Baptism

Baptisms are easily my favorite service in the BCP.  The only A I received on a paper for my Systematic Theology class was for a short story I wrote based on the Baptismal Covenant.  This service wherein we welcome new members to the body of Christ just speaks to me in a way no other service does.  Given all of this, it is such a shame that, since I was ordained in 2010, I have not baptized anyone.  Until yesterday that is.

I cannot begin to describe my excitement (more than 24 hours later, I'm still riding the high from this service).  First, I can now say that I've baptized someone.  If there were nothing else special about yesterday, I would be really excited about simply being able to say that.  There was so much more to yesterday, though.  Not only can I now say that I have baptized someone, but I can say that I have baptized three people.  Also, these three people happen to be part of my family.  Three people, at one service, who all happen to be related to me?  It seems like the day could not have been any better.  But it was.  The baptisms were done at the church I grew up in.  I spent the first twenty-two years of my life in this church, leaving only when I went to Virginia for seminary.  When I got there, I saw that my old mail slot is still there.  Yesterday was like a giant homecoming for me with family and friends I hadn't seen in far too long.

I am in a really good place right now.  So much so, I'm tempted to shout out, "All*l**a!"  I guess I can hold it in until Easter.