by Craig Mayes on September 6th, 2011

As I stood on the beach, winds whipping off the Atlantic, I reflected on the words of Jesus about making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  I shared with the group of 20+ who had made the long journey out by subway to Rockaway Beach that I was struck by the variety of ways followers of Jesus have done this- baptized followers of Jesus, over 2 millennia…  lakes, rivers, pools, baptismal tanks, bathtubs, hot tubs- and who knows where else. For us living in NYC, our best option seemed to be the Atlantic Ocean. Then Hurricane Irene showed up on August 28^th, the very day we had scheduled the baptisms, and we wisely stayed very far away from the beach.

So here we stood, 8 days later, with the wind blowing at 20 mph and the surf crashing on shore. The kite boarders zipping up and down the shoreline were an indication that perhaps the conditions were not ideal for baptisms. Also, the sand in our food, in our hair, in our teeth.  And did I mention the red flags displayed along the beach signifying dangerous water and riptides? But since beaches officially closed for the summer the following day, it seemed like now or never.

Two women had decided to follow Jesus and be baptized. They shared with us a bit of their journey, their experience of God’s love and grace, and the promise and hope of new life. While the change that Jesus brings about in one’s life is a process, baptism provides a powerful picture of the death to the old life, the cleansing of all sin that Jesus provides, and the new life that we embrace by faith.

As we waded into the water with the group standing at the edge of the surf, I noticed the life guards become attentive. There had not been many swimmers and I am sure they were bored out of their minds. Maybe they would have someone to rescue! I was hoping that they would not. I could see the headlines about a group of crazies being swept out to sea. I actually hoped that we would have some control over when the baptism occurred, and whether or not Chris and I went under with them!

Here's a glimpse of what happened...

As you can see, it was a very wet baptism for all involved.!!! Having participated in many baptisms over the years, I can honestly say that this one will be truly unforgettable, for a couple of reasons. First, these were our first baptisms since we began the work of Communitas three years ago. To see God at work in our community is a source of great joy. And second, I will never forget the pure fun of doing this in the huge surf, the taste of saltwater in my mouth and the sting in my eyes. It was a miracle that all of us did not get knocked down and dragged out to sea in a riptide. It was a very poignant picture of the great adventure it can be to follow Jesus.

 

P.S.- Check out our web in a week to see the video of the baptisms- www.communitasnyc.org.