As preacher’s kids, my sisters and I were forever baptizing our pets. We come from a tradition that baptizes infants as a celebration of God’s grace; we don’t choose to be baptized, because it is a recognition of how God chooses us. It is also not an action we ever have to repeat; there are […]
During Baptisms, Easter and other special occasions in The Episcopal Church, churchgoers are asked eight questions known as The Baptismal Covenant. It begins as a statement of faith laid out in straightforward question and answer style with questions aren’t all that questionable. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son […]
Easter morning. The sanctuary is full. The trumpet fanfare happens right on cue and the lilies – in addition to making my nose itch – are beautiful. Streamers hang from the ceiling and flowers have taken the place of the black sash on the cross. The congregation is preparing for communion as the newly baptized […]
Dear Askie, Six months ago, my wife and I were blessed with our first child, a beautiful baby boy. We want to have our son baptized at our church, but our pastor is making things difficult. She keeps saying that the baptism needs to be on Sunday morning during the regular service, but that doesn’t […]
My son is starting Sunday School. Or, rather, my SON is starting SUNDAY SCHOOL!!!! Somehow, my infant child has transformed himself into a fast talking, faster-running 4-year-old. He is all legs and arms and questions now. He’ll creep into our bed around six o’clock in the morning and whisper, “So, Jesus is in my belly?” […]
This is the hardest time of the year for me to be a pastor. It’s a disheartening time. We have this incredible gem of truth in the coming of Christ while the rest of the world is spinning in the empty promises of Santa Claus. Culture, economics, and politics all rely on the materialism of […]
There’s no way around it: ministry is a career and calling that involves a strange assortment of skills, not the least of which is the logistics of baptism. Whether your tradition baptizes infants, young children, teens, or adults; whether you sprinkle, pour, or immerse; the practical implications are mind boggling. Even if you had a […]
Before I was ordained, I spent time as a seminarian intern and youth minister in a total of seven congregations. The jobs of baptismal preparation and of talking to parents about how to raise Christian children, often fell to me. In order to have something to put in people’s hands, that would sum up the […]
Every time I bathe my one-year-old son, I think of baptism. Baptism leads my mind to community. Each time the water runs down his hair, I’m reminded of my changing community. When I was finishing Seminary, we had to write a 30 Page “CREDO” statement of our beliefs as a culmination to our years of […]
Over the trajectory of our lives, what are the longest and most enduring relationships we are likely to experience? With our parents? Our partner? Our children? For those of us who are not ‘only’ children, the longest relationships we are likely to hold are those with our sisters and brothers. Siblings are perhaps the most […]
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