¶ Defining Baptism as a Sacrament
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Welcome to Pastor James.
The podcast where we take you behind the pulpit for an inside look at the Through the Waters sermon series at Christ Presbyterian Church. Each week I'll be chatting with the pastors who have crafted the messages. diving into the inspiration, the process, and the heart behind their sermons. I'm your host, Melissa Schaezer, and today we are having a real, unfiltered conversation with Emily Hamilton. Hey Emily. Hi. Thanks for being here.
I'm excited to be here.
Well, um, in the context of our whole sermon series, we have been talking a lot about baptism. That has been kind of a through line of this whole sermon series. So I thought it would be helpful for for us to actually just do a little bit of a deep dive. Um can we start off by just describing like what is baptism? We know that it's a sacrament, but what is a sacrament? What does the sacrament of baptism actually mean?
Can mean a lot of things. Uh, I think one of the things that baptism signifies is and the reason water's a part of it is it signifies God's saving work in our lives. It doesn't accomplish God's saving work in our lives. Only God truly accomplishes that. But It signifies that, it represents that. And um as we've been talking about throughout this sermon series, part of why baptism uses water is because water plays such an important role throughout the whole biblical story.
And in particular, it plays an important role in demonstrating God's power over creation, God's ability to save us when we can't save ourselves. um God's cleansing work in our lives to rescue us and cleanse us from sin. So all of that sort of is some of the imagery I think behind baptism. And then we talk about it as a sacrament, as a thing that um
Sometimes we'll use the language of an outward sign of an inward reality or an inward grace. We talk about Um, how God is somehow mysteriously at work in this in a way that we as humans can't control or prescribe, but that God somehow is mysteriously present to us in this action and Um I take a lot of comfort in the fact that there was an early church heresy that was sort of uh
that was described as a heresy that um whether it was communion or a baptism, the quality of what God was up to in that moment did not depend on the holiness of the person performing it. And so there's something really good about that. It's ultimately about something that points us to God and who he is and his action in the
Absolutely. That is a great summary. I think that's that is an excellent summary. So communion and baptism are the two sacraments that we practice. Um and baptism, it is um it it is a um beautiful ordering of water. If we think about what water is, it can be chaotic, it can actually be life threatening in so many circumstances.
But we also cannot live without water. And when we enter into the waters of baptism, it's almost like God saying, like, I am over all of creation and I am the creator of your life. And you are mine before you are anyone else's, and I've loved you before anyone else has loved you. And it's almost a proclamation of our origin and God and Going before us.
Yeah. It's interesting too when you look at the two sacraments together. I think baptism happens once and we think it's important that it happen uniquely for each person. So we don't um sort of baptize people all as one group, say, hey, all of y'all get in the water and we'll throw water on all of you. We baptize individual people. Uh communion on the other hand we practice in a little more of a communal manner and in an ongoing way. And I think that's just interesting to see.
the differences and similarities and how they both kind of reflect different things. Um we do really need to be saved in this kind of one time way by God and we need the ongoing sustenance of our salvation. And I just We need we need the individual work of God in our lives and we need to be in community. So I appreciate that together.
Oh I love that. I haven't thought about it that way before. I really appreciate it.
You didn't until you started talking. So
Yeah, my oldest when she asked me what is communion, we were walking by a communion workshop and I thought, How do I explain this to a six year old? And I said, um, it's how God feeds us. And it makes sense that we need to be fed. Like we don't just eat one meal and then be satisfied for the rest of our lives. We need to be fed over and over again.
But the baptism, the claiming of God, of like you are my child and you belong in my covenant family. That's a one time proclamation of this is who you are. Yep. That's so good. Mm-hmm. Emily, we baptized both babies and adults.
¶ Why We Baptize Infants
And that is a distinct and beautiful distinct and beautiful part of our tradition. Yeah. Why do we baptize babies?
I um well I think there's good evidence to show that Christians have been baptizing the youngest in households for a long time. So I do think there's some historical precedent around this. uh probably more theologically the reason why as Presbyterians we're part of a long tradition of baptizing people.
uh who have not actively chosen God for themselves or made some kind of faith claim for themselves is because we believe that baptizing people who have not yet done that reflects God's claiming love in our lives that goes ahead of us precedes even our own decision to respond back to God. And we think that is a really important thing for everybody to remember in the church. Even um those who are baptized later or baptized after making a profession of faith. That
we're part of a body in which people are at times baptized before they've even had the cognition to choose God back, that that reflects something really beautiful about um God's love to us. I think a lot about the last I think verse of Psalm twenty three like that. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. There's this beautiful sort of chasing following after imagery that comes up, I think, whenever we baptize those and the youngest who can't.
