Before we get to Elizabeth's thought-provoking article and lovely baptismal hymn, I want to say thank you for the privilege of being Christ and Creativity Editor these 2+ years. This month I have decided to move on to other writing adventures, but I am so grateful for the chance to be inspired, challenged and nourished by all of the art, poetry, knitting, photography, etc. that you have shared with me and with the world through this column. Keep on creating! --MaryAnn McKibben Dana
So many times I have been the one asking the questions –
“Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple, obeying his Word and showing his
love?” or “Do you promise, through prayer and example, to support and encourage
this child to be a faithful Christian?” and yet this time, I was the one
answering them. Suddenly, I felt a
little unsure – would I make a mistake and answer a “Will you?” question with
an “I do” answer? I didn’t know
where to stand, and I felt underdressed without my robe.
I found myself wanting to say the words along with the
minister, but it wasn’t my place.
This was the first baptism I have attended where I was a sponsor, not a
congregation member or the minister.
Sponsor seems like such a generic term – used loosely to describe
everything from a restaurant owner who provides t-shirts for a softball team to
someone who promises to teach a child about the faith. I like to think of myself as Jackie’s
fairy godmother and honorary auntie instead. I see my role as sponsor as someone who will love and
encourage her, pray for her, teach her about God, and help her pick the perfect
pair of shoes for any occasion.
I have to admit that from the time this baptism was
scheduled, I was secretly hoping that my best friend Jill and her husband Jeff
would ask me to be Jackie’s sponsor.
And to my great joy, they did.
So last November, I stood at the front of their church with them and
watched as Jackie was baptized as a child of the covenant.
A few weeks ago, after reflecting on this experience, I began to write a hymn. I’ve noticed over the years that there is a shortage of baptism hymns, at least in the hymnal that my church uses. I wanted to capture the beauty of that moment, the holiness of it. And so I wrote. Most times, when I write a hymn, the words come quickly. Fully formed phrases find their way onto the page. But not this time. For several days, I wrestled with the words – often waking in the middle of the night to scrawl the lyrics on a piece of paper next to my bed.
What follows is a labor of love, as I try to express what this baptism meant to me. I know that I stood that November morning in the same place where many other mothers, fathers, and sponsors have stood, over the years, feeling awkward and uncertain, and yet knowing full well that something holy was taking place before my very eyes.
Comments
Melissa writes:
LOVE IT!
—February 23, 2010 at 09:10 PM
Sarah Erickson writes:
really like this hymn - thanks for sharing it
—February 24, 2010 at 10:39 PM
Just a goober writes:
Very beautiful, my very first time on this site. Elizabeth, you have turned into someone wonderful as I always thought you would. I'm an old friend of yours, it's been years since we've had any contact. Contact me if you'd like. g4ntino@gmail.com
—November 26, 2011 at 02:26 PM