given on Sunday, September 24, 2017
Special note: Because we have seldom had the opportunity to baptize anybody, I decided to make the entire service a teaching time for the sacrament of baptism. The following are the comments and the liturgy that I used. I hope it helps all to understand.
*Opening words about the Sacrament of Baptism:
Today we are so privileged to have two young people decide to be baptized. The last few years, our small community has watched life transitions shrink our congregation. Today, we get to celebrate in the life transition of baptism.
Baptism is a ritual The Church has initiated for those who chose to accept God’s gift of grace into their lives. As we go through the liturgy, you will hear how the ritual affirms the decision to be part of The Church which includes all Christian denominations.
Baptism in the Methodist tradition begins at any time in one’s life.
- Parents can bring their children to be baptized as infants committing to raising them within the church of their choice.
- Young people can make the decision to be baptized on their own at any time in their life as they learn about God and his son Jesus Christ.
- Adults, even at the end of their life journey, can decide to be baptized acknowledging their acceptance of God’s grace and salvation.
The United Methodist Church acknowledges the baptism of any individual in any Christian denomination. One baptism, whether as an infant or later, acknowledges one’s inclusion as a child of God. Therefore, those who wish to renew their personal relationship can reaffirm their baptism at any time. Today, we offer the opportunity for any others to join in reaffirming their baptism, too.
Please turn in your hymnal to page 33: The Baptismal Covenant I
(At times the words will be adjusted to meet the particular needs of today’s service.)
Pastor: Brothers and sisters in Christ:
Through the Sacrament of Baptism
we are initiated into Christ’s holy Church.
We are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation
and given new birth through water and the Spirit.
All this is God’s gift, offered to us without price.
Today as we join in the sacrament of Baptism,
we can also choose to reaffirm our own baptism,
acknowledging what God has, is and will be doing for us,
and affirming our commitment to Christ’s holy Church.
Presentation of the Candidates UMH p.33
*Comments about the decision and preparation of candidates
Each person here today has a story about his or her own baptism. I myself was baptized as an infant. My mom and dad made the decision. I know others here made the decision themselves as young people.
For those who were baptized after making the decision for themselves, the words of the liturgy probably have more significance than it did for me. In order to prepare for baptism, Ali and Sami sat down with me for several meetings to go over the ritual and its words. We talked about what the experience meant to believers and what it means to them. We talked about different ways to experience it, too.
The methods of baptism range from sprinkling drops of water from a small bowl to full emersion in all kinds of water filled settings. As Ali and Sami began thinking about their own baptism, they considered full emersion at Truman Lake, but summer sped past and here we are today.
As you notice, we are going to do all we can to assure them that baptism is a full experience, one they will never forget. What better time for all of us, so far removed by the years from our own baptism, to reaffirm our baptism, too.
The ritual includes three primary parts: the call to repent of one’s sins, the water bath representing the cleansing of one’s sins, and finally the acceptance of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit which is God within us. The words of the ritual have had very few changes since the church first began. Even Jesus Christ experienced baptism and he was about 30 years old when he asked his cousin John the Baptist to baptize him:
Opening scripture: Matthew 3:11-17, NLT
[John the Baptist is speaking.] 11 “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”
15 But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.
16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
Pastor: Today I have the honor of presenting
Alex and Samantha Heyer for baptism. (have them stand)
Renunciation of Sin and Profession of Faith (Call to Repent) UMH p.34
Scripture: John 3:16-17, NLT
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
Pastor: On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you:
Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness,
reject the evil powers of this world,
and repent of your sin?
Candidate: I do.
Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you
to resist evil, injustice, and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves?
Candidate: I do.
Pastor: Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior,
put your whole trust in his grace,
and promise to serve him as your Lord,
in union with the Church which Christ has opened
to people of all ages, nations, and races?
Candidate: I do.
Pastor: According to the grace given to you,
will you remain faithful members of Christ’s holy Church
and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world?
Candidate: I will.
Profession of Faith using the Apostle’s Creed UMH p.35
*Comments about the Apostle’s Creed:
As the Apostles established The Church after Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, there was an effort to find ways to maintain the common beliefs.
The Apostle’s Creed was the result of the earliest church conferences meeting in ancient times. The creed is divided into three parts that clearly define the Christian belief in the Triune God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
In the liturgy today, the Apostle’s Creed is divided into three answers to the pastor’s questions. By joining in the Apostle’s Creed, we are restating the foundation of the Christian faith (Have the congregation stand.):
Pastor: Let us join together in professing the Christian faith
as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
Pastor: Do you believe in God the Father?
All: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven
and earth.
Pastor: Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
All: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Pastor: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
All: I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
UMC Hymn 191 Jesus Loves Me
Thanksgiving over the water (UMH p. 36)
*Comments about the symbolic use of water:
Many might ask why water is used in the ritual. Water symbolizes life and rebirth. From the beginning of time, humans have understood that we are born through water, and we are cleansed by water. The Church uses baptism with water to represent the rebirth as a Christian and the cleansing of one’s sins as we ask for forgiveness.
Water is considered the source of life. Today we use water as a symbol of being born into the Christian family. Even though we have been present in the church for years, it is important that we personally recognize that our lives are God driven. Water is a reminder that we are born into God’s family and we are cleansed of our sins.
Join in the liturgy that blesses the water and allows us to experience that symbolic connection to God as our father and to Jesus Christ our redeemer.
