We had a baptismal service last week. Always a wonderful experience - the more, the merrier, and I long for the next one. There's lots to say about it, but one thing is tickling my mind most. We had a concert the day before, so while the pool was open and filled, we had lots of people in. And, for health and safety reasons, we surrounded the pool with signs saying "Danger - deep water"
Surely the best description of baptism; to get into this is to get into deep water. To be baptised is to be out our depth. To make those vows, to receive this blessing, to respond to this call - is to get into deep water, to go beyond where we feel in control, to have to take our feet off the bottom and trust.
Sometimes the way we talk about baptism makes it sound like the end of journey. But surely it is the beginning. It is about hearing God's "yes" to us as part of the people of God, and saying our own yes to the life of discipleship. It is about hearing Jesus say "follow me", and committing ourselves to going wherever that will lead. It is about dying and being raised to a new life, a life we cannot pre-determine, and about which we have already said "it is yours".
Deep water indeed!
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