Shrewsbury Abbey - Shropshire
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Baptisms Page
Baptism is special and we take Baptism
very seriously as a Christian response to God's calling.
If you are an adult seeking Baptism for yourself
or if you are a parent or carer seeking Baptism for a child and
you do not regularly attend either the Abbey or St. Peter's,
Monkmoor, please come along to one of our main services and
speak to the Vicar or a Churchwarden. We'd love to talk to you about
Baptism.
Main services are 10am on Sundays at the Abbey or
10.30am at St. Peter's.
There is usually 'Junior Church' at both sites
most weeks.
If you are not sure in which parish you live -
and your first approach for Baptism should be either the church you
attend regularly or the Parish in which you live - please click on
A Church Near You and you can
enter your postcode, find out which parish you are in and obtain
contact details.
This page details the following - please click on
the title to go to that point in the page:
A Brief
History of Baptism
What
Happens Before Baptism
What
Happens At Baptism
What
Happens After Baptism
Information
about Baptism
A Prayer for
Baptism
A Brief History of Baptism
Baptism is special. It is the way in which the
Church admits new members and it has a tremendous meaning to
Christians.
Baptism means ‘to dip’ and refers to the person
being dipped into water. The term ‘Christening’ may be popular – but
it is not the correct word to use – Christian Baptism is the correct
term. Baptism draws on the Jewish roots of Christianity – Jesus was
a Jew – and so we must look into Judaism to find the early
references to Baptism.
In the Old Testament
God makes an agreement (what we call a Covenant) with Abraham
involving a two way promise. God will bless His people if they do
not forget Him. As the sign of this agreement every Jewish boy is
circumcised when they are 8 days old. This cutting of the flesh
marks him out. Today, over 3000 years later, this is still the
practice.
Mosaic
floor of the Synagogue of Beth Alpha, Israel,depicting Abraham
preparing to sacrifice Isaac.
At the beginning of
the New Testament, John the Baptist challenged the people of Israel
telling them they were living lives which were not good. They needed
to turn away from bad things and start again. As they had already
been circumcised they couldn’t be ‘done’ again, so he called them to
Baptism where they would be ritually washed and cleansed.
The River
Jordan
In the
early Church there were people who wanted to start to follow Jesus and
become Christians. Some were Jews, some were not. St Paul in one of his
letters made it clear that it was not circumcision of the flesh that
counted, but rather ‘circumcision of the heart’. It is how we live, and
not how we say we live, that really counts. The early Church had a
somewhat heated debate about how people might be admitted to membership
and decided that Baptism was the one and only requirement. It is a
ritual open to men and women, young and old and in a symbolic way it
marks out a person just as if it were a mark on the flesh.
The Church of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, Israel
The early Church was
subject to persecution – just as some parts of the Christian Church
are to this day. The process leading to Baptism was rigorous and
often quite secretive. After the Emperor Constantine Christianity
became the major religion of the Roman Empire and it became a much
more normal pattern to ‘become a Christian’.
A
cross-shaped Byzantine baptismal font at Avdat, Israel
he Church developed a number of practices, not
least the practice of the Baptism of Infants, which are still
debated to this day. Today many practicing Christians prefer to let
their children reach an age when they can make the promises of
Baptism for themselves.
Baptism should never, ever be about whether a
‘Christening Gown’ fits, it should never be entered into lightly,
and it should always come with the same two way promise marking the
Covenant between God and Abraham.
Baptism is about being part of the Covenant
people of God – it calls on the Baptised (and all who make promises
both for themselves and on behalf the Baptised) to accept both the
gift of God’s blessing and to commit themselves not to forget God,
either in private prayer or public worship.
This is Christian Baptism – treasure it and
honour it.
What happens before Baptism
Preparation –
At The Abbey and St. Peter's we will ask you to
make a commitment to a number of things as part of Christian
Baptism.
-
Firstly we will ask parents and children to
attend Church on a regular basis both before and after the
Baptism – we’ll talk about this with you.
