What do you think???

Wednesday evening arrived and the doorbell rang.  Two students, Sara and Florentina, were standing at our door with huge smiles on their faces.  They proceeded to arrange childcare for Carter, blindfold us, and take us on a 10 minute drive.  We had no idea where we were going!

The car stopped and they led us into a building, down a flight of stairs and into a chair.  When they removed the blindfolds, we realized where we were:  back on campus!  We had been led down to the student fellowship hall which is a familiar space for campus gatherings.  However, this time it looked very different.  The lights were dim.  There was a roaring fire in the fireplace.  Tea light candles had been meticulously placed around the room.  And, in the center of the space stood a table with flowers, candles, and a setting for two!  Sara and Flor proceeded to serve us an incredible three course meal and after dinner, invited us to sit by the fire for as long as we wanted.

There are many things that were special about that evening:  The homemade meal.  The ambiance.  The good conversation we shared with each other.  The embarrassing way we stumbled around blindfolded.  But there is one thing I don't think I'll ever forget:  When that blindfold came off, I looked down at the table and realized that this setting had been prepared FOR ME.  I immediately wanted to know why.  Why me?  What did I do to deserve this gift?  Who do I need to pay?  As Regan and I sat in stunned silence for those first few moments, all we could muster up was, "thank you so much..." 

What an incredibly thoughtful gift we received that night.  I'm reminded  that my whole life is to be lived in awe of God's goodness and grace.  He has prepared a place FOR ME (and for YOU) at his Table.  Yes, we will want to rationalize why we don't deserve it or try to pay for it or even reject the invitation.  But the only response he really desires is "thank you."

This past week was spring break on the campus of European Nazarene College.  Since I had agreed to preach on Easter Sunday at the Büsingen International Church, and the Sunday fell right in the middle of spring break, we took the first half of the week to stay close.    We used some of the time to clean the apartment, rest, work on taxes (yuck!) and take a quick day trip to Konstanz, Germany where we took Carter to Sea Life.  He loved every minute and associated every sea creature he saw with characters from The Little Mermaid or Finding Nemo.  As soon as we got back, he asked when we could go again. 

After the Easter worship service on Sunday, we had a few friends from campus join us for lunch and greatly enjoyed hosting some friends from EuNC/Regional Office and a couple of students who had stayed on campus during the break.  As always, Resurrection Sunday was significant for us, as we had traveled the journey through the season of Lent together.  Don't forget that Easter is not one day.  It is a season of the church's year in which we reflect upon the implications of resurrection!

After the weekend was over, we hopped onto the Swiss train and headed south to Montreux, Switzerland which is situated near the French border on the northeast shore of Lake Geneva.  Words can't capture how beautiful this area is.  As you walk through the city center, you can hear the rushing of the Alpine stream that flows through the city and into the lake.  This region is the birthplace of Nestlé (in nearby Vevey) and Evian spring water (just across the lake in Evian-les-Bains, France).  There are several kilometers of flower-lined walkways along the lakeside.  As you look south across the lake, the French Alps tower overhead.  It is truly a beautiful place.  One morning, we made our way to the Château de Chillon, a famous castle in Switzerland.  In the castle dungeon, you can see where François Bonivard, Swiss monk and patriot, was imprisoned.  His story inspired Lord Byron to write the narrative poem, "The Prisoner of Chillon" in 1816.  The poem chronicles the lonely prisoner.  Near the end of the poem, the narrator is facing the prospect of freedom, but having grown accustomed to his status as a prisoner, he speaks these haunting words:

My very chains and I grew friends,

So much a long communion tends

To make us what we are"

Finally, Montreux is apparently known for its annual jazz festivals and musical history.  Of note is the fact that former lead singer of Queen, Freddie Mercury, lived his final years in Montreux and his ashes were scattered on the shore after his death in 1991.  This is a point of pride for the town as this dramatic commemorative statue stands at the shore facing France and even today, is surrounded by flowers placed by fans and admirers.

Overall, we had a wonderful and restful week.  We had been working hard since we returned to EuNC in January so this was a very welcome break.  At this point, we will enter into our final two and a half months of our volunteer assignment in Europe.  It's hard to believe the time has passed so quickly!  It has truly been an amazing experience for our family and we are filled with so much thanks for these wonderful opportunities. 

I've had several conversations with the students here over the past couple of weeks on the doctrine of Christian baptism.  It has come up in my Old Testament class, in my Christian Worship class, and in my Faith Development in the Local Church class.  In each case, I have shared the Church of the Nazarene's position on accepting the practice of infant baptism and have faced a common response:  "Our church does not practice the baptism of children" OR "My pastor will not do it."  Now, I realize this is a non-issue for those in traditions that do not practice infant baptism.  How about those within the Church of the Nazarene or other traditions which accept both?  Have you encountered this response within your own faith journey or in your congregation?

Secondly, I almost always receive the same answer: "One must understand what they're doing before they receive baptism."  I understand the logic for those who make this argument:  One must have a cognitive understanding before a sacrament can have any value.  My question is, "When do I have enough cognitive understanding to make it valuable?"  Another question: "If I have more cognitive understanding later in life, should I be baptized again?  And again?  And again?"  This point also comes from the fact that I sat at a table with three lifetime Nazarenes, ALL of which had been baptized MORE THAN ONCE because they didn't feel like the previous ones were valid (and there was no one there to counsel them differently). 

I'll share our own journey in this matter which I think reflects my view on the subject.  We chose to have our son Carter baptized as an infant.  The water was poured over him in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Scripture was read and the promises of God were proclaimed.  He was anointed with oil and prayed for.  Regan and I, along with his godparents (my brother and sister-in-law who commit to helping Carter grow and mature in Christ), were marked with the sign of the cross and invited to remember our own baptisms and therefore our own call to die and rise with Christ.  We had a whole Christian community of witnesses who also committed to nurture Carter in faith.  The day was a celebration of the work of God's grace in Carter's life.  The water was a visible sign of that grace.  What a day!  

Did the baptismal water magically grant him a "get out of jail free card"?  No.  Will Carter have to make his own decisions of faith as he grows and develops?  Of course.  In the meantime (and beyond), every time we witness a baptism, I will tell Carter the story of his own.  I can remind him how much God loves him, is committed to be his gracious God and Savior, and calls him to a life of faithfulness.  It's much like the Israelites who were saved by God through water.  They REMEMBERED by continually telling the story of God's faithfulness in the past so they could be reminded of their own call to faithful living in the present.  I will always consider this my responsibility as Carter's earthly father.

So...when a person is baptized within the context of a believing community, child or adult for that matter, is it because we are so good?  Is it because we deserve it?  Is it primarily a celebration of our own good decision making skills?!?!  NO!  It's a celebration of the free gift of God's grace which calls us into a journey of transformation.  And, it's a commitment to offer our lives in thanksgiving.  It's because "...God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NIV)  and because of the greatness of the "love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1). In my opinion, whether you're young or old, that's something worth celebrating!