St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

Agreement on baptism?

"Growing Together in Unity and Mission” was circulated to General Synod members recently. It says it is an agreed statement of what Anglicans and Roman Catholics have agreed, plus a call for action to cooperate further. I always read these things for what they say about baptism - a hobby horse of mine?

Baptism hits you between the eyes with the very first sentence about "the faith we hold in common". "Together (we) believe that the Christian life is begun in the waters of Baptism" (p12). Do we? When I came to Christ at the age of 19 I believed my own Christian life had just begun, at my conversion when I put my faith in Christ. I do see that my journey towards God had begun much earlier, in my wrestling with church in teenage years, my Sunday School bible stories in childhood, and in my upbringing in the love that surrounded my baby- and toddlerhood. I suppose you could say the journey began as far back as my conception? I can't deny that my infant baptism came somewhere along the route, and so in some sense began my Christian "journey". But I can and do deny that it "began my Christian life", and it certainly wasn't the moment at which I stepped from darkness into light. When people say that they became Christians at their infant baptism, I wonder if they know what becoming a Christian really is?

The 2½-page short section on baptism is riddled with this question. "By baptism, through faith, Christians are united with Christ ...", "Through baptism, by grace alone, and not because of any merit on our part, we put on Christ ...", "By the power of the indwelling Spirit, baptism initiates a renewal of life ...", "... all who are baptised are incorporated into the body of Christ ..." (p23-24). In one way I accept all these, for they are all biblical. They're all true of those who are baptized in token of their faith, and this faith of course isn't a "merit" on their part. But in another way, they're all false: those who were baptized in mere ritual, and who never went on to explore faith for themselves - how can any of these statements be true of them? The bible is not talking of victims of the indiscriminate baptism of everything that moves.

"Together with other Christians we accept the meanings has in the scriptures, and the tradition and practice of the early church" (p23). Well, all Christians agree the bible tells us what baptism means - but we all interpret it quite differently. I take “faith” to be the personal relationship between me and God, but my RC friend takes it to be something that inevitably grows from baptism. I can't help wondering if we're using the same words but talking different languages?

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. March 2008, Page 8.
Home Page. Index of articles: by subject, by date. In this issue: (March 2008) Resurrection, Hymn, Revision, Question, Ecumenism. Other articles on christenings.	Agreement on baptism? "Growing Together in Unity and Mission” was circulated to General Synod members recently. It says it is an agreed statement of what Anglicans and Roman Catholics have agreed, plus a call for action to cooperate further. I always read these things for what they say about baptism - a hobby horse of mine? Baptism hits you between the eyes with the very first sentence about "the faith we hold in common". "Together (we) believe that the Christian life is begun in the waters of Baptism" (p12). Do we? When I came to Christ at the age of 19 I believed my own Christian life had just begun, at my conversion when I put my faith in Christ. I do see that my journey towards God had begun much earlier, in my wrestling with church in teenage years, my Sunday School bible stories in childhood, and in my upbringing in the love that surrounded my baby- and toddlerhood. I suppose you could say the journey began as far back as my conception? I can't deny that my infant baptism came somewhere along the route, and so in some sense began my Christian "journey". But I can and do deny that it "began my Christian life", and it certainly wasn't the moment at which I stepped from darkness into light. When people say that they became Christians at their infant baptism, I wonder if they know what becoming a Christian really is? The 2½-page short section on baptism is riddled with this question. "By baptism, through faith, Christians are united with Christ ...", "Through baptism, by grace alone, and not because of any merit on our part, we put on Christ ...", "By the power of the indwelling Spirit, baptism initiates a renewal of life ...", "... all who are baptised are incorporated into the body of Christ ..." (p23-24). In one way I accept all these, for they are all biblical. They're all true of those who are baptized in token of their faith, and this faith of course isn't a "merit" on their part. But in another way, they're all false: those who were baptized in mere ritual, and who never went on to explore faith for themselves - how can any of these statements be true of them? The bible is not talking of victims of the indiscriminate baptism of everything that moves. "Together with other Christians we accept the meanings has in the scriptures, and the tradition and practice of the early church" (p23). Well, all Christians agree the bible tells us what baptism means - but we all interpret it quite differently. I take “faith” to be the personal relationship between me and God, but my RC friend takes it to be something that inevitably grows from baptism. I can't help wondering if we're using the same words but talking different languages? John Hartley
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