As yesterday was turning into Sunday evening, a friend who worked with me some years ago as an Associate Pastor sent me a note about his worship service on Baptism of the Lord Sunday. When I was preaching, it was always one of my favorite days of worship. His sharing with me sent me to remembering something Wendell Berry wrote in ""Jayber Crow." After Jayber left his barbershop and home in town for life in a fishing cabin on the river, he speaks of an evening ritual. It has become one of my favorite descriptions of baptism.
"I wait until all the work of the day is done, supper finished, and the dishes put away. And then I take clean clothes, soap, and a towel and go down to the water. I lay the clean clothes and the towel on the bow of the boat and strip off my sweaty things. Carrying the soap, I wade out until the water is up to my chin. I soap my head and face. As I wade back toward the shore, I soap the rest of my body as it emerges. I sit on the gunnel of the boat and soap my feet. Then I put down the soap, stand up, and take two steps, dive, and swim down into the dark limit of my breath. When I wade out again, I am cool and clean, delighted as a risen soul."
Neither the author or the character he created calls this a moment of baptism, but every time I read these words, I am taken to those moments when the water works its power upon the broken sin ridden soul. It has done its work on me and maybe you as well. Actually, the water has no power, but simply brings to mind that working on the repentant heart which is done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Ah, but what an image. This image of taking off and putting on, of washing until clean, and then being overwhelmed by the deep water speaks powerfully to this soul on his journey home.
"I wait until all the work of the day is done, supper finished, and the dishes put away. And then I take clean clothes, soap, and a towel and go down to the water. I lay the clean clothes and the towel on the bow of the boat and strip off my sweaty things. Carrying the soap, I wade out until the water is up to my chin. I soap my head and face. As I wade back toward the shore, I soap the rest of my body as it emerges. I sit on the gunnel of the boat and soap my feet. Then I put down the soap, stand up, and take two steps, dive, and swim down into the dark limit of my breath. When I wade out again, I am cool and clean, delighted as a risen soul."
Neither the author or the character he created calls this a moment of baptism, but every time I read these words, I am taken to those moments when the water works its power upon the broken sin ridden soul. It has done its work on me and maybe you as well. Actually, the water has no power, but simply brings to mind that working on the repentant heart which is done by the power of the Holy Spirit. Ah, but what an image. This image of taking off and putting on, of washing until clean, and then being overwhelmed by the deep water speaks powerfully to this soul on his journey home.
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