Lake Deaton at Home

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Witness: Sam Shipley

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17 

Weekly Theme: Peace

The church I grew up in and attended to the age of 38 was a Disciples of Christ church in my hometown of Ravenna.  Disciples of Christ believe that the age of consent is 12, and you must be this age before you can be baptized. 

I knew that I wanted to be baptized long before the age of 12 but had to wait until I reached that age before making my decision.  

The pastor asks our 6^th-grade students if they want to be baptized and if they say yes, you attend bible study classes every Saturday morning for 2 hours.  For a kid of 12, giving up 2 hours of my Saturday is a big deal, but I was committed to completing the classes to be baptized.  

Our church had a tradition of baptisms for the 6^th graders on Maundy Thursday, the day of the Last Supper and the first communion that Jesus served.  After being baptized, a small service is held, and the first communion is given to those baptized.  

Taking your first communion is a moving experience; you are partaking of the Lord’s Supper for the first time, something you have witnessed numerous times. This is the first adult thing you have done or are doing for most of us, so it marks the beginning of your transition from childhood to adulthood.

Baptism and first communion for the 6^th graders were held on Maundy Thursday, but my parents didn’t want to go to the service.  I asked if I could ride my bike to church, but my parents would not let me go since it was dark outside. 

I was looking forward to my first communion. I was very disappointed that I would not be there to witness my fellow 6^th graders getting baptized and taking their first communion, and they would not witness my baptism.  

I rode my bike to the church on Saturday morning to get baptized, and since it was just the pastor and me, I didn’t think the baptism would have the same meaning.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  On my ride back home, I felt like a different person, and when to this day, whenever I read from the Bible, the memory of my baptism comes to the front of my mind.   

Over the years, I have come to understand how special my baptism was.  I didn’t have my fellow students to be my witness, but I know I had God as my witness.

Daily Prayer:  I don’t have a specific prayer; I pray each day.  When I pray, I give thanks for God’s love and ask God to comfort those in need.

Discussion/Reflection Questions:

1. Do you have a memory of an event or special time that changed how you viewed your faith
2. If you have a memory of how did it change your faith
3. Do you think the way my baptism occurred was God’s plan