-
Secondly we’ll make a date to visit you at
home – this will probably be the Vicar and / or another member
of the congregation.
-
Thirdly we’ll ask parents and any local God
Parents to join in with preparation in the weeks leading up to
Baptism.
-
Fourthly – and particularly if you are a
newcomer to regular attendance at Church – we’ll ask you to
bring your child to a short Service of Thanksgiving on a Sunday
morning prior to the Baptism.
If you feel you will be
unable to make regular attendance we will suggest you consider a
Service of Thanksgiving
What happens at Baptism
Christians believe Baptism
gives us a fresh start and we become part of the family of God – what we call a ‘Faith’ or ‘Covenant’ Community.
The Baptism Service in the Church of England has
developed from Biblical early traditions and the Service today
includes twelve questions asked of Parents and Godparents and
three symbols. The twelve questions are about faith and trust in God
and our response in faith. The three symbols are
- The signing of the Cross
- The dipping into Water
- The giving of a Lighted Candle
.
The Cross – reminds us of the Christian
belief Jesus died in our place – he gave his life for us.
The Water – is at the heart of Baptism and
it is a symbol of a new beginning. Baptism is a symbolic expression
of sharing in Jesus’ death on the Cross, of rising to new life with
him, and of the cleansing power of forgiveness.
The Light – is a reminder there is
‘darkness’ all around us in the form of wrong doing or ‘sin’ – but
Jesus came to be the ‘Light of the World’
Parents and God Parents will also be asked
the twelve questions and asked to answer both on behalf of a child
and for themselves.
Sheep,
goats, and cattle gathered to drink at a spring near Tirzeh
What happens after Baptism
The truth is some people forget about all the
promises they have made – at least until the next baby is born.
Other people really try to keep the promises they
have made.
For Christians there are a
number of basic beliefs which we affirm in the Baptism promises:-
- God is Real
- God is Creator
- God is Salvation
- God is Spirit
- God is Ever Present
- God is Good
- God is Love
- God is ‘Personal’
- Most of all …... God wants to be in a Good Relationship with
us.
Some people take the time to teach their
children, and take the opportunity to learn more about themselves,
about questions of faith, about the teachings of Jesus, about
prayer, about the role of the Church.
Information about Baptism
Parents and Godparents will be asked to bring up
a child to be faithful in Private Prayer and Public Worship and to
support the child in this. This will take a commitment which goes
beyond the day of the Baptism. We will encourage that commitment.
No one is permitted to be a Godparent unless they
have themselves been Baptised. The normal number of Godparents is
three.
The term ‘Christening’ is often used instead of
the term ‘Christian Baptism’ (‘Baptism’ for short). We shall use the
term ‘Christian Baptism’ or ‘Baptism’ during the preparations and
the service itself.
At present Baptism may be offered to families who
live in the Parish or who are on the Electoral Roll of the Parish.
Historical links or having been married in a particular Church does
not constitute a right to Baptism in a church. If you live outside
the Parish or do not regularly worship with us please come to one of
our main Sunday Services and talk with the Vicar afterwards.
It is however possible to apply for Christian
Baptism at churches where families have historical links or where a
couple have been married. You will need to seek formal permission
for this to take place.
Parents seeking permission for Baptism at places
which will clearly not be their regular place of worship will be
encouraged to make a commitment with us or at another more local
church.
Christian Baptism should never be rushed unless
there is a life threatening emergency.
The Vicar's two children were Baptised at the
ages of 9 years and 12 years respectively - by full immersion - and
they remember it with great affection and it was a very real part of
their continuing walk with God.
A prayer for Baptism
Heavenly Father
Help me to explore Christian
Baptism with an open heart and an open mind.
Give me courage if I am
challenged to respond in faith to your call.
Grant me the strength to
walk with you where you will lead me and
Help me to choose the path
you would have me walk in my life.
In Jesus' name - Amen.
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