My Baptism
This is May 12, 2018 when I am writing this. My husband and I have been getting to know a Church of Christ church for about 6 months while we study Isaiah, James and John with them. We really have come to love this group of people who are committed to showing God's love to others and remaining true to God as best they can.
One specific belief of the Churches of Christ group is that believers MUST express their commitment to Christ (immediately) as believers by immersion baptism. The intensity of their insistence that without baptism, one is not accepted by our God -that does bother me some. I mean, there could be extenuating circumstances where a person wasn't able to get to that occasion before that one died. Also, I consider believer's baptism as a natural response to saving faith in our Lord's gift of forgiveness by means of Christ's sacrifice.
My choice to be baptized as an adult (about 1994) was for me an opportunity to express in this simple, humble way to the community that I believe in Christ as the Way God allows me to be reconciled to Himself so I can be with Him instead of without Him, now and for always.
The particulars of my life about this were that my husband's family were of a denomination that baptizes believers, not infants. (I grew up in Methodist Church and was baptized as infant and later went to a 4-session confirmation class as a 12 or 13-year-old. That was what was expected of me; not really a growing experience for me or meeting God. It was later, in 1986, that I was faced with my sinfulness in a way I could understand and appreciate and at that point I understood what Jesus Christ had done for me and that I needed it and that I weren't going to be acceptable to God without our dear Jesus dying for the punishment for my sins.) So later, when my husband gently asked me if I thought I could consider being baptized as an adult (believer), I actually was happy for the opportunity and encouragement to do that. (Methodist Christians believe that one baptism is all that you need, whether it is done to you when you are baby or child, or you choose to be baptized as a youth or adult. So I needed a little push or permission to be baptized as an adult.)
One great regret I have in life (I have MANY regrets, but this is one. I cry.) is that I didn't think to invite my mother to the service when I was baptized. When she heard later that I had done that, she expressed that she would have liked to have been there.
I prejudged her. I thought that she would be uncomfortable at or not interested in that service. I really didn't even think to ask her! I'm so sorry.
In the afternoon or evening service- at Radiant Life Church, Assemblies of God (otherwise known as Longpoint Assembly of God)- I and a man, also in his thirties, were baptized with the pastor, Brother Leo Tippit, baptizing us. We were encouraged to say some faith-filled words. When it was my turn, I just said one sentence and then " . . . and I'm looking forward to the day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." That part got some "amens ".
So that is the story of my baptism. One more thing. Our children, John and Karen, might have been in the service. Also, I guessed at the year that I was baptized. It was after my dad passed away (1991); and before my father-in-law passed away (1995).
