My sister-in-law, Maggie Smith Shumaker, has written three other guest blogs. For today's blog, I asked her to tell the story of her own baptism. For those of us born and raised in the Oregon City FOC group, the decision to be baptized is not an easy one. Please read on to understand the emotional and spiritual struggle that is typical of those who have left this group with so many unanswered questions.
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I think the first conversation I can recollect about
baptism with an adult was my mom telling me there would be a way made for us
younger ones that were not baptized. I think I was 11 or 12 because I was given
a thin black King James New Testament and I had been reading it at night in
bed. All this reading about baptism, and I didn't understand why or how or when
someone would get baptized.
We sang songs at church about being washed in the
blood of the lamb, so I thought baptism would wash me clean. I needed to be
cleaned from all the lies I told and how mean I was to my friends. We sang about gathering at the river, and I
dreaded having to go into a river in my church clothes. I was told about a
"tank" in a storage room where we played as kids. I couldn't see it,
but I'd heard people talk about it. That's where the preacher had baptized
other people. But no one used it anymore. No one was allowed to baptize anyone
else. I was scared to think about having to go into that tank.
The next conversation I can remember was with a
friend's mother, at her house, in her dining room. Not sure of the age, I
believe I was driving age, but could have been about 14. I'm not sure what happened
to spark the topic, but she assured my friend and I that we could possibly be
baptized in the rain. God could do anything, and with His power, the rain would
make us clean. I asked, "So, we
could be baptized and not even know it?" she assured me, God had that
power. I didn't doubt that power, I knew He was powerful and I was scared to
death of Him coming back at the end of time.
In 1993, I started a relationship with my best
friend. He talked about baptism, wanting to be baptized so badly. I hadn't
thought about it much just that I knew I should be. There was no way to be
baptized in our church. My companion prayed for it daily. He prayed for a
preacher to baptize him. So, I joined him in praying. We were married and then
had two children.
Within a few years, I believed the same as my
companion. I earnestly wanted to be baptized. There wasn't a way for us in the
church we attended to be baptized. If Jesus were baptized, then I should be
too. If He didn't care if people were baptized, He wouldn't have instructed
them to do so.
He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And
these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if
they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on
the sick, and they shall recover.
Mark
16:16-18
In 1999,
this led us in our search for a church. We left in search of the
"right church" with someone that that could baptize us. We went all
of 750 miles away to a place called Idaho Falls for my husband's job. We
searched for churches that believed in full submersion baptism, like they did
in the Bible.
"Let's go there." I said, as we drove past
Gethsemane Baptist. "They believe we need to be baptized." I added.
We attended Gethsemane for several months, but the
preacher there would not baptize me. I was supposed to be born again, saved,
and knew for sure I was going to heaven BEFORE he would allow me to be
baptized. We couldn't take part in the Lord's Supper until we were baptized. “Well,
I'll never believe that...no one can know that they're going to Heaven for
sure." I'm doomed! The more I heard
of it, the more I believed that I was saved. Jesus actually died on the cross
to pay for the sins of everyone on the planet, so that meant me! I prayed with
a lady at church, told my husband, "I believe I'm saved, and I don't care
what you think." Wow...what a Godly example! It took me awhile to believe this for real,
as I still couldn't believe that would keep me out of hell, and promise me
eternity in Heaven. We kept attending until we found something more along the
lines of our beliefs.
A few months later, and a much longer story, we
started attending Followers of Christ in Marsing, ID. By March 2001, after my
husband had been baptized there, I knew this was where I was going to be
baptized.
It wasn't a hot day, but warm and sunny. Church was
warm, but again, I was eight months pregnant with my daughter. The last song
was called, and we all stood, I was filled with excitement that if they were
going to ask for people to give their hearts to Jesus, I would be one of them.
I wanted to live for Jesus for the rest of my life, and by living for Jesus, it
meant I get to be baptized. Something I'd wanted for about eight years. The
time had come, they gave the invitation to give them your hand, and give your
heart to Jesus Christ. I smiled at my husband, and he patted my back. I walked
up to the pulpit, after about two or three had already gone up. I stood up
there, shaking, crying, so elated that I was going to get to be baptized, and
have the pureness of what my husband had.
I believe, if I remember correctly, there were 13
baptized that afternoon. It was a beautiful day. We lined up around the water
at a couple's house that had lots of property. It was private, and a natural
spring, that didn't freeze over in the winter. Everyone sang a song, and
watched as each person walked into the water, and was baptized by the preacher
that dunked them under and rose them up again. Then, it was my turn. I was very
seriously praying that God would help me feel "something". I wasn't
sure what it would feel like, but I wanted some feeling.
As I stood there, chilled by the cool water, up to
my chest, I bowed my head as the preacher prayed. I kept praying for God to let
me feel something. I think I was more concerned about "feeling"
something than anything. I don't know why.
