Three Witnesses

Audio version here

Matthew 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. (NIV)

I don’t remember my baptism, but I remember seeing old monochrome photographs of my parents and older sister after the event. The photos were taken with my Dad’s box camera and the prints were 2x2. In one of the photographs, my mom is holding me in her arms whilst my sister is pulling at her skirt and crying. I’m oblivious to all that was happening that day. I’ve got no idea what all the fuss is about.

As well as my family being there with the congregation and minister, there were also three very important witnesses to the whole ritual – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The old pastor who baptized me invoked their presence during the prayers, and even although I was completely unaware of what was occurring, the Holy Spirit must have touched me that Sunday morning.

Baptismal questions were asked and promises were given. And even although my parents were not church-goers, they did see to it that I went to Sunday School – well, at least my mom did anyway. They loosely attempted to keep their part of the covenant, but God made certain that His side of the sacred agreement was fulfilled.

These days, I get asked to baptize babies of folks who have loose connections with the congregation. I wish that some of them would make a greater effort in fulfilling their vows, but in the end I completely trust God to fulfill His part of the covenant. Some of the kids I’ll never see again, but I hope and pray that they will be touched by the Holy Spirit and ushered into God’s Kingdom at some point in their life. Our congregation tries to mentor and guide many of the kids who are part of our faith community, because it also makes a promise to do so. But sometimes getting the parents to come with the kids is an uphill battle, especially if they think, like my own parents did, that church is a leisure option instead of a lifetime commitment.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, many children will be baptized throughout the world this Sunday and sadly, some of them will never cross the threshold of a church door for years. Let Your Holiness prevail in the hearts and souls of these young ones. Let Your covenanted connection to them emerge throughout the passing years of their lives. May all the young ones, who are baptized this Sunday, become faithful servants for Your Kingdom, despite the weak church connections of their families. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.