How many of us know our Baptismal Birthday? If you know it, post it in the comments, if you don't, I would highly suggest that you talk to your home church or find your baptismal certificate and find out the date, the pastor, and the church that you were baptized.
This is one of the missing links in the church today. I believe it was lost during the 70's-90's. I visited a gal who is 94 years old and she showed me in her bedroom a framed certificate above her bed and as I looked closer, it was her baptismal certificate given to her 94 years ago. She was taught as a child to place that above her bed to remember what God had done for her. During my childhood, I never remember a conversation on Baptism, my baptismal birthday, or any pictures of my baptism. I don't blame my parents or my godparents, because that was not something that was commonly practiced and sometimes almost discouraged because they did not want to look Catholic. But today, it is deeply needed for our young people, so they know if the identity that they have in Christ!
I would suggest to find out your baptismal birthday and the baptismal birthday of your children. When you find the date, bring out the candle, the white garment, have a cake, invite your friends over and celebrate the regeneration we received and still receive through the Holy Spirit.
4 comments:
January 28th, 1980
Does some of the responibility rest on the church. Every month I recieve a newsletter that tells me whose birthday and anniversary are each month, but never any baptismal birthdays. Families get a certificate, a napkin, a Thrivent momento, and a candle to help commemorate the event. However, without any other reminders after the date these things and the memory gets put into the closet.
I was 15 years old so I remember May 26th as my baptismal birthday.I had finished adult instruction with my mom & sister. At the time , even with Luther's Small Catechism under my belt and a new Bible in hand, I had not realized, as a teenager, the hell our Lord went through to provide the gift of Baptism for us.I must confess , I was a high spirited teenager that thought I had all the answers about how to live my own life and God had a small part in it. I really didn't think about "Baptism" at all until about ten years later.
It was Easter in St. Joseph, I had gone there to celebrate my son's 4th birthday with family. I attended the community Easter Sunrise Service at the park with my sister , who invited me. I was very much impressed by the unity of the Christian denominations who came up the hill with their church banners ( I was still in the dark about the LCMS; who more tha likely would not have been part of that event )Eating milk and honey with all these other Christians and Jewish people. I realized I had been wrong about the church, it really was about " Love and Peace " I was 25 and the church is starting to looking pretty good to me now. That night at home , I finished watching the movie "Jesus of Nazareth" on TV. I couldn't hold back the tears and still it makes me cry, it's my thorn in the flesh I guess . So being paptized with water and fire the next day I opened my King James Bible ( that was given to me on my wedding day , to learn more about this wonderful man name Jesus. I became a complete nut case trying to live by the law . I can't hardly believe how stupid I was now as I look back on my life. I'll be 57 in a few days. Now I see that we're like infants. We do nothing for our Father, He does everything for us. Wow...what a relief it is to be forgiven even when we are just a kid in poopy diapers our Father still loves us.
February 24, 1980. Pastor Leroy. Zion Lutheran Church, Auburn, Michigan. My God parents are my uncle Mark and Uncle Gleason.
Growing up, I was never talked to about a baptismal birthday. My husband and I both agreed that we would celebrate our son's baptismal birthday each year, and make sure that he knows how special this day is!!
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