Sunday, October 12, 2014

Let Me In!

I was thinking about the ritual of baptism. I was baptized at a young age because I didn't want to feel left out. 

On first Sundays, kids my age were being dipped in the pool and getting to eat the crackers and juice, while I sat there as an outsider. So, one day, when the "doors of the church were opened," I went to the front and joined church. I knew, from years of observing, that I should answer yes to all the questions (Do you take Jesus as your personal savior? Do you believe XYZ?), even though I didn't know what those things REALLY meant from a personal perspective. 

The notion of being/feeling left out is one that I would feel for many years to come, and would lead to many poor decisions. But, that's a different story, so back to the topic(s) at hand. 

I looked up when Jesus was baptized last week after a discussion where I posited that kids should not be baptized. Jesus, according to the internet-explained timelines of the bible, was baptized around 30 years old. I didn't search to see if accounts of John the Baptist mentioned kids being baptized (but Christians follow Jesus, not other people, right?). So if Jesus, a great example of living according to God's will, wasn't baptized until he was an adult and I know from personal experience that I shouldn't have been baptized as a kid, and I know adults who have been re-baptized, I'm going to go ahead with the idea that I'm onto something. 

Anyway, my thoughts wandered further into how crazy it is that I was even exposed to exclusionary practices, especially as a kid, especially in a "safe" place. When Jesus, according to the bible, gave communion, he did it with his few associates. There were no onlookers made to feel like outsiders in the room. If churches ONLY want select people to take communion, do that (I almost cursed) stuff in a private service. Kids and "you ain't on my level because you didn't join church" / "you still have sin in your heart" adults shouldn't be exposed to it. 

What has been your experience with baptism, communion or feeling left out in life?