WEBVTT 00:00:03.840 --> 00:00:05.980 Hello, everyone, and welcome to this week's episode 00:00:05.980 --> 00:00:08.900 of Trinity Talks. My name is Kyla, and I'm sitting 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:11.279 down with this lovely group of people to talk 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:14.099 all about something that happens sort of fairly 00:00:14.099 --> 00:00:16.239 frequently in the church, which is this thing 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:19.980 that we call baptism. And there are lots of different 00:00:19.980 --> 00:00:22.300 ideas and lots of different ways that this happens. 00:00:22.859 --> 00:00:25.019 But I think we're going to really focus on, like, 00:00:25.059 --> 00:00:28.140 what has this baptism, what has that meant to 00:00:28.140 --> 00:00:30.780 each of us, and how does it sort of fit? into 00:00:30.780 --> 00:00:34.979 our journey through faith with Christ. So thank 00:00:34.979 --> 00:00:38.340 you all for joining me, folks. No problem. Yeah. 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:40.560 So I'm going to get you to start by just introducing 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:42.979 yourself a little bit and maybe giving us a sort 00:00:42.979 --> 00:00:46.079 of brief intro to like, what is your experience 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:48.070 of baptism been like? have you been baptized 00:00:48.070 --> 00:00:50.090 and like what led you to make that decision? 00:00:50.770 --> 00:00:53.210 Yeah. So we want to start over here. Ooh. Okay. 00:00:53.509 --> 00:00:57.950 Britain. Um, yeah, I got baptized. It was in 00:00:57.950 --> 00:01:02.829 2008. Okay. I believe I have to look at my baptismal 00:01:02.829 --> 00:01:05.030 certificate. Sure. Oh, you got one of those. 00:01:05.090 --> 00:01:11.409 I did get a certificate. So I'm certified. So 00:01:11.409 --> 00:01:14.989 I got baptized as a child and it was there was 00:01:14.989 --> 00:01:16.909 like a special series happening at my church, 00:01:17.069 --> 00:01:21.730 my childhood church. And during that time, they 00:01:21.730 --> 00:01:24.290 would have altar calls every single night. And 00:01:24.290 --> 00:01:27.269 I was starting to feel like the Holy Spirit was 00:01:27.269 --> 00:01:30.790 talking to me. And so one night I got up and 00:01:30.790 --> 00:01:34.000 actually got. Went up to the altar call. I accepted 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:35.859 it. They started doing Bible studies with me. 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:42.540 And then I got dunked. And it was, so I did like 00:01:42.540 --> 00:01:46.920 the full immersion. And it honestly, there's 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:48.459 something like I was going to that church since 00:01:48.459 --> 00:01:52.090 I was like maybe five years old. And at this 00:01:52.090 --> 00:01:54.950 point, I'm like a preteen and I'm having this 00:01:54.950 --> 00:01:58.109 like this this moment. I know these people, but 00:01:58.109 --> 00:02:01.730 something shifted in terms of how I related to 00:02:01.730 --> 00:02:04.670 them. Like I felt like I was a part of like this 00:02:04.670 --> 00:02:07.430 song, this old song that says, I'm glad I'm a 00:02:07.430 --> 00:02:10.210 part of the family of God. I felt that in that 00:02:10.210 --> 00:02:12.409 moment. Like there's when I got dunked and then 00:02:12.409 --> 00:02:15.800 I left the pool and walked away. Um, there were 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:17.340 folks that saw me and gave me high fives and 00:02:17.340 --> 00:02:19.240 like, welcome to the family. And like, we've, 00:02:19.300 --> 00:02:21.039 I've been a member here for a long time, but 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:25.560 also it's in a new way. So yeah, that's, that's 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:28.199 my experience. Fun fact. I was also baptized 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:34.370 in 2008. Get out. Okay. was it in october it 00:02:34.370 --> 00:02:38.110 was in december oh so almost seasonal yeah yeah 00:02:38.110 --> 00:02:40.789 look at the holy spirit yeah working overtime 00:02:40.789 --> 00:02:45.409 that time i guess so yes yes yes so 2008 uh in 00:02:45.409 --> 00:02:49.090 december um yeah also dunked uh grew up in a 00:02:49.090 --> 00:02:50.689 baptist church so that's the way that that's 00:02:50.689 --> 00:02:54.009 done um yeah but sort of similar that like i 00:02:54.009 --> 00:02:56.669 had come and been part of this church for a really 00:02:56.669 --> 00:03:00.240 long time um and yeah sort of i think would would 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:01.960 call myself like a Christian or a follower of 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:04.000 Jesus like for a while, but it was just sort 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:05.900 of this moment. Actually, I think at one point 00:03:05.900 --> 00:03:08.020 my dad asked me, he was like, do you want to 00:03:08.020 --> 00:03:09.460 be baptized? And I was like, I don't know. I 00:03:09.460 --> 00:03:11.419 just like had never really thought about that 00:03:11.419 --> 00:03:14.159 as a thing. Um, so spent some time sort of thinking 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:16.759 about it and be like, yeah, this like makes sense. 