Dying to Self

John, Travis, and IToday, I got the oppor­tu­nity to get bap­tized. I had desired to get bap­tized at a very spe­cific place in Glen Helen (Yel­low Springs). John McClure was back for the week, and we were finally able to work our sched­ules together (we had been try­ing for months). I was excited that Travis Kavanaugh also decided to join me. Travis and I were John’s first bap­tisms. It will be the first of many for him.

We took the walk down into Glen Helen, up a hill, past the Yel­low Spring, and we finally reached the river. It had a back­drop of a water­fall, and it had a small bap­tismal pool that I had my eye on for a long time. It was the per­fect depth for the bap­tism. Although, some­thing hap­pened that none of us were expect­ing. As I walked down the trail to the river, I dis­cov­ered that there was a man and woman naked under­neath the water­fall. I was so taken a back I didn’t know what to do. We went back up the hill, and I yelled to them to ask when they would be done. They took their jolly time in walk­ing up the river to their clothes, and then they left. I guess that is just a risk you take when you bap­tize out­doors (although it shouldn’t be).

After that fiasco (and noth­ing was keep­ing me from get­ting bap­tized) John, Travis, and I moved into the river. We prayed before­hand, and then John bap­tized me then Travis. It was glo­ri­ous! I got bap­tized with all of my clothes on, because I got con­victed at the last moment to go in that way. I fig­ured (1) if bap­tism is a sign of dying to Christ then I should not take spe­cial cir­cum­stances to illus­trate it through bap­tism (that being the chang­ing of clothes, because I should do it every­day), and (2) I fig­ured Jesus didn’t change into a swim­ming suit before going into the river (cf. the Ethiopian eunuch).

Any­way, it’s finally been done; and I’m glad because I felt very dis­obe­di­ent. Now those Church of Christ peo­ple can stop both­er­ing me with their pro­pa­ganda say­ing I haven’t been saved yet (sorry, I couldn’t resist). I thank of all the peo­ple who came: Gwen, Melissa, Perry, Susie, Nick, Feli­cia, Kelly, and Andy. It was such an encour­age­ment. And of course, I have pic­tures (thanks to Susie).