I can't remember the exact words, since I was praying in my head, but
the preacher said something like "Sister Maggie, I baptize you in the name
of the father, the son, and the holy ghost." (I think)
As I went down under the water, with my eyes closed,
and brought back up, I saw a brightness. It was like I could see the sky but
couldn't make anything out but light. Then, I was upright again, and so happy.
I went to meet my husband at the shore and he wrapped me in a blanket.
There were more that day, and when everyone that
wanted to be baptized was done, there was meeting more people,
"greeting" them, as they came to greet me with a holy kiss. Now I was
baptized, and COULD greet people that were also baptized.
After we left the property where the baptisms were,
we went back to my cousin's for a potluck. Then, later that evening, we went
back to the church for the Lord's Supper and foot washing. As tradition, every
time there is baptism, there is a meeting with the supper and foot washing. I'd
experienced this when my husband was baptized. It was beautiful and I wanted to
partake of it so badly, but when he was baptized, I was not. I couldn't join.
All I could do was sing the songs they called out as the feet were being
washed.
Before the supper and foot washing, they had all
that were baptized that day sit up on the pulpit. There was the laying on of
hands to do before we could move forward. The giving of the Holy Spirit. As
both preachers approached me, and put their hands on my head, I closed my eyes
as they prayed. I just prayed for a "feeling". I wanted to feel like
I'd been struck by the hand of God himself as that Holy Spirit went into me and
lived inside me.
We all sat back down, and put our coats on. John 13:4: “He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took
a towel, and girded himself.” If He laid aside
His garment, He had taken something off. We used coats to signify a garment.
So, the
preachers stood on the pulpit and blessed the bread that symbolized Jesus body.
They broke the big pieces of bread that had been made earlier that afternoon
and placed the pieces on a tray.
They
blessed the wine after pouring it in a large stein. The Elders passed a tray of unleavened bread
and we took a piece and ate it. Then came a large stein of wine. We took a sip
and passed it on to the next person. After we took the supper, we removed our
coat.
When
everyone had partaken of the Lord's Supper, the woman gathered at the front of
the building, and the men at the back of the building, as in line to have their
feet washed.
After that he
poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe
them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
John 13:5
Each
woman, (where I was sitting and could see) would wrap a towel around themselves
and drape part of it over their shoulder. One woman sitting on a bench, and one
kneeled down by the pan of water. The woman kneeled would wash the feet of the
woman sitting, then dry her feet with the towel. They'd both stand, greet one
another, and then gird the woman that just got her feet washed with the towel,
and the process would repeat until all the women had partaken of the foot
washing. Sometimes, women would have to have their feet washed twice, so
another could wash feet.
When the
foot washing was over, service ended with a song and a prayer and we all
dispersed at about 11:30 pm or later. This was about a 6 hour meeting.
It
wasn't too much after this that we moved from Idaho Falls, to Nampa, ID and
regularly attended this church. Nine months after moving to a place I'd thought
I'd live the rest of my life, my husband moved us to WA for his job. I thought
this was the end of my world, it was not a good move for me....I thought.
Little
did I know, moving away from there at that time, was probably the best thing for
our family's life. I believe that Jesus Christ exists outside of Marsing, ID.
Something I had started to forget living in Nampa. There are believers in Christ all over this
world, and I was put on a street with one of the most faithful followers of
them all. She invited me to her women's
group, learning the scripture of Titus 2. Wow...women teaching other women how
to love their husband and children! This is totally what I need right now!
News of
this did not go over well with some women in ID. But, I believed it was making
me a better wife, and mother, and it was biblical. Some called these women
"unbelievers" saying I was being unequally yoked. They hadn't met
these women, how did they know? They looked the same as the women in ID. Long
hair, wore dresses exclusively, made their own bread and clothes soap...I was
saddened by their false accusations of them being unbelievers. I'd never seen a
woman's bible so worn than in this small group of devoted followers of Christ!
Since
then, my views of baptism have changed, and are more aligned to the Word of
God. I no longer believe that it washes away your sins. Just as I was told in
Idaho Falls, by the pastor at Gethsemane Baptist, it doesn't even clean between
your toes. I do not believe one has to
be baptized by a certain man in a certain church. I do not believe that if one
is baptized it entitles them to special privileges that un-baptized people are
not privy to. I would encourage any believer to be baptized, as Jesus did, but
if you die knowing He forgives you of your sins, and you follow him closely, do
not fear that you will be burning in Hell for eternity. God does not work that
way.
Forgiveness
of sin is accepting Jesus as the one and only sacrifice for the sins of the
world and allowing Him to dwell in your heart, with His power, gifting you with
the Holy Spirit that "saves" you from being a sinner, from the
darkness of the world, having your name written in the book of life, forever in
the palm of His hand, that nothing can pluck you from.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto
them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand. My
Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck
them out of my Father's hand.
John 10:27-29
"Thank
you Lord, for opening our eyes to the truth of your word, and instilling it in
our hearts to never be swayed again. In Jesus name"
