“Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?,” the Ethiopian man says.

Well, to tell the truth…there are lots of things that might prevent us.

Baptism means water, and water is wet.

Sometimes it is cold.

In the history of the church there are some who have considered those things a prerequisite for baptism. One of the early teaching documents of the church (the Didache) says in regards to baptism:

“the use of running water (river) is preferred…and cold water is desired!”

If unavailable,

“then it is acceptable to pour water over the head three times.”

“Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”

Lots of things.

It seems a little extreme, doesn’t it? To stand, whether with one person like this Ethiopian man, or as is more often the case, to stand in front of many people and be baptized as a follower of Jesus.

Couldn’t we just sign a statement of belief?

Or just wear a cross around our neck under our shirts?

Standing up in front of people and proclaiming faith in Christ and then being doused or dunked…seems a little extreme doesn’t it?

Actually, our way is pretty mild.

I clipped out an article that described baptism as practiced in New Zealand in the Athletes Church Extreme (ACE). [I’m not making this up!]

In this church, they practice what they call “extreme baptism.” It involves chaining new believers to a bungee rope and then taking a leap of faith off a bridge! (I’m not making this up!)

The cord stretches to immerse the convert waist deep in the river below, as onlookers from the church celebrate with shouts and whistles. Wow! Now that is extreme! (they also have an extreme version of the Lord’s Supper as well, but we can’t go there right now---though it does involve parachutes!)

“Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”

Lots of things, actually.

Baptism can seem complicated. What are the images of baptism that come to mind for you?

There are many:

• dying and rising with Christ.
• washing away of sin.
• rebirth by Holy Spirit.
• incorporation into Christ’s body, God’s covenant people.
  receiving of a new identity
• a proclamation of the gospel…dramatized in the sacrament, spoken in words.
• “Look here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?
• Sometimes fear…fear of giving your life away. Fear of telling people about it or showing them. Fear of rejection.

Baptism is an acknowledgment of what God has done for us in Christ.

Some of us have tried our whole lives to earn our way into God’s good graces, into God’s presence…only to turn and find that God has already loved us, already provided for us, already stepped towards us.

In some ways, being baptized is a way of simply saying “Okay! I give in! You win!” Or maybe “I never knew it…You were there all along…and now I see it.”

When something like that happens…we need to celebrate with God, and with other people. For our own sake…and for theirs.

This is a really exciting Sunday. We get to hear from a number of people, spread over all three services today. We get to:

• hear from several folks the testimony of some very exciting things that God has been doing in their lives.
• join in the anointing of one of our high schoolers who was baptized earlier in his life.
• celebrate in three baptisms, one indoors and two outdoors.

And for those who have been baptized,

we have a chance to re-affirm those baptisms.