18 hours ago
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Affirmation of Baptism
I got the lowdown today on what Affirmation of Baptistm is, from another teacher at school who goes to Palo Alto CRC. She told me that they do it for younger members of the congregation who understand and want to participate in the Lord's Supper, but who aren't yet ready for the other responsibilities that come with a profession of faith, like voting in congregational meetings and some of the financial responsibilities. I like it, but thinking about this whole covenant and baptism again brings up some questions. Granted, I'm not sure I've ever really thought about it. If we affirm baptisms, and believe that God has said over these children that they are his, what if they never come to that point? Is it just like anyone else in the world who doesn't recognize thier status as a child of God? Is it different? I have no idea.
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Growing up in the Lutheran church, we always got to go up for communion, where the pastor would put his hand on our head and say some sort of blessing - but we couldn't partake of the wine / juice & bread / wafers until later on - and I don't even remember if that was allowed randomly by one's parents or if it had something to do with confirmation - it's all very much a blur to me w/ growing up in a handful of denominations. Anyway, the pat on the head always comforted me and made me feel a part of things and made me believe that there were things beyond my understanding that I would someday understand & affirm that would make me a complete member of the church - and at that time I would be able to fully participate in the sacrament of communion. I think this is definetly related to the relationship b/t the church and those that do not recognize / believe they are a child of God - and your church's affirmation of baptism is an enactment of grace in a way, displaying that even though individuals might not be totally a part of the church, that they are worth our attention and grace and love too. I like it.
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