³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”  ³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 2:37-38 [NIV]

Every once in a while I get asked—usually by someone who eagerly desires to be baptized, but who is terrified of recording their video story or getting wet in front of hundreds of people—why we have to do baptisms so publically. "If were you to come to my home," they say, "And baptize me in the privacy of my bathtub [or my pool], just in front of my family, I'd be in!"

However, baptism has always been a public ceremony, not a private one. Something to do in the public view, never a mere moment of private spirituality. And there are lots of good reasons for this. Here are four:

• Choosing to follow Jesus is a decision with public implications, something you will forever do in front of others. The public declaration of baptism is merely the launching off point of following him in public. It puts the world on notice.
• Choosing to follow Jesus is something we do together, not individually. Faith in Jesus Christ is a personal matter, but not a private one. When you choose to declare your faith in Jesus, you are simultaneously declaring that you are part of the "Us".
• Choosing to follow Jesus is something that has the power to inspire others. I love it whenever I hear someone tell me that it was a baptism story, and NOT a sermon, that ultimately convinced them to give Jesus their life. That's the power of God's story in us.
• Choosing to follow Jesus is something that has the power to motivate others. Whenever we hear the stories of what God is doing in others, it gives us the chance to refocus our lives on being used by God to do similar things in the "others" that we know.

I could probably go on. The point is that if you've decided to devote your life to Jesus, as your Forgiver, Leader, and Source of Life, but have been too nervous to declare that faith through baptism, I'd strongly urge you to consider doing so in our next baptism service on June 3, 2012.

If you are at all interested in baptism, please visit our baptism page and download the relevant materials to start your way on that journey. Please be sure to leave your contact info if you'd like us to contact you to walk you through the process. Or, drop us a line at baptism@southridge.cc.