Dale Jenkins raises some interesting issues in his latest blog post.
Today it seems that baptisms are planned. No so just a few years ago. I can remember being present at a Gospel Meeting in 1987 where 10+ people were baptized during the week because they were provoked into doing it. They didn’t come to the Gospel Meeting thinking that tonight was the night they’d be dunked.
And later on in 1991 I remember being at a church camp where we’d have late night baptisms because somehow they had been cut in their heart to change their life for the better.
No so today. Today baptisms are planned. Invitees are summoned. Just last month there were a few baptism at camp. And yet only certain people from certain cabins and certain churches were invited. Why? I suppose the baptizee’s wanted some type of control on who witnessed it. Maybe they were ashamed of their belief or past sins they were washing away. Maybe it was stage fright.
Our ministers speak against waiting, using verses like Acts 8:36 and Acts 22:16. And yet parents seem to be all about waiting until they are able to present or until it is right time for their child’s baptism.
I’m certain the right time falls somewhere inbetween. Big decisions with baptism shouldn’t be made on split second decisions based on emotion. Too many times we get overly emotional with our beliefs. And yet at the same time we shouldn’t wait to get baptized when we know what we believe.