A different use for a birthing pool!

I've been thinking recently about an incident which happened a few years ago, which initially rather took me by surprise.  I was due to take an evening service at one of my churches in Doncaster.  As is my custom, I had arrived well in advance (I hate being late for anything!)  I was one of the first to arrive, and it was while there were only a few people in church that the incident happened.

I was standing at the front of the church, when in walked a middle-aged lady.  I didn't recognise her, but as soon as she saw me, a large smile came over her face and she headed speedily in my direction.  When she reached the spot where I saw standing, she threw her arms around me and gave me a hug.  Now I quite enjoy being hugged, but when the hug comes from someone you don't know it can be a little bemusing!

It was apparent that the lady concerned knew who I was, but, struggle as I might, I couldn't recall who she was.  As she began to speak, the situation was soon clarified.  It transpired that quite some years earlier, during the period when I was a Minister in Stoke-on-Trent, I had baptised her granddaughter.  The occasion had clearly been very important and memorable for the lady and her family, and it was good to hear news of how her granddaughter had progressed into her teenage years.

Baptism is one of the areas of Christian understanding where Christians have different perspectives.  Some Christian denominations (Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists, for example) believe that it can be appropriate to baptise babies.  Other denominations, such as Baptists and Pentecostals, believe that, based on what they see as the New Testament pattern, baptism is only for those who are old enough to have come to a personal faith in Jesus Christ.  I can't begin to deal with the issue in a blog!

Yesterday I had the privilege of conducting the baptism of a 'young man' of 10 years old.  I had earlier discussed the issue with him, and was satisfied that he believes in Jesus Christ and was serious about the desire to be baptised as a sign of his faith and his desire to follow Jesus.  I was a little surprised when he then said that he wanted to be baptised, not in the more usual way in Methodism (the sprinkling with water on the head), but by total immersion!

We decided that we could best facilitate this by borrowing our daughter's "birthing pool".  It did seem appropriate, as baptism is a sign of the new birth we have in Christ!  The pool was placed in the church, and we eventually managed to get sufficient water into it for our purpose.  I must confess that the water wasn't quite as warm as ideally it should have been, but this young man was determined!  I so admire his willingness to go through the waters of baptism in such a public way.  What a joy it was for those of us present to witness the baptism, and loud applause and cheers greeted him as he rose from the waters.  I felt immensely privileged to have taken part.  

Going right under the water in baptism is a powerful reminder that we are called to die to the old way of life (where we live to please ourselves) and rise to a new life where we live to please God.  Of course, baptism is an outward symbol of an inward move of God.  Whether a baptism is of a baby or someone who has developed their own faith, the most important thing is what comes afterwards.  Baptism is an important staging post on the journey of following Jesus, but it is not the end of the journey.