Yesterday was a good day!!

Yesterday was a good day! A really good day!!

As you know, my family is part of a church that we love. A church that constantly tries to separate the TRUTH about Jesus from the traditions (both good and bad) of religion. A church that is constantly challenging what we’ve always thought to be true. A church that preaches (as best it knows how) GOOD NEWS!

As you know, hubby and I are part of a wonderful church “care group”…a small group of 12 people that meet every week to eat together, laugh together, share life together, and study the Bible together…because Jesus promised us abundant life, and we’re trying to figure out how that works.

Last week at “care group” we were talking about how we can come boldly into the “throne room” of God, without fear, with confidence based on the work that Jesus did when he came to this earth 2000 years ago. Based on His perfection, his holiness, his righteousness. Based on His death on the cross, and his resurrection. Based on Him living in us by way of his Holy Spirit.

As part of that discussion we brought up the subject of baptism. One of the traditions of the church I grew up in was, in essence, a proving period, a period of time in which one was meant to prove to themselves and to others that they really committed themselves to the cause of Christ. That they could actually “live the life”, that they were done with “back-sliding”…going through their “wild stage”, or whatever else you want to call it, before they would qualify for baptism. That from this day forward you’d be an asset to Jesus. Of course this was never taught from the pulpit. This was taught by clucking tongues, by disapproving glances, by conversations over coffee, by Sunday school teachers, by never feeling free to come out from behind the “little miss perfect” mask. This was taught by the need to have a series of four to six weeks of “baptismal classes”, which didn’t actually discuss “baptism”, but rather, denominational history, denominational statements of faith, and the responsibilities of church membership, oh yeah, and also how to write a good “testimony”. This was taught by traditions.

This was also “taught” by never ever hearing anything that disputed these more subversive forms of teaching, never hearing anything to counter this “righteousness based on self, based on good management, based on my own effort” kind of teaching. I never heard that I could come boldly to the “throne of God” based on the finished work of Jesus (except from my parents, who taught it to me by osmosis rather than words, by example, by praying for me in the privacy of their personal lives). I never, ever heard it in church. (that, by the way, doesn’t mean it was never said in church…it means I never “heard” it in church).

It’s a testimony to our own human pride that anyone would ever get baptized in an atmosphere like that. It says, “I’ve earned it, I’ve proven myself, I qualify:” On the other side…a “good” Christian was an obedient Christian, and baptism was a “step” of obedience. So how does one keep on the “good” Christian mask without being baptized? It’s a dilemma to be sure.

Anyway, at our care group we brought it up that our church (that we love) was planning to have a baptism the following Sunday morning. We began teaching that the “traditions of the church” are a little off in regard to baptism. That the “qualifications” for baptism are the same as those for “boldly entering the throne room of God”….the finished work of Jesus. The only qualification I need is to believe in Jesus Christ. I don’t need to prove myself…it’s not about me…it’s about Jesus. We discussed it for a while, got into all kinds of other things, like infant baptism, sprinkling, etc, etc. And then everyone went home.

Yesterday, I went to church, and our beloved pastor did what my other church never did. He countered all (well, not all...but a lot!) of the wrong beliefs with the TRUTH of Jesus Christ. He did what we always try to do…separated the TRUTH of Jesus Christ from the “traditions of religion”. Thank God!!! He didn’t speak for very long, but you could feel the energy in the room building. Like a whole whack of captives suddenly being set free! Shouts of joy, nods of approval, spontaneous applause…laughter! Then he did it…he opened the tank and invited anyone who wanted to to jump in….no classes, no proving ground, no masks, just faith in Jesus Christ. He invited them to ask someone they loved to come and dunk them under.

One woman from our care group came up and asked that hubby and I dunk her under. In we go, full of joy, dunk, hug and drip all over the floor. As I’m finding a towel to dry off, more and more people are coming up to the front, among them, our firstborn, more joy! We wait our turn then dunk, hug and….wait…what’s this?? Another woman from our care group…running up. Praise the Lord. More dunking, more hugging, more dripping all over the floor! What a priveledge, what a joy, what FREEDOM! Thank you Jesus!! Thank you pastor!! Thank you church!! We love you!!