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:19.759 It's like, you know, another, the next like step, 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:23.360 I think. Yeah, so that's sort of how I came to 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:26.139 that. What about for you? Yeah, so I'm Melissa 00:03:26.139 --> 00:03:29.379 and I was baptized when I was, I think it was 00:03:29.379 --> 00:03:31.560 like grade 11 or grade 12. And this was like, 00:03:31.639 --> 00:03:36.680 I think like sometime between 2014 to 2016. And 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:38.919 it's interesting. So the church that I was going 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:42.319 to at the time, I think it also is a Baptist 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:46.300 church, but it was just, it was kind of like, 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:48.020 you know, a church that came from the States 00:03:48.020 --> 00:03:51.780 and then they had other kind of like, Planting 00:03:51.780 --> 00:03:55.639 churches. And one was in Canada. And so that 00:03:55.639 --> 00:03:58.979 was a church I was going to at the time. I actually 00:03:58.979 --> 00:04:01.460 do not come from a Christian family. So my mom 00:04:01.460 --> 00:04:03.240 and dad, they're not Christian. Maybe like a 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:06.719 few of my extended family are, but the majority 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:09.900 are not. And so when I wanted to be baptized, 00:04:09.979 --> 00:04:13.620 my parents were actually like, why? What does 00:04:13.620 --> 00:04:15.860 that mean? Like they were kind of like, but we're 00:04:15.860 --> 00:04:18.220 not baptized. So why do you want to be baptized? 00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:21.879 However, in my head, it kind of just makes sense 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:24.439 because I was like, yeah, I believe that Jesus 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:27.139 is God and I want to follow Jesus. So why wouldn't 00:04:27.139 --> 00:04:31.199 I be baptized? I will say, though, that I the 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:32.980 church, they were kind of like, hey, like, if 00:04:32.980 --> 00:04:34.879 you want to be baptized, please let us know. 00:04:35.300 --> 00:04:37.819 However, I didn't do a course beforehand. I know 00:04:37.819 --> 00:04:40.860 sometimes some churches offer a course so that 00:04:40.860 --> 00:04:43.459 you truly understand what it means to be baptized. 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:47.379 So when I was baptized, I was going. solely on 00:04:47.379 --> 00:04:50.740 the basis of I believe that Jesus is God and 00:04:50.740 --> 00:04:54.379 I want to follow Jesus. I didn't understand or 00:04:54.379 --> 00:04:57.839 really know some of the other things or just 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:01.740 I didn't have that, I guess, cohesive understanding 00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:05.240 of salvation at that time. So I think that was 00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:07.779 just one thing that even after I was baptized, 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:11.680 that throughout my life, I kind of learned afterwards 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:16.689 like, oh, this is why baptism is important. I 00:05:16.689 --> 00:05:19.430 had questions of, should I be baptized again, 00:05:19.569 --> 00:05:21.610 like re -baptized? This was actually a question 00:05:21.610 --> 00:05:24.629 I asked Rob, and he gave me a really good answer, 00:05:24.649 --> 00:05:27.449 which is like, you know, baptism, it's not about 00:05:27.449 --> 00:05:30.170 youth. And choosing the time to be like, yes, 00:05:30.230 --> 00:05:32.029 I think this is the moment for me to be like 00:05:32.029 --> 00:05:35.089 saved or baptized. It is through Jesus's grace. 00:05:35.189 --> 00:05:37.850 And if you were to be rebaptized, what if in 00:05:37.850 --> 00:05:40.529 50 years you're like, actually, I want to be 00:05:40.529 --> 00:05:42.269 baptized again because I think I wasn't truly 00:05:42.269 --> 00:05:44.829 Christian then. And I want to be sure I am now. 00:05:44.889 --> 00:05:48.250 And he was just kind of saying that it can get 00:05:48.250 --> 00:05:50.850 into that slippery slope. Right. And so with 00:05:50.850 --> 00:05:54.319 that in mind, I was like, you know, Jesus. is 00:05:54.319 --> 00:05:56.939 the one who entered my life, who was like, you're 00:05:56.939 --> 00:06:01.360 coming with me. Um, in which case, if that's 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:03.339 when I was baptized, that's when I was baptized. 00:06:03.459 --> 00:06:05.860 And I kind of accepted that and just wait before 00:06:05.860 --> 00:06:07.639 I got the chance. Yeah. No, I think that's really 00:06:07.639 --> 00:06:09.560 helpful because it's like, it is about like what 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:13.000 God is doing in us. Yeah. And like, we're like, 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:15.680 okay, yes, but like, we don't have to do a thing. 00:06:15.819 --> 00:06:21.480 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So me, Ryan, uh, I was 00:06:21.480 --> 00:06:23.279 double checking with my parents and my sisters 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:25.800 for some reason. They seem to know my spiritual 00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:28.459 history, I guess. Great. I love that. Yeah, I 00:06:28.459 --> 00:06:32.660 know. Baptized, also in a Baptist church, church 00:06:32.660 --> 00:06:35.920 I was going to growing up. I think it was between 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:39.339 grade six to grade eight. Like middle school 00:06:39.339 --> 00:06:42.680 kind of thing. Middle school, yeah. Yeah, I think 00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:45.199 I just remember always wanting to, but I just 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:48.689 never kind of had the courage. Sure. Grown up, 00:06:48.730 --> 00:06:51.329 introverted kid and still am an introverted adult. 00:06:51.490 --> 00:06:53.889 But I think my mother was the one that was like 00:06:53.889 --> 00:06:57.569 kind of spurred me on to the idea of, hey, you 00:06:57.569 --> 00:06:59.949 should you should think about that. So give us 00:06:59.949 --> 00:07:03.709 give us some thought. Came to the pastor when 00:07:03.709 --> 00:07:06.230 there was like there's it pops up every so often 00:07:06.230 --> 00:07:08.310 like, oh, you can have a baptism here at this 00:07:08.310 --> 00:07:12.550 point in the year. Yeah, I reached out to the 00:07:12.550 --> 00:07:15.970 pastor when it was time. We had like a couple 00:07:15.970 --> 00:07:18.339 of meetings about. whether or not you wanted 00:07:18.339 --> 00:07:20.720 to for sure, but I had the full dunk when fully 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:24.759 in, except it was weird. The, the, whatever the 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:26.920 tank, I guess was like above the congregation. 