Claim it for themselves that Really the most important thing about our salvation. Our response is very important. But our response isn't even possible unless God has done something to make it. And to God has taken the first decisive action towards us. He's the one following after and chasing after us. get that in the same way if you don't also include that in some of your baptism
Absolutely. I agree completely. I was diving into scripture, um, with our Deeper Through the Waters class last night. Um And notice that so in Acts there are a number s of stories of family baptisms. Lydia is one of them in Acts sixteen, which is why I named my daughter what I named her. What what? Um but she takes her whole household down to the water and they get baptized.
Actually right after that, also in Acts sixteen, there's this story of Paul in prison. There's an earthquake and the jailer, the one who's supposed to be watching over the inmates, almost kills himself because he thinks that everyone escaped and ran away. But when he notices that the prisoners chose to
Paul goes and baptizes this jailer. Um, and then the jailer's whole family gets baptized and they all worship and they celebrate. And I thought this is a really beautiful picture. It's not like a coercion. It's not like they are being forced into the waters. But actually they are noticing that the life that God has called them to and the covenant family and promises that He has given them are joyful. They are good and they're worth celebrating. Um, and so I just yeah, I think
Resting in that. And then Acts two, Peter actually says like these promises are for you and your children. Mm. So we are getting to proclaim those promises over them.
Mm. Yeah. And it I I don't think that I think that baptizing infants um, also is a great responsibility for the church to continue to step into to say we are going to disciple them, we are going to invite them to not just rest in this baptism as if it's some kind of a I don't know, like privilege that they just don't have to think about ever, but that we want them to grow into it and to claim it truly for themselves. Like that is also an important
Absolutely.
¶ Water Use and Baptism Forms
I had a very dear member come up to me on Sunday and ask about the amount of water. that we use. Yep. And whether it matters if we sprinkle or if we douse or if we immerse or what uh the role is uh when it comes to the amount of water. And I'm curious what you think.
I don't ultimately think the amount of water is a thing that's that important in in our Presbyterian polity, we've tended to come to this place of the amount of water is not the most important thing that's happening in baptism and so Um and there's all kinds of reasons why sometimes uh you wanna use a little and sometimes you wanna use a lot. I do think the practice of immersion uh
Yeah.
And the way that that developed within the early church was intentionally meant to reference the sort of baptism the way baptism represents being buried with Christ in his death and being resurrected and raised to new life. And so there's a beautiful image that we get to sort of physically take part in and see happen when we practice baptism by immersion. But that doesn't mean that the other forms of baptism
um don't matter. And in fact in other parts of scripture, um, people are sprinkled with water a lot. And so the practice of sprinkling or using smaller amounts of water also has like deep scriptural resonance. Um You're gonna have to correct me on this. I'm pretty sure there's this part in uh Is it an Exodus when Moses sort of like sprinkles water on the people a little bit?
Water or blood?
Ivy blood. Okay. Well okay.
It may be water too though. But there definitely sprinkles blood. There definitely is a passage where Jesus sprinkles blood and there's a really neat connection actually to Jesus' sacrifice.
Um I think the sprinkling has some other places too. Well, T B D y'all will look it up.
Well, I actually have a um an unknown sourcing too, um for a quote the quote that I used to that sweet member who came up to me. And I just said the amount of water I don't think the amount of water is um in entirely consequential for the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit.
No, not at all.
Yes. In baptism, but I said um what we are doing is um meant to be a collective sacrament. Our whole church is welcoming this person into the body of Christ. Um, and it is a God taming the waters and using the waters for something holy. And so it's okay to use a lot of water. Mm-hmm. And there was a quote and I have no clue where this came from. Oh. But this quote I've I haven't gotten out it out of my mind since I first heard it.
Um that where there is much water, use much water. Where there is little water, use little water. Where there is sand, use sand. Or where there is no water, use sand. Mm-hmm. And it's just this idea of like use what God has provided. I don't actually think we need to baptize people. But um Yeah. But the sense of um
Use use a lot of water when it's possible. We don't dunk babies for very understandable developmental reasons. We should be sprinkling them with water for understandable reasons. But for those who are um Grown and professing faith that is a very legitimate way to
Yeah.
