Stephanie was one of my managers.  Many a midnight she and I would be the last two people in the restaurant.  I would be rolling silverware as she had her last smoke of the night.  We would talk about God, healing, angels and demons.  One day she gave her heart to Jesus.  Elated, I proceeded to encourage her to come to the church where I was attending.  She never came and I assumed it was some kind of “rebellion” in her heart. The idea of starting a church around her never even crossed my mind.  I never thought about how scary it might have seemed to Stephanie to leave her own friends to integrate herself into “my” church.

Then one day she said, “hey, I wanna get baptized; couldn’t we just do it in my sink?”  I enthusiastically promised her that my pastor would baptize her if she came to church. I could tell she was disappointed but I was convinced I had done the right thing.  She needed to submit to the authority of the church before she could get baptized, right?!  Besides, well-meaning leaders would deem me as being very presumptuous if I went so far as to baptize her myself, in a sink nonetheless!  Who was I to do such a thing?  That is the job of pastors and trained clergy, wasn’t it?

Shortly after our conversation about baptism I left Applebees.  We kept in touch for awhile but then Stephanie moved and changed phone numbers so we lost touch.

I’m heartbroken that I allowed that opportunity to pass by. I know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him, but I hope to never make that mistake again.   Perhaps my story can keep others from making similar mistakes.

Stephanie, wherever you are, tearfully I want to say that if you still have a desire to get baptized, I would love to baptize you in your sink.

Christians who are not clergy are often times instructed by the church to disobey Jesus when they are not allowed to baptize their disciples. The practice of baptism is not something Christ gave to the “clergy,” church organization or institutions, but to all disciples. One of the sayings in our own church-planting movement is: “The Bible doesn’t command us to be baptized but to be baptizers” (Matt. 28:19–20).

There is absolutely no biblical support for the idea that only the clergy in the local church can baptize. Though our traditions and experience may reinforce such standards, the Bible does not. In fact, it is my opinion that the Bible is slanted in the other direction. Those who are seen to be the leaders in the New Testament are often not the ones who are doing the baptizing but instead their disciples are. It specifically states that during Jesus’ baptizing he wasn’t actually the one doing the baptizing but his disciples were. Paul states that he is glad he only baptized a few in Corinth.

It is amazing how much damage the simple idea of baptizing another has caused through church history. People have been killed, cults have been initiated, denominations started and split, heretics burned at the stake, and parachurch organizations have been formed—all because we view baptism in a strange, unbiblical fashion. If we would only read the Bible and take it for what it says literally, rather than defend our “sacred” traditions, the church would be healthier.

We have created spiritual boundaries to manage spiritual practices, but these boundaries are not in the Bible. When false boundaries begin to take on a biblical sense of authority, they are quite insidious. We accept them as truth and even rise to defend them as though they come from the Bible, when they do not. Unfortunately, we are often willing to submit to these false divisions more than to Scripture itself. This is how the subversive strategy of the Enemy causes much damage. Because we have allowed artificial boundaries to separate Christian groups weird things happen.

For instance, one motto for a parachurch ministry has been: “To fulfill the Great Commission in this generation.” This seems honorable, except that they have rules in place that prevent them from ever fulfilling the Great Commission in any place. Right in the middle of the Great Commission is the command to baptize disciples, which they strictly forbid in order to maintain their parachurch status since (in their view) only churches can baptize.

I want to raise awareness of the weird, almost schizophrenic policies we have made in the church. Whether it is separating a spiritual family into voting “members” and silent “nonmembers” or telling Christians to fulfill the Great Commission by disobeying it, false and artificial divisions have caused some strange practices to be established.

I believe more people have lost their lives over the issue of baptism than any other spiritual practice. In many parts of the world where being a Christian is illegal it is not uncommon for someone to accept Jesus and go to church with very little repercussions but if they choose to be baptized they reap all manner of persecution. Even in history some of the great heroes of our faith (Luther, Calvin, Zwingly and others) would have people drowned (or executed in some other way) because they wanted to be baptized as adults. Even my own denomination (Grace Brethren, who have anabaptist roots) has had several splits over the issue of how baptism is to be done properly and to whom it is acceptable.

