October 7, 2007
-
Let’s meet by the river…
This Sunday was our annual Harvest Dinner. Afterwards, we all headed to the river just down the road to witness two baptisms. I’ve never attended a river baptism! It was so special!
The church congregation is standing on the river bank as Pastor Mike shares what the scriptures teach on baptism.
Below Pastor Mike asks our sister in Christ a few important questions about her commitment to follow Jesus. One question that he asked really had it’s effect on me personally. He asked if she was ready to die for Christ. I’ve never heard that question asked at a baptism but I thought it was the perfect question to really help her evaluate her devotion. Would she follow Christ even if it meant certain death? I know the question challenged me!
Her precious grandmother is looking on as her granddaughter publicly makes a commitment to follow Christ.
Down into the water… signifying the death of the old life…
Up … out of the water… a picture of her new life in Christ.
A perfect day… a great sermon at church exhorting the congregation to place the highest possible value on God’s Word in their lives .. followed by a great lunch (it was our Annual Harvest Dinner. Pictures should be over at the church website soon. http://www.stevinsonchapel.com ).. followed by a river baptism!
I am so blessed to belong to such an awesome church filled with such a giving and loving family of believers who seek with their whole heart to follow Christ.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? 6:2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 6:3 Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.1
6:5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection.2 6:6 We know that3 our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us,4 so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 6:7 (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)5
Comments (10)
Such a special time. All the angels in Heaven rejoyce when a soul is saved. Praise God!! Blessings!!
You are blessed indeed. I enjoyed the pictures.
I am so thankful that you shared this, Georgene. What a wonderful blessing, even to those of us not there. I appreciated reading what your pastor asked before the baptism, if they were ready to die for Christ. Such a wonderful way to do a baptism. I’m truly thankful that you shared this, and pray that we’d all be ready to die for Christ and living so fervently~
Outdoor baptisms are just such a wonderful time in the Lord and in His beauty. My husband, Doug, along with many others were baptized in the river so I have witnessed many. However myself and our 3 children were baptized indoors as it was much too cold to do so outdoors here in Ohio. Doug, now as a pastor, has baptized many outdoors in a couple of different rivers in our area. He totally leaves the decision of where up to the new convert. I did like the question your pastor asked. It is very thought provoking.
Oh, I forgot….a long time hymn that has been sung, “Shall We Gather at the River” and one young man at our church once took pictures of the outdoor baptism and then put them to the following song that was played the following Sunday morning worship for the elderly and like that couldn’t make the trip down to the river bank. It was pretty awesome!
Let’s Go Down in the River to Pray
Let’s go down, come on down. .
As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way !
O sisters let’s go down,
Let’s go down, come on down,
O sisters let’s go down,
Down in the river to pray.
As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way !
O brothers let’s go down,
Let’s go down, come on down,
Come on brothers let’s go down,
Down in the river to pray.
As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way !
O fathers let’s go down,
Let’s go down, come on down,
O fathers let’s go down,
Down in the river to pray.
As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way !
O mothers let’s go down,
Let’s go down, don’t you want to go down,
Come on mothers let’s go down,
Down in the river to pray.
As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way !
O sinners let’s go down,
Let’s go down, come on down,
O sinners let’s go down,
Down in the river to pray.
As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way !
Good Lord, show me the way!
Thanks for your sweet comment on my site! I have posted a few pictures of the missions conference!
I love baptisms, and when they’re done in a river it’s almost like being baptized in the Jordan! Those shots in black and white would have seemed as if it was long ago! We baptize in Lake Michigan, but this year the undertow was bad and there were closings from contaminated water…yuck! Sort of takes away the quaintness of it, so we baptized inside! I love that song Let’s Go Down, Come On Down!
Praise God.
Heather
I ran across this on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x87RKXETBEk&mode=related&search= Thought you might enjoy it! Blessings!
I too was baptized in the Stanislaus River, at 14. It was right after a heavy storm and the river was higher than normal, and moving faster. Our young pastor, fresh out of seminary had never done a baptism, let alone in a river. I was the first of eight that day and when he dunked me under, my whole body floated to the surface and I started to float away. He grabbed me by my clothes and everyone had a good laugh.