baptism and community

a wee bit ago, in my theology class, we talked about baptism. I have been meaning to write down my thoughts on this matter since then...now, my thoughts are filtered through recent experiences at my church. so, as I recount my thoughts here, i will talk about baptism in order to talk about community. there are two primary types of baptism that are practiced in most churches: infant baptism, and the believer's baptism. some ideas about each (not exhaustive, but some basics):

infant baptism	believer's baptism
*cleansing of sin (particularly original sin) *initiation or welcoming into the Church *emphasis on God's salvific work that only God can do	*an outward symbol of an inward commitment *a public proclamation *emphasis on personal faith, one's own choice

<BR><BR> so, which one is right? i don't think it's that simple, or entirely relevant. there are questions that arise with each. for example, if faith and baptism is about a personal choice, then what of God's sovereignty, providence and his choice to atone for the sin of all? or, if one needs to be baptized as an infant in order to receive salvation, doesn't that negate the power of the cross to conquer sin? either way, baptism becomes about us and not about God - whether it is us escaping hell, or us taking salvation into our own hands. the fact is that salvation is God's to give. it is there whether we choose it or not. so rather, baptism is a choice to press into the freedom of God, to participate in salvation, an initiation into communion with God and others. Anabaptists, such as the Amish, have a particular view of baptism that is somewhat unique, and have a unique process leading up to baptism. they don't do infant baptism, they practice a form of the "believer's baptism" that initiates a person into the Amish community. before a person makes a commitment to the Amish church, they are free to explore the world as they please. once they decide to make the commitment, they are baptized into the Amish community, welcomed with open arms, invited to participate in all that it means to be in community with God and with other believers. what is community, and what does it mean to participate? community is not finding a group of people to meet my needs. community is not about overcoming loneliness. community is not about getting my way. consider:

“When people are very detached, very devoid of purpose and a coherent world view, Christians must be very suspicious of talk about community. In a world like ours, people will be attracted to communities that promise them an easy way out of loneliness, togetherness based on common tasks, racial or ethnic traits, or mutual self-interest. There is then little check on community becoming as tyrannical as the individual ego. Community becomes totalitarian when its only purpose is to foster a sense of belonging in order to overcome the fragility of the lone individual. Christian community, life in the colony, is not primarily about togetherness. It is about the way of Jesus Christ with those whom he calls to himself. It is about disciplining our wants and needs in congruence with a true story, which gives us the resources to lead truthful lives. In living out the story together, togetherness happens, but only as a by-product of the main project of trying to be faithful to Jesus.” -Stanley Hauerwas and William Willmon, Resident Aliens

participating in community, then, is about living into the story that God is telling in the world - in the lives of people everywhere, and particularly those he's called. participating in community is dying to self in order to live out a story together. we cannot participate in community if our primary concern is ourselves. Jesus's birth, life, death and resurrection pushed into the entirety of the human experience in order to fully redeem every inch of humanity. atonement, then, is a done deal. baptism is less about our choice to accept that fact and more about us leaning into that truth - stepping into that reality. the reality of the atoning work of Christ is communion with and identity in God and a new life on earth with others. one story, and all of creation participating in it.