I cannot believe it is June already. JUNE! This year has just flown by... some of it, at least. There were times when I thought I would rather be dead than doing what I was doing, but God caused me to press on (and no, I was not suicidal at all, I'm being a bit facetious.)

See "Finding Nemo." It's adorable... something is wrong with me today, because I cried... but, gosh, do they have to make them to tug your heartstrings so effectively!? Dumb mothering instinct.

I know people read this...so... if you are reading this and you have a spare cozy farmhouse with a couple acres that you're looking to get rid of, I'm accepting donations at this time. My family came up to visit this weekend, and we spent some of today (lost) in a little town where I go to church, and we were looking for a pizza place for lunch... and drove through some of the most amazing places. Wouldn't a farm be fun? I want goats. And a vegetable garden so I can have fresh fruit for my family in the summer and home-canned food in the winter. Is it weird that I want to be so domestic? I hope not. If it is... I'll just settle with being weird. :)

The sermon this morning was about baptism... and it caused me to start thinking about infant baptism and all the issues surrounding it. I need to plunk out some ideas before I go spend some with the Lord, before I lose them.

I learned this morning that when Jesus commanded the disciples to baptize the nations in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that the word "in" indicates a transfer of position. I have always thought that it merely meant that the disciples were acting "in" God's behalf, if that makes sense, but that is not so. Baptism is much more than I ever realized: it is not just a public declaration of faith in the Lord (though that may be included!)... it is something more, something bigger than my mind can grasp yet. I know it has to do with grace and faith, but I am not fully grabbing a hold of the huge concepts being laid before me.
The one concept that DID occur to me, and one that I haven't fully grasped yet either relates baptism and circumcision: two things I don't know if I'd ever put together in my mind before, or if I have, not so fully. Um... I am kicking around the idea that maybe baptism is the new "form" of circumcision, and this idea not of my own head, but inspired by a verse from Colossians: "...not with a circumcisoin done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith..." (2:11-12)
I don't want to imply that it is mystical and unable to be known, because I do not know (nor do I think) that that is the case. But it is food for thought (for my brain at least.)

IF that is so, if baptism parallels OT circumcision, then it might be an interesting study to follow up on how that supports infant baptism. I don't know. hmm... just some ramblings, it is obviously late here.

~Sarah~