Into The Body of Christ

Take me to the water

Take me to the water

Take me to the water

To be baptized

Today is a momentous occasion in the life of the First Baptist Church and a momentous occasion in the Kingdom of God. Today we will celebrate the ordinance of baptism as we welcome three persons into the body of Christ and to our church family. 

Baptism is one of two sacraments in the Baptist church where those who have made a profession of faith that Jesus is Lord and Savior of their lives, identify with the baptism of Jesus and, by being immersed in the baptismal font, symbolically identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism does not save us. Baptism is a public witness demonstrating a personal declaration of faith. Baptism is one of my favorite occasions in the life of the church.

When I was a student at the Theological School at Drew University, a Methodist Seminary, I became acquainted with the ritual that many Protestant denominations have where baptized believers reaffirm their baptismal vows and recite the words, “Remember your baptism and be thankful.” So today, as we celebrate the ordinance of baptism, I invite each of us to remember our baptism—to remember how Jesus died for our sins; to remember how Jesus descended to hell and took the power of death, hell, and the grave and; to remember how Jesus rose with power so that we may have life eternal in God’s presence and life abundant here on earth. And as we remember our baptism, may gratitude overflow from our hearts. 

In Christ’s Love,

Pastor Donna Owusu-Ansah