Taking the Plunge: Why Baptism isn't Arbitrary

Baptism is weird.  As a follower of Jesus, it is one of those things we do about which I sometimes ask myself, “hold on a second, why are we doing this again?  What does this have to do with my faith?”  It can just seem like such an arbitrary act.

Not only can it seem arbitrary, but it is also unbelievably divisive among Christians.  Infant baptism?  Adult baptism?  Dunking?  Pouring?  Sprinkling?  For ‘salvation’? For church ‘membership’?  In other words, there are both theological and practical interpretations of baptism that slice through the church in a hundred (a thousand?) different ways.

And yet, and yet, there is also an indescribable beauty that seems to enter the world the moment someone gets baptized.  I’ve noticed this for years, watching friends, family and perfect strangers get drenched to the bone in the waters of baptism—almost every time I have to choke back tears. 

Maybe it’s a silly comparison, but it reminds me of watching a cheesy movie, when the filmmaker orchestrates all of the cinematic elements perfectly to jerk out your tears...the music swells, the camera pans on a little orphan running into the arms of his long-lost mother, or two lovers separated by war finally reunite and share a kiss, or the Death Star explodes (that one gets me every time).

Why is that?  What is it that makes baptism a powerful experience?  Well, like those tear-jerking movies, baptism is actually telling a story.  What is so great and mind-boggling about this story is that on one hand it is so personal, so intimate, and on the other, completely cosmic and universal. 

Through the entirety of Christian scriptures, water—whether symbolically or literally—plays a central role.  On the very first page of the Bible, God hovers over the “waters”, preparing to create reality as we know it.  “Creation”, in other words, is “baptized” as God separates out the water from the dry land.  Later on, the people of Israel are “baptized” as they escape from Egypt through a separated Red Sea, and then again they cross through the Jordan River—both incredibly significant moments in Hebrew history which are told and retold to remember that God brings freedom, new life, and hope.

It is in this context that baptism as we know it began.  As a Jewish rite of purification, it was used by some—like the famous John the Baptist—to act out a return to God, as if to say, “we used to be a part of your great story, God, but haven’t really been acting that way lately…so we’re re-committing ourselves.”  Jesus himself even got baptized in this way.

But then, as with pretty much everything else, Jesus added new meaning.  In Luke 12:50, he refers to his impending crucifixion and death as a “baptism.”  Why?  He is re-centering the whole story of Israel through himself.  He is saying that he will die, but on the other side of his death is freedom, new life, and hope (just like those other significant events in Israel’s history). 

Baptism is what we are given, as followers of Jesus, as a way of saying “YES!” to the life of Jesus.   It’s like the ring on the finger in marriage—the culmination (and yet, at same time, the beginning) of a love story.  As the apostle Paul says, ^“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:4)

So baptism isn’t merely a symbol of what has already taken place, it is also a very real entrance into a new community, a new life.

Bible scholar N.T. Wright puts it this way:

The point is that the story which baptism tells is God’s own story, from creation and covenant to new covenant and new creation, with Jesus in the middle of it and the Spirit brooding over it.  In baptism, you are brought into that story, to be an actor in the play which God is writing and producing.  And once you’re onstage, you’re a part of the action.  You can get the lines wrong.  You can do your best to spoil the play.  But the story is moving forward, and it would be far better to understand where it’s going and how to learn your lines and join in the drama.  Through the water to become part of God’s purpose for the world. (Simply Christian p.215)

As it turns out, baptism may still be weird (and stir up controversy), but it isn’t arbitrary.  It is the act of stepping into and participating in God’s story here and now.

(Most of the ideas on this post were taking from the book Simply Christian, quoted above.  Check it out at amazon.com)

Why Church?

Here is a recent post that I wrote for our church's blog:

Not Vineyard Amsterdam (yet!)

“The church is a whore, but she is my mother.”  What?  I couldn’t think of a more harsh or awkward way to describe the church.  But apparently, a North African berber from the 5^th century thought that it was an accurate and appropriate description.  His name was Augustine, and he said a lot that has influenced Christians this past 1600 years.

I think that it is worth taking some time to analyze his quote – maybe it will help explain why we think having this church called Vineyard Amsterdam is a good idea.

