Claimed, gathered and sent

Birth, baptism, marriage, and many other times of our lives are defining moments. Yesterday, I participated in several of these, culminating in one profound one. At the left is my granddaughter, Grace, who was baptized yesterday. After Greek class, which ends at 5:45 Friday afternoon, we packed and started the trip to Rochester, NY for Grace's baptism. We rejoiced as we witnessed this momentous event in her life. Hearing, "Grace, child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever" ( Evangelical Lutheran Worship , p. 231), was an answer to prayer. For Grace, this was a defining moment. This was the capstone of our visit and why we were here, or so we thought. That was only part of the reason as far as God was concerned however. We found out that Grace's great-grandfather was in a hospice and was not expected to live much longer. His name is Fred and he has been like a father to me from the time I met him. I felt closer to

My thoughts on the meaning and importance of baptism as well as the mode and timing of one's baptism have changed significantly over the years. I was baptized as an infant into a family that did not participate in the life of the church. As a teenager I had a religious experience that some would refer to as being "born again." After some time, I was baptized again, as a believer by immersion. I then, saw no validity in my infant baptism. I have now been a Lutheran since the late 1980s. Lutherans primarily baptize infants. This is something I have struggled with for a long time. Was it really valid if the recipient was not exercising faith? What if the parents of the child did not believe? What if it was being done simply for "fire insurance," just in case there might be something to this God thing? Or, what if the baby is baptized because the parents have caved into pressure from other family members? My appreciation of infant baptism, including my own, began w