Sunday, March 31, 2013

NEW LIFE BEGINS WITH A SPLASH

   

     It is Easter.  A day of joy and hope and remembrance.  We see new life all around us in the trees and flowers, and we celebrate new life in our faith.  In my denomination, when we make a decision to give our lives to the Lord, we symbolize it with baptism. I'm not talking about a half-hearted sprinkle, I'm talking about a full-bodied dunking. You can't sneak in a little baptism without anybody noticing, you emerge from the baptismal pool soaking wet!  It takes commitment, and courage.  It is a day of great seriousness and life-long meaning.  But by it's very nature it lends itself to snafus!
       I remember the Sunday I was baptized.  I was a child, and younger than most when I made the commitment.  It was a heart-felt decision and completely genuine, even though I was smaller in stature than most baptismal candidates.  They placed a large wooden block at the bottom of the baptistery  so that my head would poke out above the water until the time of the actual dunking.  (It is never good when someone goes under before their cue).  I excitedly walked down the steps of the baptismal pool, but the block was too far away for me to reach until I took a few steps.  Rather than wait in a dignified manner to be helped to the block I did what I always did in a swimming pool that was too deep for me, I bobbed enthusiastically from my toes as I swam/jumped to the center and my safety box.  I did wonder why the usually serious crowd was laughing, but I was too excited to care.  The rest of the event went just as planned.  I was thrilled.  It makes me happy to remember the funny moments like this because I happen to know that the inventor of the sense of humor is God, himself.  Don't you think it makes him smile when we enjoy life? 

       Since he is already in heaven with Jesus, I feel safe in sharing another baptismal story that took place long ago in Texas.  This is a true story and I love telling it.  Many Americans have heard of Sam Houston.  If you haven't just know that he is the guy that the city of Houston is named for and he was a Governor of the State back in it's infancy, and most importantly, the President of the Republic of Texas not once, but twice!  What many Texans also know is that he was a notorious womanizer and drunk.  He had a serious problem with alcohol.  Then he met a sweet young Christian girl who introduced him to a true relationship with Jesus Christ, and his life was radically changed.  When the day came for his baptism at the River (I heard the Brazos, but I don't know if that is correct), the preacher dunked ole Sam in the river and raised him up again saying, "Your sins are forgiven!"  Sam Houston looked the preacher in the eye and emphatically said, "Then God help these fish!"
It seems to me that someone like Sam really understood the gift of love from God.  Not one of us can really claim to deserve the new life that He offers, but I am so glad He offers it anyway!  There are many other funny stories that I have heard from my father (a missionary in Japan) and my grandfather (a West Texas pastor for many decades) of Baptisms run a muck, but let me finish with another river baptism story told by a former youth minister at my church in South Carolina.
        My sketchy memory wants to attribute this story to Rick Thompson who told us this happened to him when he was a young seminary student, pastoring a small congregation who did not have a baptistery   To the joy of the church, an elderly man in the community came to know Jesus and was to be included in their baptism at the river.  The man was quite old and frail, but excited to be baptized.  When his time came, he waded out to where Rick was standing. Not an easy task since there had been recent rains and the river was moving along at a brisk pace.  Rick grabbed his arm to help him in place and lowered him in the water proclaiming, "Buried to new life in Christ...." But as he tried to help the man up out of the water, he could no longer feel him.  HE WAS GONE! He frantically looked all around and suddenly 20 feet down stream the old man popped up out of the water!  Rick pointed his arm at him and confidently shouted, "Raised to walk in newness of life!"
         I love thinking about how much God must enjoy our moments like this!  On this Easter I pray that you will have a day filled with joy!
         







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