Good Thursday morning, my friends!
Attached you will find the "before and after" pictures of my baptism last weekend. It was a wonderful, intimate experience and I am so grateful to Don and happy that his family were there.
I have been trying to figure out how to properly express both why I wanted to be baptized, and how it made me feel, but this morning in my inbox was an article by John Fischer that does this better than I ever could. (John was rebaptized in the 70's so why he chose to write this today, God only knows!) John writes:
Getting baptized again as an adult wasn't an issue of doctrine or theology; it was an issue of passion. I was watching all my friends and a whole bunch of new converts get baptized and I wanted to join them. I felt a little like Peter when he protested having Jesus wash his feet and Jesus said that he couldn't be a part of Him unless he let Him do this, to which Peter replied "Well then, give me a bath!" or something to that effect. I understand that. I wanted to get all wet. I wanted to identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus and I wanted to identify with my new family in Christ.
The entire article is well worth reading and can be found here.
Jesus said "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15) and one of his commandments was to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". And that's how I feel - like I have obeyed His command as a way of loving Him.
Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,
Bruce
Deliver me, Lord, from the way of sin and death.Open my heart to your grace and truth.
Fill me with your holy and life-giving Spirit.
Keep me in the faith and communion of your holy Church.
Teach me to love others in the power of the Spirit.Send me into the world in witness to your love.
Bring me to the fullness of your peace and glory.- adapted from The Book of Common Prayer
| Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca |
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