A journey with a watery start

I suspect that not many people will remember their baptism.  I was baptised at the age of 16 so I do remember mine – it was a full immersion baptism in a pool that had been erected in the church for that occasion but the water was cold as the heater hadn't worked!  I remember how great it was to be able to affirm my faith publicly in front of my Christian family.

Those who are baptised as infants don't get the chance to affirm their faith for themselves at their baptism, but that is why we have godparents.  In the baptism service the Godparents not only declare that they believe the Christian faith themselves and that they will bring the child up as a Christian (by praying for them, being an example to them and bringing them along to church), but they also declare the faith on behalf of the child.    They answer for themselves and for the child.  In one version of the baptism service the minister says “At baptism we promise to reject the devil and all evil, constantly to believe God's Word, and to obey his commands. Children should make their own response of faith and obedience towards God, but as this child is at present too young to answer for himself it is proper that this commitment be made in his name until he is old enough to take it upon himself.” The rôle of the godparent is to bring the child up in the Christian faith so that the child is able to affirm their faith publicly, usually in the presence of a bishop at the Confirmation service.

It is sometimes said that children should be free to choose the faith for themselves and it is true that no-one is a Christian unless they decide for themselves to repent and to believe and trust in Jesus as their Lord.  However, infant baptism reminds us that Jesus invited children to be brought to him for a blessing and rebuked those who keep them from him.  But it also reminds us that a child is not 'done' when they've been baptised, rather it marks the start of their Christian journey where they will be guided and taught the faith by their parents and godparents, in the hope that one day they will choose it for themselves.  They cannot of course choose it if they have not been taught it!

Lent is a season of reflection in the Church year and those reflections sometimes centre around our identity as baptised Christians.  One of the prayers in our baptism service asks for God's help to “keep us faithful to our baptism” This involves three things: first, repenting of the things we do wrong; secondly, believing all that the Bible teaches about the doctrines of the Christian faith; and thirdly, keeping God's holy will and commandments all the days of our life.

At your baptism, your godparents prayed that Jesus would receive you, forgive you, sanctify you with the Holy Spirit, and make you an heir to heaven and eternal life. They also heard that Jesus promised all these things in his gospel and we know that he keeps his promises.  You started your Christian journey then, perhaps you need to restart that journey now, and if so you're always welcome at church – you are a member of our family after all!!