Even in Los Angeles today there is heat involved with being baptized. I have had Muslim converts get excited about following Jesus and obey everything but baptism because they fear being completely ostracized from their family. I have seen fear in the eyes of people who have surrendered to Christ from a Roman Catholic background when it is suggested that they be baptized as adults in obedience to their new faith because they fear their parents will disown them. Recently, I even had a young man in my church receive some mild abuse from his parents who are part of an independent Christian church because he wanted to be baptized. His parent’s pastor stepped in to the mix and said that the people doing such (our organic church) are “novices” and “heretical” and that the young man should only be baptized by those who have the spiritual covering of their church. What does that even mean? Where is that in the Bible?

Baptism is so important to some people that they have adopted the term to identify themselves and thus separate themselves by it…they are Baptists. Of course, now we have so many varieties of Baptists that we need other words to clarify which brand we mean.

Why would such a simple act be so volatile? Why are secular and religious people, denominations, institutions, pastors and historical figures so threatened by such a short action that is over in a matter of seconds?

Even as I write this many of us may be tempted to say, “Forget about it. This is just a symbolic act that is done one time, it isn’t worth all this hatred, division and spilled blood.” While that sounds calm and rational, it may very well be exactly what Satan wants. You see, I think there is a reason why the true enemy, the Devil, has done so much to keep baptism from being what Jesus always intended.

I am going to explore the significance of baptism and communion in my blog for a few days. I trust that these blog entries will receive more flack than previous entries, simply because it is a very sensitive topic. Why? Because baptism and communion are to be at the heart of each disciple loving Jesus—following Him in obedience, telling others about him and making more disciples. If Satan can disrupt all that from the very start, in the beginning of a disciples new life, he will be able to disrupt a great deal down the road. I hope to show what I mean by this as I write more.

I fully understand that many of my friends have differing opinions about this, so I will allow for great liberty. I have friends, that are unable to agree with me and remain in their current church roles or associations, so please feel free to disagree with me. All I ask is that you think with me about this subject.

I will endeavor to take my lead from the New Testament Scriptures. I want to be bold where they are bold, and silent where they are silent. I do not want to add artificial religious baggage to them, where it does not exist.

I may be labeled a heretic for some of what I believe on these subjects, but as I grow older I have come to appreciate the company that bears such a label. In fact, glancing down the long road of history, I would rather be on that side of the aisle than the other side which is busy labeling said heretics, for it is in this company that you will find some of the greatest men and women of faith. You would even find Jesus there.

“Do you like blackcurrant martinis?  I can also make mango.”  Dennis stood in his kitchen with a bottle of triple sec in his hand, a martini shaker in the other, and–yes–a bottle of Vodka sitting on the counter.  Honestly, the question had taken me by surprise; not because of the offer of alcohol, but because of the context in which it was asked.  Dennis had just been baptized.

Would we?  Could we?  The unexpected merger of things I once considered sacred and secular was taking place before my eyes.  What surprised me more than this head-on collision was my response that came out so naturally that it caught me off-guard.

“Yeah, we’d love some – uh – martinis.  Make ‘em blackcurrant!  Thanks, man.”

My Friend, Dennis

Rewind.

Last summer, was a season of change.  I had changed jobs, our home was up for sale, and we were thinking about pursuing organic church life, outside the walls of what both of us were familiar.  It was during this transitional time Father brought Dennis across my path.

We are both contact center engineers.  Cisco phone equipment is our specialty.  We are the “Thank-you-for-calling-press-one-to-speak-to-a-representative”-kind of guys.

I had known Dennis from a previous job.  He is a black-and-white kind of guy, straight-to-the-point.  His colorful life has taken him on many adventures.  Studying music at Berkeley and rubbing shoulders with biker gangs are a few of his intriguing tales.

During my first months at this new job, my friendship with Dennis had deepened.  Something I found interesting about him was his unfamiliarity with the cliches and practices found in the Christian sub-culture.

When we talked about God, I was forced to speak in everyday language, kindly avoiding phrases like “washed in the blood” and “asking Jesus into you heart.”

It was not too long before Dennis had accepted Jesus as his Savior.  He had read a small Gospel of John and responded to the gospel message on page three.  The words had led him to Jesus during a difficult season of his life.

