Emerging with Grace: Baptism

A few days ago I mentioned that I would be getting baptized in Church and that happened this past Sunday. I believe that baptism is a public declaration of one’s faith in Jesus Christ and one’s commitment to a life of service and obedience to God. My Dad is an ordained Pastor and he serves as one of the Worship Leaders. Since he is ordained he was able to baptize me… It was a really special moment for my Dad and I because he has been such an important person in the development of my faith. My best friend Kelsey was also baptized and her dad, who is also a Pastor at church. We do not baptize at infancy, but rather allow parents to dedicate their children as a promise to “train them up in the way they should go”. We believe that individuals later make the decision to follow Christ and at that point can choose to be baptized. At my church someone reads our testimony as we walk from our seat in the sanctuary up onto the stage and into the baptismal pool, so I’ve copied mine below:

I accepted the Lord as my Savior when I was five years old. I was raised in a Christian home and had been attending church and Sunday school since I was born. My parents had a huge influence in helping to ignite my faith at a young age and continued to do so all through school. In high school, there were many events that caused me to be cynical and I used them as an excuse to justify my lack of commitment to God. I never strayed too far because I knew God was in control but, I did not place much importance in my relationship with Christ. I wanted control of my life and thought I could figure it all out on my own. I graduated from high school in 2009 and began college at Philadelphia Biblical University. I wasn’t too thrilled about leaving home but, I wanted to learn more about God, the Bible, and redemption. I felt that I needed to learn more before I could take the next step. And, learn I did. Not only did God teach me about Himself, he taught me about myself. This past January 1^st, I began to experience some health and emotional problems and decided that coming back home would be the best decision for me. On one hand, I felt like a failure because I withdrew from school but, I knew God wanted me home. I knew that He was demanding control of my life. In my lowest time, I was confused and lost but, I surrendered to God. My anxiety and depression quickly subsided and I felt such a peace about my decision and my future. I have no idea what I want to do or what I’m going to do with my life but, God does. I am trusting in Him wholeheartedly and feel that now is the time for me to get baptized. I can now say without a shadow of a doubt that I am trusting God with my life and I am going to serve Him with my life.

Here are some pictures…