Redding, CA. Baptism

Bethel Church. A wild and crazy, joy-filled place, completely off my radar until last June that is, when I came on staff with Youth with a Mission (YWAM). This was the second to last stop on our road trip across the US. Many people I’ve met over the last year in Kona have either read book by or listen to podcasts from Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson (pastors at Bethel), been through their internship or classes, or attended a weekend service. So, it is safe to say that even though it was fairly “new” in my world a lot had been built up about it. There were tales of miraculous healings and outbursts of joyous laughter than lasted for extended periods of time. When it came down to it, none of us knew what would be waiting for us when we got there, and baptisms were perhaps one of the last things I was expecting.

I was baptized as an infant by my grandfather LeRoy, a Lutheran Pastor whose parents emigrated from Norway when he was a small child. I had friends who were baptized in their “later” years, but beyond these two instances I, myself, had not put much thought into baptism really at all. It wasn’t that I was against either in any way. I supposed I just didn’t understand baptism well enough to create much of an opinion. More recently I’ve had friends share about it being a “public declaration” of faith and commitment to Jesus. Which is a very cool thing, but when Jesus is baptized in Matthew 3 He doesn’t any sort of declaration. Rather, when John questions why he came to him to be baptized, rather than the other way around, Jesus responds with, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (v. 15b). So that makes me wonder if there is more to baptism than “salvation” or “declarations of faith.” Another interesting thing about Jesus’ baptism is once he comes up out of the water “heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lightning upon him” (v. 16b). Notice how it says “like and dove” and not “as a dove.” Interesting. For some reason I always pictured a dove landing on his shoulder... probably attributed to the Flying House or Super Book cartoons I watched growing up.... How amazing that Jesus talks about righteousness before he is baptized and after He is baptized he sees HEAVEN OPEN UP! WHAT!? “Um yes, I would like to be baptized please, thank you.” Yes, I definitely think there is more to being baptized that we can even know.

A few days before we arrived in Redding I mentioned something to my friend Andrew about baptism and how I since being an adult had not, but was starting to feel like maybe I should... We got into Redding on a Friday, and went to one of the services at Bethel that following evening. And wouldn’t you know it, before the service an announcement about baptisms flashed across the screen. As we walked back to our van after the service Andrew asked if I wanted to do it, and I suddenly felt all nervous about saying yes, but said yes anyway. So, it was with that same apprehension and nervousness that I stepped into a large empty chair lined room a few minutes before 5 pm on Sunday, April 10th, our last night in Redding. One of Bethel’s requirements for baptisms is an hour long informational class to help educate people more the act and meaning behind it. I sat down off to the side and slowly others began trickling in with a change of clothes in one arm and a towel in the other. It was reassuring to know I wasn’t alone. Surprisingly, the nervousness didn’t leave as the people came, perhaps because I didn’t know anyone of them. But, as I think back it was actually was a good thing, a humbling thing. I realized it’s good every now and then to feel like the “new guy” and a little unsure of yourself. I think it helps our ability to relate to others when they step into that place and we’ve stepped out of it. The class was good, helpful and freeing, and no one told me they were “worried about my salvation because I had not been baptized” (insert scene from Nacho Libre here). Publicly declaring your membership in the Kingdom of heaven, symbolically dying to death (the old life) and rising to life (new life), in Christ were a couple of the reasons they shared behind importance of baptism along with receiving the Holy Spirit. They sent around a baptism signup sheet and we all lined up along the stairs leading to the stage in the sanctuary. The sanctuary. A room filled with over 500 people. I new 6 of them. Intimidated would be an minor understatement.
As I stood on the top of the stairs, waiting to set foot on the stage before a sea of unknown faces, I remembered my heavenly Father. I remembered who I stand before first and foremost, my God and only my God. Then I got all excited, which may have been partially attributed to the thumping Rocky style music being played by the band, and stepped up with joy, excited to be the first baptized before this crowd of witnesses.

I stepped onto the stage and into the baptismal hot tub :), kneeled down and left the old behind to take on the new ahead. Coming out of the water was the most amazing feeling. Every part of me felt relaxed, and I had the most overwhelming sense of peace surround me. As I came out of the water my ears met the sounds of hundreds of fellow believers clapping and cheering me on. Regardless of all my initial nervousness I woudn’t have had it any other way.

Bethel was the last church we visited on our US road trip and I feel so blessed to have been able to share this piece of my life with this place.