A Baptismal Kind of A Day

Sometimes you think you've got the sneak preview, think you've seen the best of what the week's service will hold,. I thought I'd heard it in the uncensored response of faith in the voice of a seven year old a week previously.

That was before the service. In the baptismal preparation, I asked the child to be baptised why they wanted to do this. She didn't hesitate for a minute - "because I want to be part of this family". It was pure and profound and it did give me great pleasure to baptise her. I hugged her response to myself as I prepared the service.

So I wasn't watching for the second faith. I had written in a role for her sister because I wanted to affirm the household of faith (my theological comfort zone) in the face of the baptism of children. I asked the question - as an important part of her life will you promise to keep encouraging and supporting your sister and help her to keep the promises she's made today?

Her response was to be the ritual "with God's help I will". But it wasn't me doing the scripting for this one. The truly spirit bit came in the actions - as she said those words to me she bent down and hugged her sister - totally unaffected, the underlining of the relationship and the reality of the words.

And I stood before them and cried. I get it now...Baptism as sacrament.

That's what good worship does - it creates a space for that to happen; to shapes words which can come alive; a makes a moment memorable.