On Saturday morning our families packed up picnic baskets or coolers and headed out to for a baptism service at Cultus Lake, about a 45 minute drive from home, or more, depending on where you were coming from.
It was easy to spot the place along the lake.
When we have a baptism at church, it is obviously a bit more formal
but in this setting no nursery was required, as kids kept busy playing in the sand or testing how far into the lake their gum boots could take them.
And . . . somewhat reminiscent of Biblical times . . .
like the Ethiopian new believer in Acts 8 who, upon hearing the scriptures explained to him, responded with, "Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?"
. . . so also on this overcast day, close to 50 people went into the lake to be baptized.
Off to the side each person was taped for a short re-telling of how they came to believe for salvation in Jesus. These testimonies will be available online. Even while the service was going on family/friends gathered around and prayed for the one stepping in soon.
Each person being baptized confirmed their belief verbally
and upon the confession of their faith
were immersed
to signify a new life!
On the beach this was followed by a burst of applause from the audience.
As we went to get our lunches from the car,
I noticed the kids exploring around this tree and had them stop for a pose.
Everyone shared what they had . . . salads, cold cuts, chicken, rolls.
Someone even thought to bring extra plates and forks and dessert to go around.
It was a wonderful reason to celebrate and to make a memory for Carmen.
Precious daughter, granddaughter, sister, sister-in-law, cousin, girlfriend . . .
our niece
I love how her eyes smile.
17 comments:
It was a special day! What a joy to see so many people choose to get into the cold water as a testimony to what they believe.
I love outdoor baptisms! Here in Phoenix, when the church doesn't have an indoor space to baptize, someone in the congregation volunteers their private pool. As many as can cram into the backyard to watch this awesome celebration of faith. Thank you for sharing!
It's so nice that your family could be there to support and celebrate with Carmen. What a special day!
Oh how I love baptisms and this setting is just fabulous. Wonderful that a good crowd was there to witness and support each other.
What an awesome setting for Carmen's baptism...and how amazing that her entire family could be there to support her in that!!
Those truly are the moments to celebrate that express our faith in Jesus. I've had two of my own children baptized at Cultus Lake. It truly is a wonderful setting and the photo of your grands tops it off.
Yay Carmen!! I *so* wish we could have been there to help celebrate! What a day, and what a gorgeous place! Thanks for posting about it!
Wow, what a crowd to witness the baptisms! And what a beautiful place for such a joyous occasion. Our youth get baptized in a creek at a camp nearby, usually it's just deep enough though for a "sprinkling."
What a beautiful way to celebrate new life in Christ! Great picture of the grands and your niece is lovely!
Such a special day to commemorate. Beautiful!
Most special...to witness your niece's baptism in that beautiful setting!
OK...had to cry a bit. So beautiful to see her smile and to see how lovingly you documented this for her. I pray along with you that God will bless her and make her a blessing with all those who are blessed to cross her path.
Thank you for sharing this most important moment in the life of a believer. Our son in law Boyd was baptized there too and it was so special.
What a beautiful day it was! Carmen, we pray for God's blessing on your life as you took this step of faith. May you discover more and more each day how wide and deep and high the love of Christ is for you.
This spoke to me in a real way. What a special celebration and what a memorable way to share together in it. Carmen is beautiful, and you are right, her eyes reflect God's love. Thanks for sharing this important event.
The best kind of celebration of all! What a beautiful post in both pictures and words! May God bless all who witnessed this event!
Thank you so much for your post, Aunt Anneliese :) It was so special to have you there as a witness and to celebrate. Thank you for all of your blessings!
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