By Water and the Holy Spirit

There are many arguments in the universal Church for and against infant baptism. I think both sides make good arguments and ultimately parents have to choose what they think is the best decision for their family. For our family, that means we baptize our babies. 

The sign of God's covenant with Abraham was circumcision. This took place on the eighth day of life and in the words of one of my favorite seminary professors it was the liturgical equivalent of promising God, "we are going to raise this child in the faith and we mean it." Amen.

We are going to raise our children in the faith and we mean it. Amen.

Baptism is the sign of God's covenant with us through Christ. Unlike circumcision, it is inclusive for all people (Women! Holla!) and for that I am thankful. I believe that in baptism we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and that is a gift that I would not deny my children. I certainly can't fully wrap my brain around baptism and the grace of God nor would I ever claim that. If complete understanding of that holy mystery is required for baptism then none of us could be baptized.

 

The Episcopal catechism (yes, we have one and it's awesome) describes baptism saying, "Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us member of Christ's Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God." As a parent, I willingly offer my own children to be adopted by God. We offer them with the hope that in our church family we will find a community of believers who will help us in our desire to raise our children as faithful followers of Christ.

My children received their first communions on the day of their baptisms and are welcome to share with us in that banquet anytime. I do not want my children to ever recall a time when the body and blood of Christ were denied them. I do not claim to fully understand the Holy Eucharist but what I do know is this: I believe that contained in the elements is the life giving Christ. I believe that Eucharist is a taste of the heavenly banquet. I believe that in sharing one bread and one cup we are united with the saints of God who have gone before us, live today, and will come tomorrow. I believe that the bread and the wine are holy food, and that is something I want my children to know they are always welcome to.

 

Nils Morgan, we receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.