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:30.459 So it felt like even more, more like, Ooh, super 00:07:30.459 --> 00:07:33.939 important. But yeah, so it had like a, the classic, 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:36.959 you know, read a, my favorite Bible verse and 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:40.399 then said why I wanted to, which I honestly don't 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:42.600 totally remember. I probably came up with something. 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:45.800 Uh, but yeah, but then after that, yeah, like, 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:48.680 uh, Brit said it was kind of like, like you're 00:07:48.680 --> 00:07:50.879 part of a club now or something. Everyone thought 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:52.500 of you a little bit differently, which was cool, 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:55.100 but it also was like, I don't know. It's like, 00:07:55.160 --> 00:07:57.740 I've always been here, but now it's a little 00:07:57.740 --> 00:08:00.040 different. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We really 00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:04.000 see you now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting. 00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:06.920 So, cause like when Rob. gets up there and talks 00:08:06.920 --> 00:08:09.279 about baptism, like he talks about it, you know, 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:13.060 we gain what he says is a new family, a new identity, 00:08:13.139 --> 00:08:16.660 and a new mission. And like, in some ways, those 00:08:16.660 --> 00:08:20.120 things aren't super new. Like if you're someone 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:23.639 who has is like, making the decision of baptism, 00:08:23.740 --> 00:08:25.279 like after you've been sort of following Christ 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:27.199 for a while, in some ways, it feels like a continuation. 00:08:27.620 --> 00:08:30.040 And other ways, it does, I think, feel like a 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:33.779 bit of a new start. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:35.600 Like, what do you think folks think about that? 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:37.980 Is there like in what ways do you feel like your 00:08:37.980 --> 00:08:40.700 baptism was a continuation of something? And 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:43.039 in what ways do you feel it was like a new thing? 00:08:44.299 --> 00:08:47.240 Yeah, I think for me, I know in those meetings 00:08:47.240 --> 00:08:50.659 with the pastor, he did warn me that you're going 00:08:50.659 --> 00:08:53.159 to feel more of a connection with the spirit 00:08:53.159 --> 00:08:56.679 of God, but as well feel the negative side, more 00:08:56.679 --> 00:09:00.350 of the temptation. from satan i felt definitely 00:09:00.350 --> 00:09:03.549 afterwards i think it also coupled with going 00:09:03.549 --> 00:09:05.570 from grade eight graduating into high school 00:09:05.570 --> 00:09:08.830 sure started in a christian elementary school 00:09:08.830 --> 00:09:11.230 moving into a public high school so totally different 00:09:11.230 --> 00:09:13.629 world sure and i felt that probably amplified 00:09:13.629 --> 00:09:17.409 that effect so i think that was but like like 00:09:17.409 --> 00:09:19.830 you said continuation of yeah still a christian 00:09:19.830 --> 00:09:21.950 but just kind of everything was like i don't 00:09:21.950 --> 00:09:24.850 know amplified both the good and the bad yeah 00:09:24.850 --> 00:09:30.240 yeah yeah for sure I got two points. One, when 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:32.039 you were describing it, I was thinking maybe 00:09:32.039 --> 00:09:36.000 baptism is like a marriage versus like before 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:38.980 we were just dating. Sure. Okay. You know, when 00:09:38.980 --> 00:09:42.159 you're dating someone and you introduce them 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:43.860 to your family, maybe you dated for a couple 00:09:43.860 --> 00:09:45.720 of years. Everyone's really comfortable with 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:49.480 them. Like we know each other. Yeah. But then 00:09:49.480 --> 00:09:51.419 you get married and it's like different, you 00:09:51.419 --> 00:09:54.440 know, like now we're like. Yeah, they were kind 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:56.759 of a part of your family in a way before, but 00:09:56.759 --> 00:09:59.039 like now, like really legally, like they are 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:02.480 a part of your family now. Yeah. So maybe baptism 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:07.879 is kind of like that. But I also I remember I 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:11.639 got baptized. I think it was the Saturday. And 00:10:11.639 --> 00:10:13.740 then I go back to school on this on the Monday. 00:10:14.299 --> 00:10:18.490 And I. got into a fight. I know it's hard to 00:10:18.490 --> 00:10:24.350 believe that I would ever. You're so scrappy. 00:10:24.429 --> 00:10:27.309 Yeah, I won't describe what the situation was, 00:10:27.350 --> 00:10:31.370 but I got into a fight and I felt so guilty. 00:10:31.889 --> 00:10:35.690 I felt like all of my baptismal vows, like I 00:10:35.690 --> 00:10:38.230 was like, I just trashed them in the garbage. 