As many of you know, and witnessed, this last weekend was our first baptism at HDC’s Apple Valley Campus.  It was a great time of community and a chance to celebrate with each other the new life that many of us have found in the death and resurrection of Christ. 

Many of you also know that I (Brian Haney) deal with all the nuts and bolts of the campus, and apparently pool supplies as well.  I was reflecting on some of my experiences this weekend with the baptismal and wanted to share a few thoughts.

One thing that was important to us was to have warm water in the baptismal so that people would not be shocked when they entered the tub to be baptized; we wanted it to be comfortable for those participating.  As I was doing this I thought to myself, “Was Jesus comfortable when He died on a cross and was buried?”   Should the symbol of baptism (our death with Christ to our wrong behavior and resurrection to a life that would bring praise and glory to our creator and Savior) be comfortable?  

Also, between the services I attempted to circulate the water through a filter to clear out some of the debris that had collected in the water; I was mostly successful.  But I also thought, “ I should just leave this.  Life before Christ is a filthy murky cesspool of selfishness and sin, how fitting that the water that people symbolically die in be the same.”  I did go on to clean the water; so if you were one of the people baptized don't be afraid.  I just think we should not miss that fact that we have been given new life and the ability, through the spirit of God, to overcome the filth of this world and live a life cleansed from wrongdoing and focused on bringing glory to God.

Then, as I drained the water out of the tub after the services, I noticed that there was a ring around the tub.  I stopped.  Praise God. 

Colossians 2: 12 and 13 states:

having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.  When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.  He forgave us all our sins…

What a blessing to be able to reflect on the fact that we have left our wrongdoing and guilt at the foot of the cross, as if it were a ring around the tub.

As you go about your day, don’t forget to thank God for His gift of life and power to overcome your selfish desires. 

And don’t worry, if you are going to get baptized next month, the water will be warm and clean… but maybe I will leave the ring.

Have a great day and reach your OIKOS,

Brian Haney