Sunday, March 9, 2008

baptimatized!

This is what Paxton called it - baptimatized - he says it like John Travolta in Grease when he sings, "It's e-lectrifyin'!" We cracked up.


Last Sunday was a really special day for us. In church Charis asked if she could take communion. She has asked this before, and we always explained that its for a person who believes Jesus and has given Him their life, and its a big decision. We didn't want her doing it just to have a snack, or because we do it. But she has repeatedly asked so many good questions about what Caleb and I believe, and about life, death, and God. She has claimed to love and follow Jesus for some time now. But again, we  assumed this is because she hears us talking about what we believe. 
Last week her and I had a really good conversation about being a follower of Jesus. And I felt she "got it" (best she can at 6 years old). So when she asked to join us in communion, Caleb felt that we shouldn't hold her back from expressing what she believes. She was really cute - looking over at us - excited.
Communion isn't some big ceremony at our church. But she was excited none the less. 
Caleb feels that when a person believes in Jesus, one of the first things she should do is be baptized. So, we asked her if she wanted to be baptized and demonstrate physically what had happened spiritually. She wanted to (she'd wanted to for a while), so we called our families and invited them to my brother's jacuzzi for the baptism. Several of them could come (so last minute) and we had a really fun day celebrating Charis' faith and enjoying each other. 
I have my fears - that she is only believing because we do. That she will have false assurance of salvation. That she will feel she has to be good to make God happy, rather than just be humble and believe. That she will tend toward legalism. That she will not experience sweet communion with God. But I don't have control over these things.  She is her own person before God. And He is good. And I trust Him with her.  

3 comments:

Abril said...

Wish I could have made it...

amber. said...

Oh, Kate, I am so moved by your devotion to Charis and to her development as a spiritual being. I love that you are so open to her own expression of faith and to allowing that to bloom however it does. In my eyes, your openness to allowing her to take part in communion is like allowing her to taste the essence of who Jesus is and develop a taste for God, all on our own. Your intention to give her room to foster her own connection to God is so beautiful and so loving. I encourage you to relax and trust that you are an amazingly brilliant parent who knows how to trust her children and their God.

Love you!

Flo said...

This is so sweet and you all look so happy. Looks like a win-win to me! And I'm pretty sure that Jesus is happy to have her on his side, too.