00:10:38.629 --> 00:10:41.509 And everyone else like writing lines and like. 00:10:41.929 --> 00:10:43.929 the lines are really supposed to be like an apology, 00:10:44.070 --> 00:10:47.690 like to the person, all this stuff. And I'm just 00:10:47.690 --> 00:10:49.809 like writing to God. And I'm like, I'm just like 00:10:49.809 --> 00:10:52.330 terrible. Like, I can't believe I did this. Like, 00:10:52.370 --> 00:10:54.450 I'm ashamed that I got baptized and I still did 00:10:54.450 --> 00:10:57.850 this. And I was just going off of it. But yeah, 00:10:57.950 --> 00:10:59.450 like, I think maybe that's something, something 00:10:59.450 --> 00:11:01.610 I feel like many people, when they feel they 00:11:01.610 --> 00:11:03.529 get baptized, it's going to be like, I'm going 00:11:03.529 --> 00:11:06.669 to be a totally new person. Like that identity 00:11:06.669 --> 00:11:08.590 switch, they might feel like it's going to be. 00:11:09.230 --> 00:11:11.769 like I'm going to become a spiritual robot and 00:11:11.769 --> 00:11:14.730 I will no longer do the things that I used to 00:11:14.730 --> 00:11:17.870 do. And even Paul wrestled with that, like that. 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:22.000 very infamous Romans passage where he's like 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.679 the things that I that I don't want to do I do 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:27.139 the things that I like he's just wrestling and 00:11:27.139 --> 00:11:30.039 if Paul could wrestle with that and he was within 00:11:30.039 --> 00:11:33.120 the church and like in high regard like then 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:36.460 like who am I not to wrestle even after baptism 00:11:36.460 --> 00:11:39.379 but sure just throw that in there yeah yeah yeah 00:11:39.379 --> 00:11:43.340 no for sure for sure I actually I feel like that's 00:11:43.340 --> 00:11:47.110 um something I I kind of like see as well. So 00:11:47.110 --> 00:11:49.389 when I was baptized, like again, like I didn't 00:11:49.389 --> 00:11:52.629 really understand fully what it meant to follow 00:11:52.629 --> 00:11:54.850 Christ at the time. I thought being a Christian 00:11:54.850 --> 00:11:57.750 was just I believe in God. So I am a Christian 00:11:57.750 --> 00:11:59.549 now. And that means that I'm following Jesus. 00:11:59.649 --> 00:12:02.090 And now that I'm older, I understand that there 00:12:02.090 --> 00:12:04.169 is, you know, taking up your cross. There's a 00:12:04.169 --> 00:12:08.629 lot of I guess being a Christian is more than 00:12:08.629 --> 00:12:13.580 just believing in God. And so. When I was baptized, 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:16.460 it was kind of like I was living my life normally, 00:12:16.620 --> 00:12:18.580 calling myself a Christian, but, you know, just 00:12:18.580 --> 00:12:21.679 living life as I always have. And then I was 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:23.500 baptized. And then I just went back to living 00:12:23.500 --> 00:12:25.820 life as I always have. You know, I wasn't reading 00:12:25.820 --> 00:12:28.480 the Bible. I wasn't in prayer. I just was like, 00:12:28.500 --> 00:12:30.759 yeah, I believe in God and I'm baptized. So now 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:35.220 it's like I'm an official Christian. And I think 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:37.360 just hearing Britt's story and even just this, 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:41.309 at the core of it all, like baptism, I think 00:12:41.309 --> 00:12:43.350 sometimes you can think like, oh, like if I'm 00:12:43.350 --> 00:12:45.970 baptized, that means that now I am the perfect 00:12:45.970 --> 00:12:48.129 person, the perfect Christian. I'm going to get 00:12:48.129 --> 00:12:51.710 into heaven for sure now. But really, like baptism 00:12:51.710 --> 00:12:53.789 and just being a Christian is just all about 00:12:53.789 --> 00:12:58.090 Jesus's grace, about God's mercy. And it's like 00:12:58.090 --> 00:13:01.169 no matter who you are, whatever you do, like 00:13:01.169 --> 00:13:04.750 whether baptized or not, we all rely on God's 00:13:04.750 --> 00:13:07.129 grace. And we're all not good enough to get into 00:13:07.129 --> 00:13:10.919 heaven, baptized or not. I don't know if that's 00:13:10.919 --> 00:13:12.379 theologically correct. Please correct because 00:13:12.379 --> 00:13:15.279 I'm not on that. It's all by grace. Yeah. Yeah. 00:13:16.779 --> 00:13:22.710 And I think that's something that just. It's 00:13:22.710 --> 00:13:24.850 the core of the Christian journey with baptism 00:13:24.850 --> 00:13:27.889 and everything. Yeah. I remember I had this conversation 00:13:27.889 --> 00:13:30.190 with someone one time where I was like, yeah, 00:13:30.250 --> 00:13:32.169 I'm like hanging out with the Anglicans now. 00:13:32.370 --> 00:13:35.809 And like maybe I'm one of them. As one does. 00:13:36.889 --> 00:13:40.190 Yes. In my heart of hearts, I still think of 00:13:40.190 --> 00:13:42.750 myself as Baptist because like I don't know that 00:13:42.750 --> 00:13:45.190 I can like fully get on board with infant baptism 00:13:45.190 --> 00:13:48.049 because it feels like like my baptism was such 00:13:48.049 --> 00:13:50.190 a significant moment for me that like I chose 00:13:50.190 --> 00:13:51.929 that I would like would want other people. to 00:13:51.929 --> 00:13:53.649 be able to have that experience. But in this 00:13:53.649 --> 00:13:55.070 conversation that I was having with this other 00:13:55.070 --> 00:13:58.769 person, he was like, yeah, fair. Um, I chose 00:13:58.769 --> 00:14:02.789 to have my infant children baptized because baptism 00:14:02.789 --> 00:14:05.909 is about God's grace. And I want them to know 00:14:05.909 --> 00:14:09.789 that they don't have to earn it. They don't have 00:14:09.789 --> 00:14:13.149 to pick it. They don't have to like, you, you 00:14:13.149 --> 00:14:15.529 do have to like kind of opt in and be like, I 00:14:15.529 --> 00:14:17.389 do want to follow Jesus, but like God picked 00:14:17.389 --> 00:14:20.149 you first. Yeah. Right. Right. And like that 00:14:20.149 --> 00:14:22.440 I think is a really, powerful sort of symbol 00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:24.720 of like what is happening it's not like that 