A Faith Inherited: Baptism
In 1517, Martin Luther strode up to his local Parish in Wittenberg, Germany, and nailed the now-famous 95 Theses to the wooden doors. While he meant to make a provocative statement, the debate still rages on whether or not he fully understood the implications of this action. Luther had become disillusioned with the Catholic church, the episcopacy (the hierarchy of priests, bishops, and cardinals), and the Pope himself. For too long Luther had seen men in powerful positions manipulating scripture and the willingness of the people to follow the church's authority to oppress, subjugate, and rob the people blind. With the posting of the 95 Theses, the Protestant Reformation was born, and marked one of the greatest schisms in church history.
When the Protestants left the Catholic Church, there was deep desire within the newly formed leadership to purge anything and everything that even smelled of catholicism. Liturgies were rewritten, scripture was translated into the common languages rather than being solely in Latin (which no one besides the highly educated priests could read or write in), and churches were stripped of the gold and jewels that had become so commonplace in Catholic sanctuaries. In the Catholic Church, there are 7 sacraments. Out of these 7, the Protestants took only two with them:
Communion and baptism. Our next two topics, what a coincidence!
This week we continue our series on A Faith Inherited, a look at the "why" behind so many of our church practices and traditions, and turn our attention towards one of the most hotly debated topics within the church as a whole. How fascinating to see that, even amongst all the anger, frustration, and contention happening at the Protestant Reformation, during a time when those involved wanting nothing more than to show the gaping distance between themselves and their Catholic predecessors, it was undeniable how beautiful and holy the act of baptism is. They simply couldn't leave it behind or diminish its importance. Out of everything they disagreed on, they could agree on that.
You would think the differences on baptism would end there, between the Catholic and Protestant understandings. But, drive through any town in the US and notice all the different church signs, each with a different denomination. We all worship Jesus, we all acknowledge the Trinity (with some outlier exceptions), yet we still worship in completely separate buildings apart from each other. Why?
I'm sorry to say, a majority of the time, the answer can be boiled down to: we disagree on baptism. What is the right age to get baptized? How many times should you get baptized in life? How much water should be involved? Who can baptize someone and what credentials do they need? The list goes on and on and, believe me, I could talk for days giving you my beliefs on each one and the why behind them. But, not only do I proudly worship with believers who find themselves on either side of each question, I also firmly believe that these questions are, for lack of a better term, hair-splitting differences when seen in the grandeur of the love and grace of Jesush Christ who is at work no matter who, what, when, and how a baptism takes place.
What we really need to focus on when it comes to baptism is simple: why do we do it at all?
Baptism is far too often looked at as some kind of finish line. In fact, in some settings where I see reports of thousands of people being baptized in a single day, I both rejoice and recoil. I am overjoyed to see so many people experiencing the love and grace of Christ and being exposed to the gospels. But I am immediately worried because there is simply no way that those in charge of such events can possibly follow up and follow through with the individuals being baptized to ensure that this is, like I said, the starting line of their walk of faith and not some finish line.
As Wesleyan's, we believe that the Holy Spirit is received at the moment of conversion, or Justification, a fancy word for the instance in which a person is both convicted of the sin in their lives and recognizes the need for salvation coming only from the grace of Jesus Christ. We defend this biblically by pointing to scriptures like Acts 2:1-4, the moment of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers (who were not yet baptized). Another favorite of mine to defend the Spirit as a gift of conversion is Acts 8, "14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. 16 (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." Some will disagree, and I wholeheartedly recognise they too have scripture to defend their stance. This is the product of my own research and prayer, and I say it with nothing but open-minded respect for any differing viewpoints.
The point of this belief is simple: It must be the Spirit, and the Spirit alone, bringing you toward, into, and out of the waters of baptism. Too often we use view baptism, whether through the language we use or the ideas we have about it, as a human action. To me, this cheapens the actions because if I, as a human, can play any part in it, what is the point? The Spirit convicts and moves me in such a way that I simply cannot deny the movement of my legs and feet as they walk toward the baptismal pool. My will and understanding are quieted to such a point that it is now the Spirit at work in and through me. When I enter into that water, I am brought out as the New Creation that only the grace and love of Jesus Christ is capable of doing.
In one single act, I submit entirely and wholly to the Spirit of my Savior and Creator. In a single act I surrender my insesant need for answers and clarity, for things that make sense or I can wrap my head around, for my desire to see life work out the way I want and demand it to, and I surrender to the purifying water of God's unconditional love for me poured out on the cross.
Baptism has divided us for far too long. The enemy consistently works through nitpicking divisions such as these to drive us believers apart and causes us to build more walls between ourselves. Look at the nature of water. How it ebbs and flows, how it constricts and contracts to fit into and fill whatever vessel it is brought into. If there is a single crack in a wall, water will find its way in and fill both rooms just the same. That is my prayer with this sermon and any time this topic comes up. That the purifying waters of baptism would find the cracks and crevices in the walls we have placed between ourselves, Catholics and protestants, Baptists and Methodists, and any other division, and come crashing between, uniting us all, finally, in the love and grace made available to each and every one of us through Jesus. Amen.
