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| Baptism | |||
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Baptism is not only a
sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are
distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign
of regeneration or the new birth.
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| The Baptismal Covenant | |||
| In both the Old and New Testament,
God enters into covenant relationship with God’s people. A covenant
involves promises and responsibilities of both parties; it is
instituted through a special ceremony and expressed by a distinguishing
sign. By covenant God constituted a servant community of the people of
Israel, promising to be their God and giving them the Law to make clear
how they were to live. The circumcision of male infants is the sign of
this covenant (Genesis 17:1-14, Exodus 24:1-12). In the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, God fulfilled the prophecy of a new
covenant and called forth the Church as a servant community (Jeremiah
31:31-34, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The baptism of infants and adults,
both male and female, is the sign of this covenant.
Therefore, United Methodists identify our ritual for baptism
as “The Services of the Baptismal Covenant” (The United Methodist
Hymnal, pages 32-54). In baptism the Church declares that it is
bound in covenant to God; through baptism new persons are initiated
into that covenant. The covenant connects God, the community of faith,
and the person being baptized; all three are essential to the
fulfillment of the baptismal covenant. The faithful grace of God
initiates the covenant relationship and enables the community and the
person to respond with faith. |
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| Baptism
Sunday |
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For details on the next Baptism Sunday, please call Audrey
Parker, 883-3200, ext. 214 to find out more information or view our church
calendar for dates.
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