Christien,

I’m sorry to hear that you were put off by a comment at church, and that that incident seems to have tainted the rest of the evening for you. I’m sure the comment was just made as a joke, but it’s a good reminder that words aren’t always received in the tone in which they are sent. Thanks for that.

You have some good questions – I wish you’d brought them up at the time, but I’m happy to address them now.

In your video you confess to not having read all of the bible, then immediately make an assumption about what you think it teaches regarding baptism. I do know that you’ve read Matthew, and if you go back to Matthew 3 you’ll read that “Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan” were going to John the Baptist to be baptized by him. This is clearly describing large crowds over an extended period of time, as first word of John would have to spread through the region then people would travel for days to come and hear him teach. (see Mark 1 and Luke 3:7 “crowds”) John assembled great crowds that later began to shift to Jesus. (Luke 3:15)

The very essence of baptism is that it is a public declaration of unity with Jesus. It is to be done as a testimony to the world of one’s faith in Christ.

I also want to address an important misunderstanding (one that is a distinction from the Catholic tradition) regarding salvation and baptism. You rightly stated at the beginning of your video that it is necessary to understand and believe before baptism. However, it is not the baptism that saves – baptism is a declaration that you have been saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Being baptized is a command of Jesus to be obeyed, but it is one that follows salvation – it does not bring about salvation. Waiting a month or so to group 2-3 people into one baptism service does not put anyone’s soul at peril.

Now, to your question of “boycotting” church because of an offhand comment… I’m really not sure what to say about that. Part of me wants to tell you to not be petty about one misunderstanding. Another part wants to question whether you can really boycott something that you only attend a few times a year. In the end, though, here’s the root of the issue: we have a common problem called sin. As our kids can tell you, sin’s job is to separate – it separated mankind from God, and it leads to physical death (separation of soul and body), and it separates people.

Two sinners talking can be like two broken phones. I think most people can identify with that feeling that even amongst your closest friends or loved ones there is a disconnect where we’re not always sure the other person really “gets us”. Love draws us closer, and we rejoice in those moments when we feel a connection with someone else. Our God is a God of unity, expressed first and foremost within the trinity of Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and further in Christ and His church, the unity of believers within the church, and the unity within a godly marriage.

Even Christians still have that sinful nature that corrupts our relationships and our understanding. When a harsh word or a misunderstanding causes hurt we are left with the choice to forgive (as Jesus has forgiven us), or to hold on to our pride and let the wound fester. I encourage you to pray for the strength to forgive, and even to approach the person in question and make them aware of the hurt so that they have opportunity to seek forgiveness.

If we take the stance of boycotting every place where someone says something offensive, we will quickly find ourselves living alone in caves. Instead, let this be a reminder of the sinful state into which we are born – and of the corresponding grace made available through Christ who freely died in our place. Choose to forgive, come to church, learn of the Jesus who is willing to forgive you EVERY harsh word, EVERY offense, EVERY sin you have ever committed or will commit.