looks upon the heart!?😊
I was sprinkled in the Methodist church at 12. I was dunked at the Baptist church at 21.
While at the RPCNA church the babes were baptized as “covenant children”.
In the Baptist church and others children were “dedicated” to the Lord.
We were not members of the reformed church officially. We were considered “adherents” We went through the members class but could not agree with a couple of stances of the church. Because of that we started getting the cold shoulder from some of the elders and their wives which was so sad. We decided to move on and leave quietly after speaking with the Pastor. We truly loved that small body of believers.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Cheryl, I was going to go down the thread of circumcision but no time … As well as the lack of Scripture on baptism “modes.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, getting a cool breeze today. Still 71% humidity (and 73 degrees) but it feels much better. Throwing open all the windows!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I saw a clip of Alistair Begg speaking of the thief on the cross. He knew nothing but Jesus said he was going to be with Him. Timely to see that today.
LikeLike
Janice, I could have been rebaptized but disagreed with that, which would make me a bad Baptist right off the bat! My husband was, so he could help with admin and vote for chair colors or whatever those people do.
From my perspective, we have been members there for years. He as an official signed on the line member. Me as merely bought and paid for by the Blood of the Lamb, chosen by Him to be a tool for His purposes, member of the Body of Christ. It works.
mumsee
LikeLiked by 3 people
Mumsee, if you feel like you could share why you thought it wrong I would appreciate it. I suppose if I had been a true believer at age twelve and was told I had to be rebaptised at the much later date just to join the church, I might have felt that way. But I felt convicted to have the Believer’s Baptism under my circumstances.
I had wanted to be baptized in the Jordan River but decided the church sanctuary was fine once I heard about the big rats in the Jordan😳 I also appreciate the symbolism of immersion, and the cleansing of sins. Mine were many so the more water the better! Maybe at twelve sprinkling was sufficient😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
my church does infant dedication which is really a dedication on the part of the parents to raise them in the faith
jo
LikeLiked by 3 people
Water baptism is the baptism of repentance.
Denominations make it into part of their membership qualifications in whatever form they have decided.
LikeLiked by 2 people