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:27.659 yeah so then i guess like confirmation is that 00:14:27.659 --> 00:14:31.120 moment where uh the individual at an older stage 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:35.159 can say yes i am confirming that what happened 00:14:35.159 --> 00:14:38.379 to me as a child right is is like what i want 00:14:38.379 --> 00:14:41.220 yeah yeah that is that is interesting one i know 00:14:41.220 --> 00:14:42.419 we said we weren't going to get into like all 00:14:42.419 --> 00:14:46.100 the technicalities sure deep yes but it yeah 00:14:46.100 --> 00:14:49.159 i think it's like the i think one thing people 00:14:49.159 --> 00:14:51.830 think is that like baptism is like my ticket, 00:14:51.990 --> 00:14:56.110 right? And historically, part of infant baptism, 00:14:56.269 --> 00:14:58.190 one of the arguments for it was that if the child 00:14:58.190 --> 00:15:02.850 dies, this child can't get in because the child 00:15:02.850 --> 00:15:06.210 wasn't baptized, which I don't necessarily believe 00:15:06.210 --> 00:15:09.750 in. I think God is gracious. But yeah, I think 00:15:09.750 --> 00:15:11.970 that's an interesting way to look at it, an extension 00:15:11.970 --> 00:15:16.759 and maybe even a gift. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:18.580 No, I, yeah. I, like I said, I just sort of found 00:15:18.580 --> 00:15:20.179 it interesting and like, it helped me sort of 00:15:20.179 --> 00:15:23.500 think about baptism, not just as something that 00:15:23.500 --> 00:15:26.820 I do to like prove my faith, but it's something 00:15:26.820 --> 00:15:28.879 that it's a gift. Yeah. So now you can hang out 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:32.200 with the Amalekins longer. Might stick around. 00:15:34.820 --> 00:15:38.600 I just, hearing that, I think also that kind 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:41.289 of. Feels good to hear as well, because I think 00:15:41.289 --> 00:15:42.950 that's something I struggled with, especially 00:15:42.950 --> 00:15:45.929 a couple of years ago when I came back to Christ 00:15:45.929 --> 00:15:47.950 and I was like, you know, reading the Bible more 00:15:47.950 --> 00:15:50.350 in prayer. It was like a switch just like happened. 00:15:50.610 --> 00:15:52.350 And then I started feeling like, again, like, 00:15:52.409 --> 00:15:55.149 you know, my baptism, it was invalid in some 00:15:55.149 --> 00:15:56.730 way because I was like, well, I wasn't really 00:15:56.730 --> 00:15:58.769 following Christ at the time. I wasn't reading 00:15:58.769 --> 00:16:01.470 the Bible. I didn't know. I just thought I believed 00:16:01.470 --> 00:16:10.340 in God and I would do this. was valid because 00:16:10.340 --> 00:16:13.139 even if at that moment i didn't know like that 00:16:13.139 --> 00:16:15.940 was still god choosing me that was still god's 00:16:15.940 --> 00:16:19.220 grace um and even just from that baptism to where 00:16:19.220 --> 00:16:21.539 i am now like there were so many moments and 00:16:21.539 --> 00:16:23.639 even before the baptism too where i know god 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:26.279 intervened he was like always there i can say 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:29.740 that looking back now and um yeah i i think that 00:16:29.740 --> 00:16:33.419 that's really cool yeah yeah so are there ways 00:16:33.419 --> 00:16:36.860 that you think that your faith has like changed 00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:43.480 since that moment of baptism. Um, like when I, 00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:44.919 when I think about it for myself, I think like 00:16:44.919 --> 00:16:49.299 I am a different person than I was in 2008. Um, 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:52.059 partly because like I have grown up and like 00:16:52.059 --> 00:16:54.539 had lots of different life experiences. And I 00:16:54.539 --> 00:16:58.019 don't know that I can say I'm a different person 00:16:58.019 --> 00:17:00.419 because I was baptized. Like maybe, maybe not. 00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:04.480 But I think what my moment of baptism gave me 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:07.359 was a moment where I can look back and say like, 00:17:07.609 --> 00:17:10.589 something happened there. Like I felt this like 00:17:10.589 --> 00:17:13.490 inexplicable feeling of joy and like connection 00:17:13.490 --> 00:17:18.549 to God. And so now in the, you know, past 18 00:17:18.549 --> 00:17:21.549 years or whatever it's been since 2008, I can 00:17:21.549 --> 00:17:24.910 look back and say like today, God doesn't feel 00:17:24.910 --> 00:17:28.029 real, but I know God is real because I know what 00:17:28.029 --> 00:17:31.349 I felt in 2008. And it gives me this like thing 00:17:31.349 --> 00:17:34.529 that, that sort of grounds me. Wow. That's really 00:17:34.529 --> 00:17:37.759 cool. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. For myself, like 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:43.579 Callie said, growing up past baptism, I feel 00:17:43.579 --> 00:17:45.779 like I've grown more, like questioned things, 00:17:45.900 --> 00:17:48.920 thought about things that I was taught as a child 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:52.319 in church and revisited as an adult with more 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:54.380 brain power. And it's like, man, I don't know 00:17:54.380 --> 00:17:56.640 if I totally agree with that segment or that 00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:00.240 idea that they've taught. But yeah, during or 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:02.279 at the moment of baptism, maybe right after, 00:18:02.299 --> 00:18:05.859 it was almost like, I don't know, like. maybe 00:18:05.859 --> 00:18:07.980 i didn't initially think about it but then looking 00:18:07.980 --> 00:18:09.859 back it was kind of like i took things a little 00:18:09.859 --> 00:18:13.319 bit more seriously or like my spirituality a 00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:16.539 little bit more in depth and gave it more thought 00:18:16.539 --> 00:18:19.680 so yeah i don't know but like not to say i wasn't 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:21.720 thinking about before but of course in grade 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:23.759 six grade eight like sure i don't know what a 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:26.140 kid's thinking about sure not a whole lot about 00:18:26.140 --> 00:18:29.720 god probably but what's for lunch yeah probably 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:35.730 yeah yeah yeah yeah i just i think like The one, 00:18:35.789 --> 00:18:38.990 the anchor of baptism, it's a symbol, right? 