Baptismal Birthday Thoughts

My baptismal birthday is December 3; I was baptized at 3 months old. Let's explore the story of why I was baptized and what it has done in my life since then.

What Happened Back Then?

I was baptized as an infant; my parents had been life-long Lutherans (LCMS) but were attending a Vineyard church at the time. This church body did not (and to my knowledge still does not) endorse infant baptism, though it has become more conservative over recent years, so my parents asked a pastor with LCMS training to come to our house. 

The rite of Holy Baptism, as practiced in the LCMS, has a version that is applicable for regular (in context of a Divine Service) and two versions applicable for emergency baptism. I don't know which one was used, or whether my godparents were present, by the photo I have. However, based on what I know of my parents, I think the full rite was performed. This includes

• Invocation of the triune God--signifying that what will happen is God's work because it is performed in His name (He doesn't have physical hands, so He uses humans' hands)
• Prayers for the baptized invoking Scriptural promises
• Reading from Mark 16 indicating that belief and baptism normally accompany each other
• Lord's Prayer
• Renunciation by the baptized (and/or sponsors if the baptized is nonverbal) of Satan and confession of each portion of the Apostles' Creed (a summary of core Christian teachings)
• Giving of token(s) of baptismal commemoration (e.g., candle)

At Child's baptism, we also sang LSB 594. Take a look at the words!

Infant Baptism

According to early sources such as the Didache (one of the first "catechisms"), infant baptism was part of the normal practice of the Christian church from the beginning. Here's a quote Husband read to me the other day:

"The children shall be baptized first. All of the children who can answer for themselves, let them answer. If there are any children who cannot answer for themselves, let their parents answer for them, or someone else from their family."

I have written elsewhere about how Baptism (bringing salvific faith along) became for Christians the sign of one being brought into the covenant family, replacing circumcision which had the same function in Judaism.

Adult Baptism

In the first generations of Christianity, most people who came to the faith did so as adults or at least older children (although, again, "household" includes all members of the family, down to the very youngest, potentially pre-verbal). This site presents pretty typically seen rationales for being baptized as an adult today, although the justifications for excluding younger individuals are predictably weak.

Belief Without Baptism?

Based on the sources above and other apostolic writings and Scriptural texts, yes, belief is possible without baptism. However, baptism is the normal "front door" in to the Church (i.e., the family of God). So, if you believe in Christ but are not baptized, get baptized!

What Happened Since Then?

Short story, I stayed in the faith thanks to God's grace worked out through people and circumstances.

Christian Influences

Earlier this year, I wrote about my prayer life and its influences. While the frequency and intensity of my prayer, as well as its format, varies by season of life, the influences have worked in all dimensions of my life, in which the Christian faith is central. 

What Happens Now?

As I have (hopefully) established, baptism grafts someone into the body (family) of Christ, at which time they continue in the way of following Christ to stay in His family. For me, two regular activities that especially nurture my faith and pattern of good works are studying the Scriptures and completing the Daily Office.

Salutary Study

As I wrote earlier this year, my patterns and resources for Bible study have changed over the years. These days, I desire to know more of the world and thought processes of the human authors God inspired, so I have been reading works by authors such as N. T. Wright, John Walton, Chris Watkin, and (most recently) Denis Lamoreux.

Please permit me a brief soapbox on one thing I do not do: Bible journaling (sources are Imperfect Homemaker, Reasonable Theology, Journey of the Word, and Lifeway). Why don't I do this in order to grow in the Word? The two major reasons are pedagogical and philosophical.

Pedagogically, Bible journaling tends to lead to a memorization level of knowledge only (the lowest level of Bloom's taxonomy), signifying minimal to no true learning. Memorization is a fine first step. However, if I'm not growing past that, I have no understanding of what the text actually means besides my own interpretation of what it says in translation, and no capacity to properly apply what God intended the text to say. It's easy to get caught up in making artwork when Bible journaling, diverting time and attention from actual Bible study and sound exegesis.

Philosophically, Bible journaling is completely in line with expressive individualism because of "how the text strikes me" rather than relying on the sincere work of those who have devoted their careers to scholarship related to exegeting the text. Particular dangers of expressive individualism for the Christian include alienation from other members of the Body of Christ, pride in oneself, and abandonment of Scriptural thought categories in favor of using thoroughly secular categories in thinking and speaking.

Daily Office

The Daily Office 2019 site has readings and/or orders of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the 2019 Book of Common Prayer published by the ACNA. It has been my practice since 7th grade to read through the entire Bible approximately once per year; this year, I am using the Daily Office sequence to get me through the majority of the Bible, including the complete book of Psalms every 2 months. 

For taking breaks during the day, I have been doing at least one of Morning, Midday, or Evening prayer, in the short (family-prayer) or full version depending on Child's tolerance. The single liturgy at each time of day, with a limited number of options for readings and more options for scripted prayers (collects), holds his attention and enables his fuller participation because he knows what's coming.

What do you do with your families (or yourselves) to grow in the faith given at your Baptism?