Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, August 8, 2021
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: The power of baptism goes beyond our ability to comprehend.
Scenario: A family in your congregation loses an unborn child. They want you to perform a baptism on their deceased baby. What do you do?
This scenario really comes down to two major issues: theology and pastoral care. Depending on where you land theologically, these may blend seamlessly or they may cause great distress.
You may land theologically on the side of refraining from baptism. If baptism is for the gift of God’s Holy Spirit to enter a person, and is also the mechanism by which a person becomes a member of the community, then baptism is not warranted in this situation, as the child is neither capable of receiving the Holy Spirit nor of becoming a member of the community.
But you may be caring for parents who believe baptism is to save a soul, and baptizing even the recently deceased could mean the difference between eternal life and eternal damnation. In this case, the decision to baptize might come down more to a matter of pastoral care than theology. If the family needs the baptism for peace of mind in a horribly tragic situation, then baptizing for pastoral care may trump withholding baptism for theology.
If such a situation arises for you, do the baptism. In the end, our theology is only a tool for attempting to understand that which cannot be understood. Baptism is a gift, a promise, a responsibility, and a mystery. Since we cannot fully understand it, you cannot withhold the gift. If you are wrong about your conviction not to baptize, are you willing to live with the devastating consequences you will inflict upon the grieving family?
Let baptism be the mystery that it is. Hold babies. Splash water. Celebrate what it may mean for the person being baptized, the family, and community. Thank God for the gift of it all.
![1 Kings 17:1-16 [17-24], God’s Care for the Widow](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56b39b61ab48de92d991a40a/bf37035e-33d5-439f-a0d6-a68b02d0f1bc/24-11-03.jpg)
