Last night we baptized two people at the beginning of the worship service at 6:30 p.m. Another young man whom John Shultz led to Christ earlier in the week desired to be baptized, but he could not get off work until after 7:00 p.m. He serves in the U.S. Navy and deployed on a six-month cruise today. We told him that we would wait on him and perform his baptism at the end of the service.
At 7:30 p.m. he had still not arrived because he got off work a little late. We found out it would be close to 8:00 p.m. before he could make it to church. So at the end of the service I told our folks that I was willing to wait so this young man could be baptized and that they could wait with me if they chose to do so. I dismissed the parents to pick up their children from children’s choir and the nursery. Our chairman of deacons shared a testimony and the congregation sang several hymns to pass the time. I was amazed that the majority of our people stayed and even brought their children in to see the baptism. The congregation erupted in applause and shouts when the baptistery curtains opened and Pastor John introduced Rob Copeland. John shared the story of how Rob had come to faith in Christ outside a Gate Gas Station. John then baptized Rob to the cheers of the congregation!
All baptisms are moving experiences. It is thrilling to see someone profess their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But I was deeply moved last night for another reason. Last night I saw the church, the Body of Christ at her best. Fellow believers were willing to stay as long as needed to show their support for a new believer in Christ. Rob was able to deploy today knowing that he has Christ in his life and that he has a new church family praying for him while he is away. (I apologize for the poor quality of the photo. I used my cell-phone camera to capture the moment.)
