Saturday, February 16, 2008

Saturday Five: "All Wet" Edition

Better late than never...the RevGalBlogPals's Friday Five:

1. When and where were you baptized? Do you remember it? Know any interesting tidbits?
In the words of John Lennon, I was very young when I was born...and I was baptized shortly thereafter, while I was still in the hospital, in an incubator. (I was a low birthweight baby, and rather sickly.) My mother's Roman Catholic nurse was my sponsor.

2. What's the most unexpected thing you've ever witnessed at a baptism?
I can't really think of any. I do know of an ELCA church in my synod with an unexpected baptismal font -- a deep font, capable of full-body baby immersion, with running water, located at the back of the sanctuary so that worshippers can dip in a hand and sign themselves en route to their pews. It's kind of cool. Although I would be terrified of dropping a squirming, satin-clad child into the font; I'd want a fish net discreetly kept somewhere in the vicinity to dip in the font and rescue the kid if necessary.

3. Does your congregation have any special traditions surrounding baptisms?
We always invite all children to come up front and center to get a better view...which I think sometimes flusters parents or godparents who weren't expecting a crowd of little rugrats up close and personal.

4.Are you a godparent or baptismal sponsor? Have a story to tell?
I have only been a sponsor once -- for my college roommate, who came to college an atheist but who got involved in my church choir and wound up asking to be baptized. Sadly, we kind of lost touch over the years. I'd be curious to find out what she's up to these days. Hello, Lori Knapp, wherever you are!

5.Do you have a favorite baptismal song or hymn?
"Favorite" isn't really the word, but...for the first 18 years of my life every baptism at my childhood church was preceded by the hymn "Dearest Jesus, We Are Here," so that's been indelibly seared into my brain. Even though I've not heard it in the last, oh, 25 or so years...it's always something of a surprise to me when I don't hear it before a baptism.

1 comment:

Trish said...

If you're serious about finding her, you might want to check out www.zabasearch.com. I have found multiple addresses by using this free website.. Although you have to pay for more detailed information, and when it comes to that part, I can't help you. I'm not a stalker. :) Ha. See ya.