Baptisms for All Ages

Baptism is an ancient practice used throughout the ages to symbolize the initiation of a new member into a community.  It uses the symbols of water and oil to welcome a newborn baby into our world or an adult into our spiritual community.  The candidate is sprinkled with water or has water poured over the head, especially in the case of an infant or child.  Or full immersion of older persons can be done: in the ocean, a river, a backyard pool.  The holy oil is used to anoint the person and to signify that they have been sealed, in a sense, with God’s divine love and grace. 

 

Baptisms can be done privately, with just the individual, or a few close friends. But the richness of the ceremony is more apparent when a community, such as family, friends, godparents and/or the church, are involved.