This Lords' Day past was a red letter day for us in Childs Hill as there was a baptism in the evening. I preached in the morning from the next part of Mark's Gospel (on the sending out of the Twelve). I always like to have baptisms in the evening as things seem a little anti-climactic come the evening otherwise. It meant that one or two couldn't be there but most oncers made the effort to be there twice or switched services. Our usual small congregation (under 20) was swollen by friends and family to around 50 or so. I was baptising my eldest son's girlfriend, Sibyl. They met in school and talked endlessly about the Bible. She has no background in Christian things. She began to come to church but was beginning to lose heart but was booked in for last year's Aber Conference. She nearly pulled out but her family urged her to go as long as she didn't get converted. Well, she listened to the first part anyway. She is not the sort of person who revels in public speaking and so it was a special blessing to hear her testimony and then to baptise her. It always surprises me how quick the actual baptism itself is (about 30 seconds or so). Before that I preached from Ruth 2:11, 12 endeavouring to explain the great change that has happened to Sibyl and presenting an apologetic to the feminists in the audience. After the baptism we sang 'A man there is a real man' which Sibyl chose. That is a great hymn (even after the editors of Christian Hymns have tinkered with it).
I'll welcome Sibyl into membership next week. She is soon off overseas for her gap year. We have a tradition in Childs Hill of baptising people then saying goodbye to them. I have baptised no more than 20 people over the years, I believe. How I wish there had been more. Let's see what happens next. There are at least seven young people I am praying for.
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