Soul Sister Time

As a Baptist minister, I have lots of conversations with people about baptism.  Besides confessing Christ as Lord, believers baptism is the only other requirement for becoming a member of a Baptist church.  Other denominations have classes that must be attended for a number of weeks before baptism.  Baptism is a highly regarded sacrament for a Baptist church and, indeed, how you view baptism does matter. I’ve served at a church that practices infant baptism.  It is essential for that church that no one have two baptisms.  They refer to the creed where it says there is one baptism, so as long as you have been baptized you can take communion and move towards membership.  In their view of baptism, parents dedicate their children to be raised as Christians so they baptize them right away, believing that the child will make a decision to accept Christ at their confirmation (between the ages of 12-14).  Every time baptism is done in their church all who...

            Lately I have been thinking of the spiritual life as climbing a ladder.   The rungs of the ladder support you and take you above to a place that is higher than earth’s gravity (the world) will allow you to reach.   You are grounded by the rungs of the ladder; however, the rungs are held firm as a place for you to stand by two poles.   Spiritual progress is like climbing a ladder: you need the rungs and the poles in order to climb higher.               The rungs on the ladder can be thought of as formed from the cross of Christ.     Jesus, sent from the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit, is the firm foundation that we stand on as we progress towards our ultimate destination, which is intimacy with the Trinity.   The outcome of spiritual progress is oneness with God.   Sometimes we lose track of this purpose, but...