Dangerous Baptisms and Bath water Christians

What do you think of when you think of baptism?

If you’re from a North American context like me you most likely have a picture of a baptistery filled with warm water in a proper church sanctuary.

Or maybe you think of a sparkling pool in a manicured yard.

You may have in your mind a pleasant gathering of friends and family with refreshments afterwards so that everyone can shake hands and give a word of encouragement to the newly baptized.

Danger is probably the farthest thing from your mind. The most dangerous thing in most baptisms that happen in the US is the wet floors in the bathroom afterwards.

Last week I participated in a baptismal service in the mountains of Western Georgia (the country).

It started with a 3+ hour service, we sat on narrow wood benches with no backs, the building was not heated and yet the service continued with half a dozen sermons.

It wasn’t particularly comfortable.

After the service we made our way down the hill, across the pasture, through the woods, across several streams, and down to the river.

It was a bit tricky.

They found a great spot for the baptism, where the river cascaded from pool to pool as it flowed down the mountain side.

It was beautiful but cold.

Then it hit me!

These guys are willing to get into this freezing mountain river in November just to show others their faith! They know it’s not going to be easy but they understand the costs and they are ready to pay it.

Then it hit me again!

Laying down in a tub of warm bath water doesn’t really take much faith. It seems that often our methods of baptism closely reflect our presuppositions about the Christian life.

Honestly, I’m a bit tired of bath water Christians, I’m tired of Christians who want to serve where it’s comfortable and give when it’s convenient. I’m tired of Christians who judge their churches by the thickness of the foam covering their pews.

Please give me more mountain river Christians, Christians who aren’t afraid to wade against the swiftly flowing current, Christians who know they’re going to get wet to bone but don’t care because they’re so excited about what Jesus did for them, Christians who faith runs deeper and faster than man-made traditions.

Here’s a few words I heard today from a brother in Christ who lives and works in a country not friendly to Christians.

He said,

“We never pressure anyone to get baptized, we let them come to that decision on their own because we know that the act of baptism may very well result in them losing everything they have.”

For many people in many countries baptism is one of the most dangerous things they’ll ever do, they know that they are risking all because of their faith in Jesus.

Maybe it’s time that we took a serious look at how we do baptisms.

Maybe it’s time that we ask ourselves this question:

Are you a bath water Christian or a mountain river Christian?