When referring to a woman, there probably could not be two more extreme words to describe her than “whore” and “mother.”  The former connotes unfaithfulness, betrayal and disloyalty in the most carnal ways possible.  The latter:  belonging, nuture, love and comfort.

So why would Augustine go so far as to call the church a whore?  He may have had his own reasons; I can think of mine: the crusades, the inquisition, fundamentalist extremism, hypocracy,  and strange political agendas are a few off the top of my head.  All of these represent to me what I would consider unfaithfullness to God.  Not only unfaithfulness, but unfaithfulness in the worst possible way: that which represents him for what he is not.

But it is easy to brush off all of the wrong-doings of the church as merely historical or as an accusation reserved for extremists.  The reality is that the church is a “whore” because it is made up of people.  More accurately, it is made up of people like me.  I myself have played a part in mis-representing God to the world.  Whenever I chose to act out of hate and not love; whenever I turn a blind eye to injustice; whenever I rejoice in another’s misfortune; whenever I am a hypocrite (and I am a lot!), then I am unfaithful to the God of the Christian scriptures.

What should we do, then?  Disregard or even discard the church?  Become cynical at all the ways that we’ve personally seen the church fail?  Augustine’s answer is a resounding “no”.  She is my mother, he says.

When the church is faithful to God, when the church is actually a “mother”, then we can see some amazing things happen:

First, community happens.  The church isn’t a building, but a people.  One of the great tragedies of the western post-modern world is that many people live utterly isolated lives.  Loneliness is an epidemic in the West.  But God, through the church, offers an alternative.  He offers a family, a party, a feast to be a part of.  One thing is so unique about the church is that it is not merely made up of like-minded people.  Communities can form easily and quickly around common interests.  But the church is the “single great river formed from tens of thousands of scattered tributaries,” as someone once said.  It’s a single family formed by innumerable cultures, nationalites and backgrounds, united together through shared faith.  There could be no better place on the planet to experience this than Amsterdam – the most diverse city in the world.

Second, we fall in love with the world.  The church was never intended to be isolated from the rest of the world; it was also never inteded to be a factory of hate.  Rather, we read in the Christian scriptures that God chose the church to bless the rest of the world.  The church exists to love people; to provide help and support in difficult situations and to party together when there is something to celebrate; to offer justice to those who exist on the margins of society.  Ultimately, we hope to proclaim that God loves the world and wants to make everything new and right through Jesus.

Finally, we encounter a living God.  In a city like Amsterdam, where there is such an emerging spirituality and questioning of deeper reality, the Christian story needs to be told again.  It is the story of a God who is not only spiritual and powerful, but also personal and compassionate.  It is the story of a God who desires to give you purpose and hope.  It is in the church, where that story is told and retold again – through song, symbolism, scripture, and even through the everyday living of life – that you can find your place in the whole thing.  In the midst of hearing the story and taking part in it, we encounter and interract with God.

I think Augustine got it right all those years ago: the church is a mother.  Motherhood is a beautiful picture of self-sacrifice.  In the same way the church doesn’t exist for itself, but for others.  She draws us into family, teaches love and compassion, and points us to our ultimate purpose.  That is why Vineyard Amsterdam exists.  We hope to be one of many different wonderful expressions of church here in this amazing city.

Koninginnedag

We had our second Koninginnedag here in Holland yesterday. (a.k.a. "Queen's day" - the Queen's birthday celebration, for you Americans reading) We went out early and biked over to Vondelpark where kids from all over the city come to sell their stuff and perform all their amazing talents. We saw so many amazing things! One girl who was about 7 was playing a beautiful song on classical guitar. Other kids were dancing, playing violin, drums...one kid even dragged his huge keyboard into the park and was playing it! Kids came up with incredibly creative games and other entrepreneurial ideas like selling food and drawing people's portraits! I loved the creative vibe the kids had. Lucas and Connor were selling too. Mostly, they were trading junk with their friends. In the end, I think everyone brings all their junk out and switches it with everyone else, so you just go home with different junk. Check out the orange hair!

