Earlier this week I had a conversation with a colleague from another denomination. His church practices “believer’s baptism,” which means baptism is only for those who are able to make an informed profession of faith. Infant baptism such as we are doing here today is regarded as an aberration, if not outright sinful. His problem is that there are some “mixed marriages” in his congregation, including spouses who have come out of traditions such as ours. He was wondering how to respond to the needs of these families, without violating the sensibilities and customs of his own church.
Today, we bring three baby boys to the font. As we celebrate this sacrament, it may help us to consider how we would respond to my friend’s dilemma. Why do we baptize those who cannot answer for themselves? There are reasons from medieval church history for the dominance of infant baptism in Anglican practice, but that was then—this is now. What do we believe we are doing at St. Matthew’s Cathedral on November 4, 2007? Why baptize infants? Indeed, why baptize at all?
Those of you who were here last Sunday and heard the Rev’d John Dolloff will recall at least part of the answer. John reminded us that we baptize infants because we believe in the grace of God. We believe that God is active in people’s lives in ways that we can neither predict nor control. We plant seeds and water them. But only by God’s grace does the seed sprout and bear fruit. If a person is unable to make a full profession of faith, God still can be—and is!—at work in his or her life. Our pews are full of people in whom God is at work.
We baptize because we believe that it is better to be a member of the Body of Christ than not—infinitely better! Archbishop William Temple once said that it is a terrible thing to refuse to baptize a person. I take this admonition very seriously, and have never refused baptism to anyone.
Nonetheless, baptism of any person, infant or adult, is not something to be taken lightly. When we bring a person into the fellowship of the church, we are commissioning them for a life of discipleship, following Christ wherever he calls. I may never have refused baptism, but I have had parents decline baptism for their children, when they considered the seriousness of the promises they would be asked to make.
Our scripture lessons today make it clear that the life of the disciple is not an “easy ride into heaven.” Three splashes of water and you’re in? No way!
· Being one of Jesus’ people can lead us to places where we would rather not go, and to work we would rather not do.
· Being one of Jesus’ people means placing God at the centre of our lives, living not for ourselves but for God and God’s people.
· Being one of Jesus’ people means seeking God’s will in all things, praying for the grace and strength to do it.
All of this may sound awfully daunting and demanding—who in their right mind would ask to take on this mission? On our own, discipleship is indeed hugely difficult, even impossible. But by the grace of God, we have been provided with help: God has given us the church, the body of all the faithful throughout time and space who have borne witness to the Gospel, who have supported each other, and who march on together to the eternal
All the saints celebrate today as we bring three more people into their number. God is at work already in the lives of these little boys. All we have to do is “get with the program,” co-operating with God in this work. The promise the congregation will make to support them in their life in Christ is no empty thing.
Three little boys begin their Christian journey today. We who witness the vows made on their behalf welcome them onto God’s highway, and pledge our support to them and their families. Where will God lead them? How will God’s grace be visible in their lives? We may well wonder, but all of this is God’s business, to which we today recommit ourselves.
It is a great and wonderful thing we do today, as we proclaim God’s love for his people throughout the ages, as we celebrate the great body of faithful who have proclaimed that love, and, finally, as we add to that body, and claim for them the inheritance promised to
… the holy ones of the Most High (who) shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever …
So let us rejoice with all of God’s saints, as we welcome Seandre, Matthew and Nicholas into the Body of Christ.