meditatio at the water's edge

On Baptism

We have been wrestling with the question of how we will practice baptism for several months. Most of the initial group of people in Water’s Edge have a strong background in a tradition that practices ‘infant baptism.’ I come from a background that practices ‘believer’s baptism.’ Initially, I think we approached the issue with the desire to win the argument—to convince the ‘other side’ of our respective positions.

What developed, however, was a conversation about baptism that enabled us to understand each other’s tradition better, and to better understand (and develop) our positions.

I think the picture of what happened in our group reflects the character of who we are as a community; that is, a learning conversation.

What do we profit from holding a position in a way that prevents us from being in community with each other? Not much. We can easily slip into an attitude of arrogance about the correctness of our position—and consequently the incorrectness of the other position—and can be patronizingly polite, yet unloving toward others.

Let me say at this point that I am not suggesting we take up a sort of ‘comfortably dumb’, ‘ignorance-is-bliss,’ ‘can’t-we-all-just-get-along’ approach. I really have firm convictions about the issue of how we practice baptism. But I also have firm convictions that I am not always as well-informed as I think I am.

I have learned that I can hold positions on things like baptism—and hold them with humility. And it is that humility that enables us to engage in a learning conversation. How will we hope to be led into the truth if we grieve the Spirit of truth by treating those who disagree with us in unloving, arrogant, divisive ways?

Someone reading this may think, “Well, you don’t believe in absolute truth! Someone has got to be right about the issue. Both positions can’t be right.” Of course I believe in absolute reality. But I also believe that only God knows what that is exhaustively.

The primary distinguishing mark of an apprentice of Jesus is not whether or not they are pre-mill, post-mill, or a-mill in their view of the end times. It is not whether or not they agree that women can be in leadership in the Church. It is not even whether or not they got wet under drops of water or in a river of water. Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).

What position will we take on baptism? We will take the position of learners in conversation. It is not agnosticism. We do not take the position of despair and resignation. We take the position of humility and hungering after truth. And so, we seek to understand through conversation. To hold to our convictions, but to hold to them with teachable hearts.

We will hold convictions, but we will hold them with love for each other—even for people who disagree. And this love is not some pie-in-the-sky, everybody-is-right, don’t-ruffle-any-feathers love. It is a love that is expressed in the deep respect for the other person, and a profound confidence that the Spirit of truth will lead those into the truth who truly seek it.

Where does this leave us practically? I believe it compels us to keep the conversation going—to continue learning and reaching to understand. It means we will remain in community with each other, keep loving one another, and keep striving to embody the love and life of Jesus.

If this offends you, I can appreciate that. If it does not offend you, understand that it will offend many people. It is difficult for many people to care passionately about their convictions while still being in community with people who are equally passionate with different convictions. In some matters, it will be necessarily impossible.

For us, however, it seems best to us—and we feel that we are being led by the Spirit through our conversation—to remain in the learning conversation and allow people to be led by the same Spirit of truth that Jesus promised his apprentices.

Wherever we are led, it will certainly be to lives of increasing love, joy, and peace. It will lead us, above all, to live the baptized life—a life submerged in the presence and mission and character of God.


Jesus said,
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:5-8).


Let us keep ourselves from the arrogance that creates dissension. Let us keep ourselves from the agnosticism that creates despair. Above all, let us together remain in Jesus; loving as He loves, doing what he did, and obeying what he commanded his apprentices to do.