¶ The Call for Believer's Baptism
Yeah. Emily, um any other oh, um Uh if someone is already a believer, they're following Jesus, they love Jesus and they have been shaped and formed by him, but they are not yet baptized, why should they consider it um for themselves and for their faith?
I think this is like an annoying pastor answer but because Jesus tells you to Um, but I think beyond I think part of why Jesus tells you to is because I think Jesus wants baptism for us. Um and it's this beautiful opportunity, not just for you to publicly profess your faith as if it's like a loyalty oath ceremony for you, but it's for you to have a moment In your faith journey, where people are also acknowledging back to you that they see the reality of God's work in your life.
and where you get to um sort of undergo, yes, this ritual experience, but I don't mean ritual in a bad way. I mean ritual in a way that like it's tangible, it's physical. it's not just like a thing that you believe in your mind, but it's a thing that you your body gets involved in and to have that in your both physical spiritual, emotional, mental memory as you walk forward in your journey of faith is probably gonna be something that you actually come back to and draw a lot of strength from.
So it's not so much that you need to get baptized in order to prove the seriousness of your faith. It's more like Don't withhold the excitement that the body of Christ wants to celebrate in and like fully like recognizing you as a part of it. And also I think for you, it's meant to be a gift for you to continue to grow in your faith. have that kind of physical tangible marking moment in the water.
Absolutely. I agree. I think there is there's a tangible marking that happens in baptism. We're like we are we are given a different marker. We are given a deep reminder. of who has claimed us. Mm-hmm. And I used a couple weeks ago in my sermon, I used the image of a passport. You can be a citizen of a country without having that.
And you don't necessarily have to. Mm-hmm. But it clearly identifies where you belong and where your home is. And there's something to getting baptized for the sake of having that sense of like identifying this is my home. Yeah. I know where it is. I know where I belong.
Yeah and you can't baptize yourself. Like you have to be in community, you have to be with other Christians for that to happen. And I think that really important in this day and age that Christianity is not this individual project that we just figure out on our own. We do it in community. So that'd be another thing I would add.
¶ Easter Offerings and Gospel Stories
Yeah. Yeah. That's so good. Emily, thank you. Thanks for this conversation. Um, C V C we would love for you to stick around to hear more about our Easter offering and we hope to see you at Easter services and Holy Week services this week. We'd also love for you to hear a story about how the gospel is moving in the life of one of our members.
This Easter, CPC will be partnering with World Vision to build a new healthcare facility in Ethiopia's Lower Rift Valley. World Vision is focused on transforming communities and they have identified healthcare facilities across the country that currently lack access to clean water. We have the opportunity to come alongside one of these facilities by providing clean water for hand washing.
toilets and showers throughout the facilities, training and equipping both new and existing clinic staff, Supplying critical medical equipment and resources to deliver dignified life saving care, educating and mobilizing faith leaders to reinforce practices and messages throughout the community. Our prayer is that we can meet that need this Easter. To learn more, check out our website at cpcededina.org slash Easter.
Hi, my name is Andra and this is how I've seen the gospel moving in my life recently. This Advent season has felt heavier than I expected. Advent is supposed to be about waiting and hope, and it definitely has been, but for me it's also been marked by grief and low energy, by feeling the weight of loss and the ache of things that aren't whole yet. And in that space I've been reminded that the gospel doesn't ignore grief or rush us past.
Jesus entered into a broken world and he still meets us there. One of the biggest ways I've seen the gospel moving is through people, through friends who notice when I'm quiet and check in on me, through conversations with people I love who remind me of God's truth, and through presence, being with people and feeling God's withness through them. In those moments I felt God's nearness in a very real way.
I've also seen the gospel in the reminder that I don't have to carry grief or other heavy feelings alone. Advent proclaims that God came close, that Emmanuel, God with us is not just an idea, but a lived reality. And sometimes God with us looks like a text at the right time, a shared meal, or someone praying for me.
So right now the gospel in my life looks like hope showing up quietly. It looks like Jesus meeting me in my grief, not with easy answers, but with compassion, and often through the love and faithfulness of the people around me.
Thank you for joining us this week on Pastor's Cut. I'm Melissa Schaezer. We hope that you have a great week and experience the Gospels movement in your life.
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