What a weekend!

[teric]

Last week, my parents and Kimberly's parents drove down from Utah to be here for Bryce's baptism, which took place last saturday. We had a great weekend, with lots of time spent talking to my parents and parents-in-law, catching up on things that we've all been doing since we saw them last. We also had a lot of really good food, and I'm afraid I'

Comments

[babygirl_ambi]

When I was a teen a young friend of mine got baptized. Her older sister and I were downstairs helping Carrie get ready to be baptized, one of the older ladies in the church told us to go up and receive Carrie from the baptism pool, her older sister told me to go do it. So I stood at the top of the steps with a towel and received Carrie as soon as she came out of the pool. That was a wonderful experience, it felt so great to be the first to welcome her as a baptized member of out church.

[teric]

There's really something special about that, PrincessB. While I was actually down in the font with my own son, there were two other boys baptized shortly afterward, and I was priveleged to be able to stand at the font side as they came out.

[mwalimu]

What I find to be the most interesting part of this post is that the children are at least eight years old when they're baptized. In many, perhaps most, Christian faiths, including the Roman Catholic church of which I am a member, children are typically baptized as infants. Eight years old would be about the time they receive First Communion.

And yes, those baptisms are very special occasions. I have pictures somewhere of all my kids' baptisms.

[babygirl_ambi]

With Seventh Day Adventist there is usually a "Baby Dedication" held shortly after birth. Baptism comes whenever the child feels they are ready to make an informed decision to follow God. Usually they reach that age in their later single digits but of course anyone at any age can decide to start following God so any age can decide to be baptized.

[teric]

Our beliefs run very similar to what PrincessB described here. All newborns are given a special blessing (where, by the way, they are 'officially' given their name) shortly after they are born.

Baptism, on the other hand, is a decision that must be made by the candidate themselves.

Regardless of differences in beliefs, I agree that baptisms are very special events, to be treasured by both parent and child.

[teric]

Hehe I'm still me, Kath. :) I'm referring to the emotion that I often keep inside, but is definitely still there. I know that I can't hide anything from God, and he knows what's in my heart, and yet he still gave me this opportunity. That's what is humbling to me.