Witnesses to Baptism

With the light from the setting sun bathing us in warm reds through the Pentecost window, I felt my hand shaking while I poured the water. The significance of what I was doing overwhelmed me. Some day, I knew, I would get to do the "real thing," to preside at the outward sign of an inward gift of grace! During my time as a seminary student, I worked as a youth ministry staff person, which included being the lead teacher for the ninth-grade confirmation preparation. One night we gathered in the sanctuary around the baptismal font, and I talked about the significance of baptism as I poured water into the beautiful pottery bowl. Somehow I want the people gathered for worship and baptism to have that feeling of wonder at what God does each time the sacrament is celebrated or remembered in my parishes. As United Methodists, we believe that all persons present -- and in the great cloud of witnesses -- participate in, not simply observe, the sacrament.

As a pastor, I have sought to balance my enthusiasm for trying a variety of practices in worship with the need for tradition. Therefore, we have a "menu" of options from which I choose: remembrance of baptism, with bowls of water at the entrance to the sanctuary or sprinkling the congregation; baptismal hymns sung by the choir or the congregation; a Call to Baptism for people newly involved with the church, which invites prayer for the individual or family prior to the sacrament (see Daniel T. Benedict, Jr. Come to the Waters, Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 1996), special treats for the fellowship time after worship; and a children's time teaching about baptism.

In this mix of rituals and reminders there are two constants: the "Baptismal Covenant" from the Hymnal and baptismal witness records. Every time we celebrate a baptism at St. Anthony Park United Methodist Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, I place "baptismal witness" pages in the fellowship area for people to sign after the worship service. This is a visual reminder for the baptized of the great cloud of witnesses participating in the expression of grace.

Having spoken our promises during the worship service, each person's signature underscores the commitment made. Below a baptism graphic, I print the following, changing the name and date as needed:

God's love flows through water!
We celebrate the baptism of Name
and by our vows promise to be a community of grace,
reminding her/him that s/he is a child of God.
Date -- St. Anthony Park United Methodist Church

Our worship attendance is around 100, and I need two pages for each person being baptized, to have enough room for signatures. I use clipboards to hold the witness sheets to provide a smooth writing surface and make it easy for the ushers to put them in place on various tables as we conclude our worship gathering. I encourage everyone -- children to adults -- to sign one of the pages and then enclose them in an envelope with the certificate and baptism candle for the individual or family to take home. Baptismal images are available in the United Methodist graphics library (go to www.umc.org, click on "Lead," then find the graphics library linkunder "Featured Ministry Tool") or from your newsletter clip art subscription. Using high-quality 8 ½ x 11 acid-free paper and archival pens ensures that the signatures of those who were present will last a lifetime.

Donna Martinson is pastor of St. Anthony Park United Methodist Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. "Witnesses to Baptism" is Copyright 2008 by Donna Martinson, published by the Discipleship Ministries. Permission is granted to reprint this article, provided the author's name and the URL of this page are included in the reprint. For all other uses please contact the author.