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us pray:
Eternal Father:
When nothing existed but chaos,
you swept across the dark waters
and brought forth light.
In the days of Noah
you saved those on the ark through water.
After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow.
When you saw your people as slaves in Egypt,
you led them to freedom through the sea.
Their children you brought through the Jordan
to the land which you promised.
All: Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Tell of God’s mercy each day.
Pastor: In the fullness of time you sent Jesus,
nurtured in the water of a womb.
He was baptized by John and anointed by your Spirit.
He called his disciples
to share in the baptism of his death and resurrection
and to make disciples of all nations.
All: Declare Christ’s works to the nations,
his glory among all the people.
Pastor: Pour out your Holy Spirit,
and by this gift of water call to our remembrance
the grace declared to us in our baptism.
For you have washed away our sins,
and you clothe us with righteousness
throughout our lives,
that dying and rising with Christ
we may share in his final victory.
Pastor: All praise to you, Eternal Father,
through your Son Jesus Christ,
who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns for ever. Amen.
Reaffirmation of Faith UMH p. 37
*Comments about reaffirming one’s faith:
Even though we are here to witness Ali and Sami in their decision to be baptized, we can take the opportunity to reaffirm our own baptism. God is with us throughout our lives, be we are not perfect.
We make mistakes. We sin. And yet we know that God is always present. It is up to us to recognize that we have failed and must ask for forgiveness.
You are invited to join in with others who wish to reaffirm their baptism, too. The words of reaffirmation do not replace your once-in-a-life experience; it simply reconnects you to God.
With the words of today’s liturgy and the opportunity to experience the water that we have given thanks for earlier. You may touch it, dribble it, sprinkle it, fling it, or even make the sign of the cross with it. You can handle it as you wish, but the pastor cannot re-baptize you.
Pastor: Remember your baptism and be thankful.
All: Amen.
Pastor (those choosing to participate, may walk up to the water):
The Holy Spirit work within you,
that having been born through water and the Spirit,
you may live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.
All: Amen.
Transferring membership from another congregation:
*Comments on transferring memberships:
United Methodist Churches know that one’s membership may need to change due to life experiences. Whether one is moving from one community to another, whether one decides to change denominations for any reason, or whether life circumstances shift one way or another, it is a simple matter of changing one’s church membership.
For those moving from other denominations, becoming familiar with the doctrine of the United Methodists may be necessary. But transferring from one United Methodist congregation to another is much simpler and leaves only one question to ask in order to officially make the transfer.
Pastor: Sharon Dzula has made the decision to transfer her
membership from her long-time church home of Mt. Tabor to our church.
Will you be loyal to the Community United Methodist Church, and uphold it by your prayers, your presence,
your gifts, and your service?
Transferee: Yes, I will.
Baptism with Laying on of Hands (UMH p. 37)
Comments on the practice of Laying on of Hands.
As we near the end of today’s service, the time has come to finalize the baptism ritual. Rather than administering the traditional means of sprinkling, we are going to use the practice of laying on the hands for Ali and Sami.
All are invited to surround them as they wish, place their hands upon them or the others who can reach them, as we welcome them into the Christian faith:
Pastor: Alex, I baptize you in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Sami, I baptize you in the name of the Father,
And of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Pastor: The Holy Spirit works within you,
That being born through water and the Spirit,
You may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
All: Amen
The Sacrament of Communion:
*Comments about the communion as a church family:
We are closing the sacrament of baptism with the second sacrament the church recognizes: Communion, aka as the Eucharist, or the Table of Bread and Word.
Throughout history communities have come together around the table. In our congregation, the tradition is the first Sunday of the month, but today sharing the cup and the bread is one final way to welcome all who believe in Jesus Christ to be in fellowship together.
UMC Hymn 620 One Bread, One Body
UMC page 13-14
Thanksgiving and welcome:
*Comments about local membership in the church:
Baptism is the first step in committing one’s self to the Christian lifestyle. The door is open to a life of joy knowing that whatever trials and tribulations we must face on earth, we are given the strength we need.
God is ever with us because he promised that upon our baptism he grants us the Holy Spirit, which is God within us. We have a responsibility to learn all we can about God and how he sent Jesus Christ to teach us how to live:
- We have a responsibility to live in loving relationships with others.
- We have a responsibility to love others as we want to be loved.
- We have a responsibility to do all that we can in all the ways that we can for all that we can.
By joining together with other Christians, regardless of their church denomination, we will discover the joy in living as Paul shares in his letter to the Philippians:
Closing Scripture: Philippians 1:3-10, NLT
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
Pastor: Now it is our joy to welcome you as sisters in Christ.
All: Through baptism
You are incorporated by the Holy Spirit
Into God’s new creation
And made to share in Christ’s royal priesthood.
We are all one in Christ Jesus.
With joy and thanksgiving we welcome you
as members of the family of Christ.
Pastor: Let us rejoice in the faithfulness of our covenant God.
All: We give thanks for all that God has already given us.
As members of the body of Christ
and in this congregation of The United Methodist Church,
we will faithfully participate in the ministries of the Church
by our prayers, our presence, our gifts,
our service and our witness
that in everything God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ.
UMC Hymn 77 How Great Thou Art (to the accompaniment of Elvis)
Closing words and benediction UMH p. 39
Pastor: The God of all grace,
Who has called us to eternal glory in Christ,
Establish you and strengthen you
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
That you may live in grace and peace.
Susandoodles 
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