The Day

Staying in during the weekends to study for the upcoming exams, I attended the 11.15am service at ARPC this morning before coming back to study.

This weekend they had their baptisms/confirmation & transfers, and certainly was a thing of note to me: Have been to many baptisms in different churches (like Brighton, Wesley, and my church PLMC) to witness the baptisms for both my friend's and relatives alike, and also the others that were conducted regularly at my own church. The one today certainly was the clearest I've seen so far, both in explaining the baptism itself, and also the way it was conducted as a result of that understanding.

Was initially curious as to why Chris Chia explained the gospel using slightly different words, but thereafter I realised it was because there were also non-believers there also, and that it's certainly the basis for the christian baptism (also it was a chance to let them hear the gospel explained briefly in a nutshell). Thereafter the way the baptisms (adult and infant, of which I never knew the meaning behind it) and confirmations were explained briefly along the way, along with a short word from each individual and the procedures itself. Although some of the sharings were a little shocking, but I do hope (& pray) that they'll come to a correct understanding, if their understanding of certain things are wrong as shown from their speech. But not to be overly worried about it, for God will save those that He will in His timing.

(To Sern Khoon, in a sense there's no need to, but congrats anyway on your transfer ;) )

The only ones that I remember enough about were the one I went for at Brighton and my own ("impromptu") baptism within my own congregation though.

The one at Brighton was quite, community-bonding based. In fact, too much emphasis on that (and also the experience thing) at the expense of what should be the real focus.

Mine was an "impromptu" one, with the (radical?) pastor giving the call to whoever wants to be baptised after one of his sermons. Nothing wrong with that in itself, except that I never did get the meaning of my baptism, until I started to study the Word together with a few others. I believe that the church leaders do understand about baptism, but somewhere along the line, it certainly would've been better if it was taught clearly or simply, even during baptism classes.

Sermon was on passage from 1 Peter 1:3-9, certainly a great assurance of our salvation, and what our lives here on earth will be like till He comes again =)

Am really encouraged to see what God is doing in the lives of men and women around =)