Waiting for the Fruit to Ripen

As soon as he came to Jesus, my Type-A personality took over.  Several times a week, I would encourage him to get baptized.  “How about this weekend?” I would ask.  “We can come to your place.  You can come to ours.”

Whether it was my relentless salesmanship or the busyness of his life – I’m not sure – Dennis was not ready to be baptized.  I was disappointed.  I had been reading about organic church life, keeping things simple and getting back to the New Testament.  I wanted to be like Philip, finding people along the road, getting them saved, and then baptizing them.  Move over Mr. Ford and the assembly line!

Yet, despite my best efforts to cast him as the Ethiopian steward (Acts and immediately baptize him in the river off of Highway 494, Dennis showed me that he had a mind of his own.  He would respond only when he was ready (if ever).

During these times, I would pour out my frustration to Father.  I respected Dennis and valued our friendship, but I wanted to see results.  I was impatient.  My wife, reading me like a book, smiled and said, “You know what I think?”

“What?”

“You can probably guess what I’ll say.”

“Oh no, not the quote…” I begged.

You must understand, my wife is very proud of the following quote.  A friend of hers at Bible school authored it.  Ever since, it has become one of her mantras that – I admit – has great depth and wisdom.

“Remember what my friend Lindsay always says, ‘Ripe fruit yields to gentle pressure.’”  Elisa let out a little smirk, proud of identifying another opportune moment to evoke the mantra.

Those words resounded in my spirit.  I knew she was right.  If Dennis was ever to be baptized it needed to be based on his own decision, not out of obligation or compulsion.  When the fruit was ripe, it would give in.  Until then, all my pressuring would be bruising fruit that was not yet ripe.

I resolved that I would no longer bring up the issue of baptism.  I would wait for Dennis to ask me about it.

It was immaturity on my part, you see, to expect Dennis to respond in cookie-cutter fashion to the descriptions we read of in the Book of Acts.  Living organic Christianity cannot be done like one bakes a recipe.  You can’t just add flour, salt, and butter and then bake for 45 minutes.

The call to organic life is a call into relationship. It is a call to willingly walk alongside others at the pace they’re comfortable with. It values slow progress with fellowship over blazing a trail in solitary seclusion.

A Day of Celebration

Two weeks ago, nearly six months after he accepted Jesus as his Savior, Dennis brought up the idea of getting baptized.  We were standing outside as he took a smoke break, bundled up in the tundra-like winter of Minnesota, when he said to me, “Ya, man, I think I’m ready to get baptized – maybe next weekend.”

He explained how some difficult issues had recently surfaced and he realized that he needed to solidify his commitment to the Lord and have a fresh start.

That following Friday, my wife and I arrived at his apartment complex, full of excitement about how God had been working in Dennis’ life.  We briefly talked about the meaning of baptism, identifying with the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Dennis full excited and said, “Yah man, new life, everything’s done with, starting over!  I’m ready!”

He was most certainly ready.  No one had coerced him.  He wasn’t doing it to earn God’s favor.  He was responding in obedience because the Holy Spirit had moved on his heart.  The fruit had ripened and was responding to the pressure of the Spirit. He was hearing the voice of God for himself!

We took him down to the apartment pool and baptized him.  Coming up out of the water, this 49-year-old man looked like a kid again.  His eyes were full of life and he said, “Woh, man, I’ve got goosebumps all over and I never get those.  This never happens to me!”

Alcohol and Jesus

We dried off and went upstair to celebrate.  Dennis offered us martinis and thought to myself, “What the heck?  This is a great reason to celebrate!”

We drank those martinis with gladness as we prayed and talked about our life in Christ.  It was natural, free-flowing, and completely organic.  It was the culmination of a hands-off, Spirit-led journey about waiting on God for fruit to ripen.

There was no guilt or awkwardness about merging Jesus with alcohol.  Instead of bringing Dennis into a rigid system of rules and behavioral norms, the good news of Jesus had been injected right into his living room.  The message of salvation and freedom had, just as it had two thousand years ago, become incarnational.  The living Word had “become flesh” and walked into a cocktail party.

This journey into organic Christianity is more exciting and unpredictable than I ever imagined.  But the beauty is in the simplicity.  Love one another without any strings attached and watch the Father ripen the harvestfields.