Washed

By Rowan Wyatt

At this time of Lent one is thinking of the preparation of the return of the living Christ, the Messiah, the Holy Son of God. We think about our own preparations at this time with prayer and searching thought, looking to that Easter day at the end of the Lenten period.

On the journey of life as a Christian one of the preparations we make is following the sacrament of Baptism, dying to ourselves, being ‘buried’ and then passing up through the cleansing waters to be a new creation in Christ. So with that thought of dying and being ‘born-again’ (John 3:3), we see that preparation for baptism and preparation for Lent are very similar indeed.

Before I moved to Tunbridge Wells I lived in a small village and every Easter Sunday we would head out of the church building at sunrise to pray and worship as the sun rose. We would stand by the shores of the vast lake and wait for the sun to peep over the tree tops on the horizon. As it did the waters of the lake would burn with a vibrant orange gold colour and we would all cheer and pray aloud creating a wonderfully blessed atmosphere and a very poignant moment. We all used to look at the water and think of Jesus passing through the waters on his Baptism and how we had followed him.

My own tale of baptismal preparation is an example of how NOT to do it. I wasn’t ready. I really wasn’t ready! I had only been a Christian for a few weeks and knew nothing of faith, knew nothing at all of what Baptism meant. My church had no classes and were so keen for this rare event, in their church, of baptizing a new believer that I was fast tracked through it, having little idea what was going on. Whilst I don’t doubt God was present during my baptism I don’t feel I was truly baptized, that lack of preparation and ignorance of what I was doing I feel robbed me of the kind of baptismal experience others would later relate to me. I still feel that my ill prepared baptism requires a conclusion so I am going to seek to renew my Baptismal vows at my church, then I will feel I have truly died with Christ and rose again, a new creation.

I feel Lent is just the right time to begin considering Baptism if you so far have not passed through the waters. The preparation runs parallel to the Lenten period leading up to that Easter day where we celebrate the risen Christ. The two run in tandem and I hope to have the chance to renew my Baptismal vows around Easter time.

Buried in Water                                By R.R. Wyatt

From the Jordan banks you stepped

Through the growing crowd gathered

And the flowing clear water glistened joyfully

As your foot first entered in.

There standing open mouthed, waist deep

The Baptist cousin waits and watches

You wade confidently in to the swirling coolness

Of the bubbling blessing waters.

There in the sky a white speck descends

Outlined against the sun soars a dove

Majestically angelic as from where it came

A spirit holy proffers benediction.

Plunged deep under into the depths

Fulfilling all righteousness, you rose

Dripping diamonds into the rivers riches

And settling softly on you, the dove.

And to the sound of applause my eyes open

Dripping water, hair plastered to skin

My clothes a tightened sodden shroud

I died along with you in that blessed water.

© Rowan Robert Wyatt 2015