The Blessing of Baptism

I was so blessed to attend some baptisms this weekend. Not just any, run-of-the-mill, in a baptistry baptisms----we went camping, made a weekend of it, and dunked them in the river! Steve said we did it "Jesus-style"!

Stef is one of my best friends here in St. Louis and I met Renee through her, also an incredible girl. The two of them, along with Stef's husband Steve, and a girl named Michelle that I don't know too much braved the frigid waters (they actually said it wasn't toooo bad) to commit thier lives to Christ.

It started off with some scripture reading, reminding the baptizees that they are now "clothed in Christ." Then came the symbol of baptism---dying to yourself and your old ways of doing things as you go under water (symbolizing Jesus dying on the cross for your sins) and rising up out of the water as a new creation with all your old ways behind you (symbolizing Jesus rising from the dead).

If you look closely, you can see that Steve and Stef have thier hands behind each other's backs. They really wanted to get baptized together, as one. Isn't that cool!?!?