00:18:39.109 --> 00:18:42.910 And it's this moment where we accept, like, regardless 00:18:42.910 --> 00:18:47.730 of all the theological arguments and how well 00:18:47.730 --> 00:18:51.210 you can, like, say the names of the Bible in 00:18:51.210 --> 00:18:54.990 order or in its written, like, whatever. That's 00:18:54.990 --> 00:18:57.230 not the point. Like, the point is that we accept 00:18:57.230 --> 00:19:00.470 Jesus and we invite the Holy Spirit into our 00:19:00.470 --> 00:19:06.039 lives. I think that is like the anchor that makes 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:10.460 everything else that comes after possible. So, 00:19:10.539 --> 00:19:13.740 yeah, I look back and I'm like, yeah, well, did 00:19:13.740 --> 00:19:17.700 I grow? Did anything change? And I think the 00:19:17.700 --> 00:19:20.180 one thing that did change was that I made this 00:19:20.180 --> 00:19:24.859 public declaration to my friends, my family. 00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:28.380 everyone that I knew. And I also took my baptismal 00:19:28.380 --> 00:19:30.359 certificate to school to show everyone. Okay. 00:19:30.500 --> 00:19:36.200 Very cool. Yeah. So proud of myself. But yeah, 00:19:36.259 --> 00:19:40.519 all of that is like this anchor that I've accepted 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:43.859 Jesus. And I think that is, that's all we need. 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:47.039 There's, there's so much more that we can know. 00:19:47.059 --> 00:19:49.059 I think many times we equate it with spiritual 00:19:49.059 --> 00:19:51.799 maturity, which I think could be a dangerous. 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:54.099 place, like the argument could be dangerous. 00:19:54.220 --> 00:19:56.299 Like if I know all of this, or if I can recite 00:19:56.299 --> 00:19:58.660 all these scriptures, then that's the way to 00:19:58.660 --> 00:20:00.440 show that like the Holy spirit is moving in my 00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:03.160 life. Sure. And the fruit of the spirit actually 00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:05.900 has nothing to do with academic, um, pursuits 00:20:05.900 --> 00:20:09.380 or your Bible literacy. It has a lot more to 00:20:09.380 --> 00:20:13.200 do with your actions, your behaviors like that. 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:15.660 That's what we should be longing for. So I think 00:20:15.660 --> 00:20:18.480 that's why kids can kids gravitate to that. And 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:21.240 they, they hear the Holy spirit because they're 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:23.880 not, hell bent on all these other things right 00:20:23.880 --> 00:20:27.500 there they can hear the pure voice of god and 00:20:27.500 --> 00:20:31.000 and truly make sense of what is unexplainable 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:35.400 sure um yeah i'll stop rambling yeah no no that's 00:20:35.400 --> 00:20:39.299 that's awesome like yeah i think we sometimes 00:20:39.299 --> 00:20:42.359 get caught up in like i need to know all of the 00:20:42.359 --> 00:20:45.880 things in order to like take the next step but 00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:48.680 baptism is like god inviting us to take a step 00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:52.369 and in faith and trust And just be like, yeah, 00:20:52.450 --> 00:20:55.170 just like come as you are, because I picked you. 00:20:55.250 --> 00:20:59.549 You get my grace now. Yeah. I love that. I love 00:20:59.549 --> 00:21:01.910 what you said, Britt, about spiritual maturity, 00:21:01.970 --> 00:21:03.930 because like, yeah, like it really shouldn't 00:21:03.930 --> 00:21:06.369 be about spiritual maturity, because how do you 00:21:06.369 --> 00:21:08.589 know right now that you are at that place of 00:21:08.589 --> 00:21:11.210 spiritual maturity? And again, like when you're 00:21:11.210 --> 00:21:14.130 150 years old, there's going to still be. If 00:21:14.130 --> 00:21:16.089 you reach to that point. I receive it. I receive 00:21:16.089 --> 00:21:21.089 it. Thank you. Amen. But it's like no matter 00:21:21.089 --> 00:21:22.910 how old you are, there's always going to be more 00:21:22.910 --> 00:21:24.829 growth for you to do. There's more sanctification 00:21:24.829 --> 00:21:28.250 that can happen. And so then it's like, well, 00:21:28.309 --> 00:21:29.869 when are you ready? And it's like, yeah, like 00:21:29.869 --> 00:21:33.670 just come as you are. You know, God is waiting. 00:21:33.930 --> 00:21:37.920 Sure. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. For sure. Yeah, so 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:41.119 I want to circle back a little bit to what Rob 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:44.099 has sort of said, like a new family, a new identity, 00:21:44.279 --> 00:21:47.240 a new mission. Is there one of those things that 00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:50.440 feels more compelling to you or that you feel 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:54.539 like, ah, I can see how that is true in my life, 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:57.559 that as you have walked through your faith, that 00:21:57.559 --> 00:22:00.599 you feel called into a new family, a new identity, 00:22:00.839 --> 00:22:05.980 a new mission? Initial thought? Yeah. it's hard 00:22:05.980 --> 00:22:08.759 to pick between the three. Okay. Okay. So yeah. 