I fear that some parents do not sincerely intend to take part in the life and work of a Christian Church following their child's Baptism. I sometimes suspect, also, that parents think of Baptism as a kind of spiritual inoculation that guarantees protection in earthly life and salvation in the life to come. I even think that some parents present their children for Baptism in order to keep from disappointing their own parents. I hope in the brief essay to explore the meaning of Baptism and to discuss how this sacrament is administered at First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee. I hope this essay will help parents to make an informed decision about Baptism for their children, but just as important, I hope that is will prompt a personal discussion between me and you.
Baptism is a sacrament.
Both sacraments are signs of God's initiative, not ours. In them God in Christ takes the first step toward us. The sacraments are signs of God's reaching out to us in the past and of God's ongoing concern for us now. The most important aspect of Baptism is not what we do, but what God does. On the individual level, Baptism is the action by which we participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus.