Baptism and Renewal of Baptismal Vows by Immersion on the Day of Pentecost, May 19, 2024.
I clearly remember my own baptism in a northern Alberta lake when I was 12 years old. My baptism forever changed me. Going into the water of the lake with the waves gently rocking me was a very tactile experience. Of course, I had been in lakes and rivers before. But this time it wasn’t for play. And it wasn’t like being in the bathtub or a pool for that matter. This water wasn’t tame, warm, and sanitized. It was wild, cold, and filled with life. I knew I was crossing a boundary. A before and after moment. I had been well prepared for this event. I had learned about repentance and turning away from the things of this world and turning to God. I had learned about the symbolism of death and rebirth. I was going to go down into that water and come up a new creation; dying to self and being reborn into the abundant life Christ had promised me. When I went down into that living water, I felt myself surrender to God. When I came back up, the water flowing off me felt like it was rinsing off my old life, my sins, my ego, my disappointments, my shame. There was this indescribable joy and peace which enveloped me.
St. Mary’s is having a baptism by immersion on the Day of Pentecost, May 19, 2024. We have one confirmed candidate, Joel Kroeker. We welcome anyone else who wishes to be baptised on this day. As is usual during any baptism, there will be an opportunity to renew your baptismal vows if you have already been baptised. What is unusual is that we have permission from Bishop Anna to do the renewal of baptismal vows by immersion for those who wish to! If you are interested in finding out more about this, please join us for what promises to be a lively conversation on baptism, how and why we do it, and what it means on the following dates:
- Sunday April 14: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm in person at St. Mary’s
- Monday April 22: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Zoom
- Sunday May 5: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm in person at St. Mary’s (following the celebration of Deacon Wally's retirement.)
- Sunday May 12: 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Zoom
Zoom link: https://tcd-ie.zoom.us/j/99585253530?pwd=dDYzSWZUdW9wUWxQQVFzRlk3emxVZz09