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:11.059 Okay. Sure. Sure. Cause they're all so good, 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:14.680 but maybe like gut reaction. Yeah. I like the 00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:16.740 sound of the new family. Cause then it's like, 00:22:16.759 --> 00:22:19.519 you're getting that additional support from people 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:22.680 that maybe didn't know as much, or you're learning 00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:24.819 to know them more. Sure. And then there's that 00:22:24.819 --> 00:22:26.900 moment you have baptism where it's like, you're, 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:29.240 you're kind of being officially welcomed in, 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:32.119 you know? you should churches should always be 00:22:32.119 --> 00:22:34.160 welcoming sure but then it's just kind of like 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:37.539 this yeah this like milestone of okay you're 00:22:37.539 --> 00:22:41.240 part of this part of us now um read the benefits 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:43.559 yeah so to speak but yeah it's hard to pick between 00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:46.400 those three but sure initial gut it's always 00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:49.430 nice to have more friends, more family to help 00:22:49.430 --> 00:22:51.349 you along in life. For sure. Whatever that may 00:22:51.349 --> 00:22:54.789 be. For sure. Yeah. Yeah. It's that moment. Yeah. 00:22:54.890 --> 00:22:56.329 I think like, I like what you said that like, 00:22:56.329 --> 00:22:59.029 it's kind of an official welcoming and it's the 00:22:59.029 --> 00:23:01.730 like making promises in that, that I think like 00:23:01.730 --> 00:23:03.690 one of the things that I do really appreciate 00:23:03.690 --> 00:23:06.150 about the Anglican tradition is like priests 00:23:06.150 --> 00:23:09.170 and bishops will often talk about like our baptismal 00:23:09.170 --> 00:23:12.410 vows that like in baptism, we promise to follow 00:23:12.410 --> 00:23:14.630 Christ. We promise to reject the devil. We promise 00:23:14.630 --> 00:23:17.369 to like, work together as the body of Christ. 00:23:17.470 --> 00:23:19.970 And like, we make all of those promises. So it 00:23:19.970 --> 00:23:22.490 is kind of like a wedding. Yeah. Right. Like 00:23:22.490 --> 00:23:24.789 you make promises and you're like, I'm all in 00:23:24.789 --> 00:23:27.809 now. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. Yeah. Got married 00:23:27.809 --> 00:23:38.049 at eight. No, in 2008. Yeah. What, what about 00:23:38.049 --> 00:23:39.710 for other folks? Like when you think about like 00:23:39.710 --> 00:23:42.569 new family, new identity, new mission, what, 00:23:42.630 --> 00:23:45.599 what stands out to you and all that? Well, Again, 00:23:45.660 --> 00:23:49.019 it is hard to pick from the three, but I think 00:23:49.019 --> 00:23:50.700 maybe this is a little bit superficial, but I 00:23:50.700 --> 00:23:52.539 do think it's really cool to be like, yeah, I 00:23:52.539 --> 00:23:55.599 am baptized to be a little like I am, you know, 00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:58.440 even though it just it's not like you get like 00:23:58.440 --> 00:24:01.480 a cookie, but. You put that on your email signature. 00:24:01.700 --> 00:24:04.019 It says your name. This is baptized. It is baptized 00:24:04.019 --> 00:24:06.740 in this year. But I think it is something that 00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:09.980 there's that new identity aspect to where it's 00:24:09.980 --> 00:24:12.680 like. You know, no matter what your life looks 00:24:12.680 --> 00:24:14.599 like afterwards, maybe it's the same. Maybe some 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:18.859 things are different. It is just something you 00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:20.819 can say, like, I have been baptized and this 00:24:20.819 --> 00:24:25.000 is the decision that I've made. And as Christians, 00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:26.519 I guess we're going to mess up. Yes, there's 00:24:26.519 --> 00:24:32.019 going to be mistakes that we do. However, we 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:34.099 should show that we are Christian, that we are 00:24:34.099 --> 00:24:37.279 followers of Christ through our actions. And 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:39.970 I guess it becomes. it does become a little feels 00:24:39.970 --> 00:24:41.970 a little bit more real once you've been baptized. 00:24:42.009 --> 00:24:45.730 Cause now you're like, okay, like I want to show 00:24:45.730 --> 00:24:48.730 the world that I am a Christian. So then how 00:24:48.730 --> 00:24:50.670 am I going to act? How am I going to speak? How 00:24:50.670 --> 00:24:52.690 am I going to treat people now? Sure. And like 00:24:52.690 --> 00:24:55.349 knowing that we don't do that perfectly then 00:24:55.349 --> 00:25:00.250 all of the time. Um, but we get, we're like claimed 00:25:00.250 --> 00:25:04.640 by Christ. And so like we get. to try and when 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:08.140 we fail we get to try again yeah and yeah it's 00:25:08.140 --> 00:25:11.039 just all walking in that that direction yeah 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:16.619 yeah i guess i yeah all three are really powerful 00:25:16.619 --> 00:25:19.359 i think they work in tandem for sure one thing 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:23.480 i often tell folks is that i regardless of what 00:25:23.480 --> 00:25:28.000 church i go to i always step in as though i've 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:32.660 like Like this is my church too. Yeah. Because 00:25:32.660 --> 00:25:36.019 I am a part of, we are a part of this, this larger 00:25:36.019 --> 00:25:41.039 family. Yeah. Across