CONTEMPLATING AND CELEBRATING

In my mind, communion is for contemplating and baptism is for celebrating. And this year, I had reason to do both: think and party. I've been contemplating this day for quite some time. The day when one of my sons would choose to follow Jesus personally and obey the call for baptism. Last Sunday those contemplations turned to celebrations.

TJ asked me this summer if he could get baptized. He'd decided a while back to be a follower of Jesus. But now he wanted to put some specific sacramental action steps to it. So we prayed about it and read and talked through some Scripture and made sure he understood what he was doing and that he truly owned this decision. Then we decided to celebrate it together.

So on Sunday both sets of grandparents arrived with us to San Diego Bay to join our church for a baptism party/ceremony/celebration.

It was one of those days when I tried to burn the image in my brain. I tried to pray really intentionally. I tried to love more deeply and soak it all in that day- fully aware that what I was doing was a once in a lifetime experience. Baptizing TJ was one of the greatest joys of fatherhood to date. Now I'm praying for a triple repeat performance with Tyler and Jake.

Here's the photo (thanks for taking some pics Jim!) in case you were not there to eye witness it: