On Friday evening I had just finished drying off after a spirited water-gun battle with a group of enthusiastic pre-teens from the church when a knock came on the door. One of our members asked if I would come to the hospital because his sister-in-law was dying. Although she was seventy years old she had never been baptized. Because of her mental and physical challenges and the untimely death of her mother she had lived with relatives and in group homes most of her life. The sacrament which her siblings had experienced in infancy had never happened for her.
I changed my clothes, gathered up a bible and a container of water, and headed for the hospital. The family explained that their loved one had gone to church while in the group homes and loved it, whatever she might have comprehended. As unusual as the circumstances were, it was entirely appropriate to baptize her and it was a very meaningful experience for me. I sensed the presence of God's Spirit in what we were doing. The next day I was informed that she died a few hours after I left.
On Sunday we baptized two infants who were at the beginning of their journey of faith. I took a moment to inform the congregation of the baptism which was an ending. Both were symbols of our resurrection faith.
What a wonderful story of baptism. The family came in a spirit that their loved one has missed out for reasons of circumstance.
ReplyDeleteThat coming out of love, rather than fear that God would not accept her, makes the difference of Jesus' coming to show us as much of God's love that could be in humans in his time.
Jesus did say we would do greater things than he, perhaps the end of fear will be the greatest to happen upon the planet. It is the greatest need of our time.