denominations, across languages, 00:25:41.140 --> 00:25:44.839 like we're all a part of that. Yeah. And so like, 00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:47.099 I love that when I go to a new church and I like 00:25:47.099 --> 00:25:49.259 walk in and I'm just like sitting down and everyone's 00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:51.000 like, oh, are you a visitor? I'm like, no, I'm 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:54.390 not a visitor. I'm part of my first time in this 00:25:54.390 --> 00:26:00.430 building building, but cousin. Yeah. Yeah. But 00:26:00.430 --> 00:26:02.789 I think that's, that's one thing we can, we can 00:26:02.789 --> 00:26:05.710 be confident in and maybe we just need to flex 00:26:05.710 --> 00:26:07.970 that muscle more, like recognizing like we are, 00:26:07.970 --> 00:26:11.049 we are siblings in Christ. We are, we're not 00:26:11.049 --> 00:26:15.150 just like folks that attend the same club. At 00:26:15.150 --> 00:26:18.710 the same time, like we are actually family. Yeah. 00:26:18.849 --> 00:26:21.029 And that's something I think we should hold really 00:26:21.029 --> 00:26:24.369 dear. And then the other piece is the identity. 00:26:24.430 --> 00:26:27.269 It's like getting new clothes. Yeah. And not 00:26:27.269 --> 00:26:29.589 because you had the money to buy it, but because 00:26:29.589 --> 00:26:32.190 God gifted it to you. And you look swagalicious 00:26:32.190 --> 00:26:36.930 because God has bestowed that on you. And that 00:26:36.930 --> 00:26:39.809 should make us super confident. Um, regardless 00:26:39.809 --> 00:26:41.910 of what room I'm in, regardless of who I'm speaking 00:26:41.910 --> 00:26:44.410 with or what I'm going through, like I'm confident 00:26:44.410 --> 00:26:48.509 in Christ. Yeah. Um, yeah. So I like those two. 00:26:48.589 --> 00:26:50.970 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. I think like similarly, 00:26:51.109 --> 00:26:54.190 like those resonate with me and just this, like, 00:26:54.269 --> 00:26:56.569 I'm someone who has sort of struggled a little 00:26:56.569 --> 00:26:58.569 bit to figure out like where I fit in Christian, 00:26:58.569 --> 00:27:01.670 in the like Christianity broadly, like denominationally, 00:27:01.670 --> 00:27:04.630 like where, where do I land? And like, that's 00:27:04.630 --> 00:27:08.079 an important thing to figure out, but. My baptism, 00:27:08.180 --> 00:27:10.420 although it was in a Baptist church, is bigger 00:27:10.420 --> 00:27:12.779 than that. It's like admission into the family 00:27:12.779 --> 00:27:17.640 of God globally. And so we're all part of the 00:27:17.640 --> 00:27:20.319 club. Yeah, and that's why for communion in most 00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:24.339 churches, once someone identifies as a Christian 00:27:24.339 --> 00:27:26.579 and has been baptized, they're welcome to that 00:27:26.579 --> 00:27:31.059 table. Denominations forget that. The table is 00:27:31.059 --> 00:27:33.500 for Christ's followers and for folks that are 00:27:33.500 --> 00:27:35.960 part of the family of God. So that's an open 00:27:35.960 --> 00:27:39.400 invitation to us. So yeah, like the denominational 00:27:39.400 --> 00:27:41.700 part. Yeah, totally. I was in my vows. My vows 00:27:41.700 --> 00:27:43.740 were definitely denominational heavy, but sure. 00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:46.920 But God be praised because baptism is the work 00:27:46.920 --> 00:27:49.599 of the Holy Spirit. Yeah. That has no bounds. 00:27:49.740 --> 00:27:53.180 For sure. For sure. Yeah. And then just to sort 00:27:53.180 --> 00:27:55.359 of bring the pieces together, like all of that, 00:27:55.400 --> 00:27:57.460 having a new family, having a new identity, I 00:27:57.460 --> 00:27:59.859 think allows us to live into our new mission. 00:28:00.039 --> 00:28:02.910 Like this is a calling that God gives us. that 00:28:02.910 --> 00:28:06.289 God gives to us in our new identity. I have a 00:28:06.289 --> 00:28:09.369 new calling, a new mission, but I do that in 00:28:09.369 --> 00:28:11.130 community with other people who are like all 00:28:11.130 --> 00:28:13.849 doing that together. And I think that's beautiful. 00:28:14.269 --> 00:28:16.910 That's great. That's a great tie in. Yeah. Yeah. 00:28:17.190 --> 00:28:19.890 Yeah. Well, thank you so much, folks. This has 00:28:19.890 --> 00:28:22.569 been really helpful, I think, to unpack like 00:28:22.569 --> 00:28:25.910 what baptism has looked like for each of us, 00:28:25.950 --> 00:28:28.450 but more specifically what it means, right? That 00:28:28.450 --> 00:28:31.309 it is, it can feel like a really daunting decision 00:28:31.309 --> 00:28:34.900 to make. Um, but it's not something that we do 00:28:34.900 --> 00:28:37.200 in our own strength and it's not something that 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:40.660 we do because we're trying to like earn a thing. 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:43.200 It's, it's that moment of accepting God's grace 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:47.079 and of, yeah, joining in this family in a like 00:28:47.079 --> 00:28:51.480 real tangible way. And that's lovely, I think. 00:28:51.579 --> 00:28:54.319 Yeah. So thank you all for chatting with me today. 00:28:54.660 --> 00:28:57.880 And thank you for tuning in to this week's episode 00:28:57.880 --> 00:29:00.720 of Trinity Talks. I hope that through this conversation, 00:29:00.920 --> 00:29:02.900 you have also been encouraged, whether you are 00:29:02.900 --> 00:29:05.680 part of the baptized family of Christ or not. 00:29:05.859 --> 00:29:09.299 I hope that you are able to sort of see yourself 00:29:09.299 --> 00:29:12.400 in this group, that you are able to see how God 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:15.220 is calling you to take whatever next step is 00:29:15.220 --> 00:29:18.210 before you to be. closer and closer with Christ 00:29:18.210 --> 00:29:21.130 and closer and closer with this beautifully diverse 00:29:21.130 --> 00:29:23.829 family of God. And we will see you again next 00:29:23.829 --> 00:29:24.029 week.