We walked around the park with some new friends, Karim and Annemarie. Annemarie is Dutch and grew up in Amsterdam, so we learned a lot about the day & celebration from her. Then we spent the evening with dear friends from home who are visiting Amsterdam. I even scored some free clothes at the end of the day - it was a dumpster diver's heaven here as people abandoned their stuff that they couldn't sell. We rode home through slight chaos and managed to avoid crashing.

Most of the day was just a sweet time with friends experiencing the city at its best (and its worst). The only way to describe koninginnedag is a city-wide non-stop party that lasts about 36 hours straight. A lot of fun, but also a lot of the 'junk' that goes along with a party/rave/mardis gras type atmosphere. I am grateful to be living here but I am reminded again of why we came. I found myself thinking as I was riding home, I think the new earth is gonna be a sweet party. But the joy of that party will only bring life and health and restoration...rather than the trashed city (and people) that remained here last night.

Can't wait for the Kingdom to come!

Spring in Amsterdam

We have now lived in Amsterdam for more than half of a year. The cold dreariness of Winter seems to have faded away, and Spring is in full force. Spring in Amsterdam is BEAUTIFUL. The whole city, not just the budding trees, has come to life. Outdoor cafes, flowers, parks, boats on the canals, tourists...experiencing A'dam this time of year is new and refreshing. Once we started feeling like we knew the place, it has completely changed, and we get to go exploring again.

It makes me think of the kingdom of God, and all of those perplexing parables that Jesus told in explanation of the kingdom. Just when I start to think that I've got it figured out - something new blossoms. His kingdom is always so much bigger, more beautiful and more sustaining than I expect. But it is so easy to get caught in the rut of what I think I know...just like living here in Amsterdam. It is easy to take Grayson to the same park; and not only the same park, but the same corner of the park; and not only the same corner, but the same shady-tree in that corner. After all, it's a nice and comfortable and safe spot. And Grayson loves the playground that is close by. But there is so much more of the park to see! And so many more parks in the city to visit!

But God's kingdom is big, and is always growing. That is our hope, and that is why I am excited to be here. Luke 13:18,19 'Then he (Jesus) said, "How can I picture God's kingdom for you? What kind of story can I use? It's like a pine nut that a man plants in his front yard. It grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches, and eagles build nests in it."'

The fun of language learning

I've been having lots of fun starting my dutch classes this month. At first, it was overwhelming, all the new words and concepts. But after a few weeks, I am just having fun with it. I wish I could go back to learning like a baby does. I watch Grayson absorbing our words and starting to understand more and more. He can understand most of what we say now, but still struggles to speak. I am in a similar place...althought I don't think I understand as much dutch as Grayson understands english! Well...I am in process right?

I've started to try to use dutch when I shop, buy a train ticket or even ask where the bathroom is. I know that should be standard...but I still feel silly calling it a "WC". A lot of my learning is coming from watching Dora the Explorer in dutch and listening to Grayson's dutch toys talk. Gray just found the on/off button on his car and he is constantly pushing it. It turns off with the phrase, "tot de volgende keer!" which means, "until next time." I use it everywhere now and people think I am a natural. It's amazing what hearing something a million times will do.

The best thing about speaking dutch here is people are so happy if you just try to speak. I asked the guy at our little Natuur Winkel downstairs (kinda like a raisin rack - but not as good) how he was doing in dutch and he lit up like it was Sinterklaas (or Christmas for you Americans). He was so excited that he started speaking dutch so fast, I was totally lost. I didn't have the heart to tell him though, so I just said, "tot de voldende keer!" That was a winner.

I've made lots of mistakes too though. One time, when addressing a friend's mom, I neglected to use the formal form of "you". You are supposed to use the formal version when you address someone you don't know or someone older than you. She was both. But I think I won her back when she confessed how old she was, 85 I think...and I responded immediately with a phrase I'd heard a million times in class, "wat jong!" which means something like, "that's so young!" It fit perfectly.

It's fun faking it, but I am finding it difficult to really be able to communicate with a new language. I feel that I can relate to Grayson's frustration as he grunts and points to something (who knows what) and tries to communicate. I hope that I can move past the grunting and pointing stage soon. As long as I am having fun, I think I can handle the pain.

Tot de volgende keer!