Remember your baptism

The United Methodist church does not recognize the need for multiple baptisms, you are baptized once and that is all that is required. However, we do have a service of reaffirmation or remembering your baptism. So it is only fitting that at the Jordan River, at the site where tradition holds John the Baptizer baptized Jesus, that we 110 United Methodist would reaffirm our baptism. But who knew…
The day had alternated between overcast and clear. We had brief periods of rainy drizzle, but certainly nothing to compare to the downpours of the previous day. As we approached our appointed site along the Jordan we had to pass hundreds of ceramic tiles with the story of our Lord’s baptism in the various languages of Christians from all over the world, from Urdu, to Tagalong to Haitian Creole, with a special spot reserved for Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin. We passed those that were self directing their reaffirmation, and changing into white robes purchased for just that purpose. Throes of folk emerged from dressing rooms to walk across the pebbles and down in the waters. They emerged drenched and dripping and delighted. You could see it resonating on their faces.
As we listened together by the waters those words of our ritual, white birds, not doves, but white none the less, danced over the top of the water and the raindrops began to fall. As the bishop dowsed you with water from the Jordan, God dowsed us with rain from above. And we sang wade in the water, and rejoiced. What could be more complete?
God was not through with us yet. As we emerged from the building surrounding the water’s edge there in the sky over the Jordan, over Israel was a full rainbow. Covenant of the Old Testament and New converge.
This was the thinnest of places.