Today I got to experience something incredible. 5 of the youth in my church got baptized and I was so lucky to be the one to baptize them. As a pastor I have done a number of cool things, I've preached a number of times, officiated a wedding, assisted with my Grandpa's funeral, led worship, gone to disneyland...but of all those things, this was the most nervewracking for me. Last week I started having dreams about it, and they were never good. Everyone would be waiting for me to change, and I'd end up taking an hour to put my shorts on. I would forget what I was supposed to say and drop the person in the water.
Well, the day finally arrived, and I hardly got any sleep last night (It didn't help that I was also preaching). I think the reason I am so anxious about baptizing people is because it really is a huge moment. I don't know if anything special happens when we're baptized, but there was an unknown weight on my shoulders leading up to this day. I really think that something spiritual does happen. I don't really know how to describe it. All I can say is, when I dunked them in the water there was a split second when I would look at their face underwater, and it actually looks like they're dead. And such joy would overcome me when I'd pull them out of the water. You don't get that view from the seats in the congregation. You don't see their face underwater, but I got too! It's amazing how powerful the metaphor of dying with Christ and being raised to life with him is experienced in baptism.
But it wasn't without its funny moments!!! All the youth did an amazing job sharing their stories.
Shane, of course, brought the house down with his honesty and humor. He mentioned my involvement in his life and made some comment about how I'm incredible when it comes to girls...haha, I wish I could remember exactly what he said.
And so Tessa was the first person I got to baptize (and thus will go down in history as the first person I baptized) and I had no clue where to stand or anything, haha, what a gong show! And I thought I had told her to give me her hand so I could pull her back up, but I must not have been clear (as always, learn to communicate clearly Dan!) so when I dunked her I just had my hand on her back and it was a bit of a struggle getting her out of the water, bah!
And Jessica was really fun, we had a good moment.
And Shane, I wanted his baptism to be a little special...So I said the line, "I baptize you, yada, yada..." and when I went to baptize him I put my hand on his chest and really pushed him into the water, creating a massive wave that splashed down the back steps! And then when I pulled him up I totally flung him forward with an attempt at getting the front row wet, but I don't think the water went that far. We had a good laugh at that!
After the baptism the church sang some songs while we changed, and it was a little crowded in this little bathroom. So finally I get my tie back on and such and I can hear that we're supposed to come up front to be prayed for, so I quickly throw my belt on and rush up. Well, as you might have noticed from the picture, I managed to go up front with my pant leg tucked into my sock...ROOKIE MOVE!!!
So that was my adventure today...I had a nice long nap afterwards. And the best part is I get to baptize 4 more people next Sunday! And I'm leading worship (less stressful than preaching!).
