[seeker1950]

Pat sent me a video of Delbert McClinton singing me "Sending Me Angels." In the first few scenes, I was reminded of growing up in rural Appalachia and driving past the river baptisms near a coal camp named "Keith," WV. As a small child, I looked upon this scene many times, mostly with fear, and also watched my parents' reactions. My mother was disdainful while my father seemed touched and approving.
Now that I'm older, I see the river baptism in a different way...a way that people living in harsh conditions found meaning in their lives. Even my recent graduate position paper was focused on this acceptance in relation to my art work.
Have any others here witnessed the humble river baptism and reflected on it as I have?
Patty

[Gracey]

Well, it wasn't a river baptism, but here's my story.

When DH was in the USMC, I worked for CREDO. We did retreats for marines and sailors and their families. Anyway, on this one retreat, we were working with a group that had only recently come home from Somalia. One of our guys was part of a group of Marines that accidently killed some innocents. He was still struggling terribly. Toward the end of the weekend, he had a breakthrough. It was beautiful and touching and somewhere in the midst of all of it, he felt that God had forgiven him. He declared afterward that he wanted to be baptized, b/c he was "new" and his sins were gone. The chaplain tried to explain that he didn't need baptism in order to be forgiven, but this young man was adamant. Finally, I spoke up and said, "You know, you don't need the chaplain to do it. Anyone can baptize you." He looked directly at me, and said, "Let's go then." LOL About twenty of us headed down to the beach (we were on the coast) and there was a group already there that had built a bonfire, so we had light. He went splashing into the surf like a child, laughing and shouting, "I'm gonna be clean!" I guess about six of us waded out with him, and we spoke quietly for a few minutes. Over the water I heard voices humming, quiet singing. It was an OLD song ~ My Fathers Chair by Rick Springfield. Not sure why that one, but it was fitting. One of the other young Marines in the water with us asked him if he renounced his sins, did he believe in the forgiveness of God and the mercy of the Cross. AT this point, I'm in utter tears. . .big strong men. . .the best of the best. . .holding their brother so tenderly in the ocean. Soothing song crashing over the waves, the moon shining down on us as if God's own smile. I've NEVER seen anything as beautiful since that night.

"I watched my family, we hold on, we are STRONG!! "

When they got to that little verse, two young men dunked him beneath the waves, and he came up jumping and shouting, pumping his fist in the air. Everyone was laughing, everyone was crying.

In all of my life as a Christian, I don't think I've ever witnessed something as moving, something so Christ like as that simple baptism.

[January]

I've attended many river baptisms. The churchs that can't afford their own baptism places always use a river or stream.

This is absolutely the first time I have ever thought someone might be disdainful of a river baptism. (Please, please don't take that as a putdown of your Mom because it isn't.) It's just so much a part of the culture here that I've never looked at it from the outside inside.

A river baptism is one of the most sacred, spiritual events I've ever witnessed. To hear sweet, heart filled voices lifted in an old time hymn while standing on the bank is so moving. I haven't attended one since I was a teenager, but I can still hear and see it.

They aren't always rural... Many churches in the capital city use the rivers. I was baptized twice. The first time I was very young. When I was grown I asked to be baptized again because I better understood the symbolism. I was in a baptismal each time, but the emotions were just as real as the river kind.

Jan