Group 1 How To Baptize

How to Baptize?
[Kuya Chandra]
Janna had put in years of language study, and had built up a business that provided her
with a role in the community and a visa. She had shared her life and faith as naturally and
clearly as she was able with those around her, but it had been a long, hard slog and acutely
discouraging for many years. But times were changing.
Recently, God had showed himself quite clearly to those who had looked for him. Dreams
and visions, healings and deliverances, miraculous provision of food and funds—it was
incredible. And now two young people, Yeshe and Diki, were ready to publicly declare
their faith through baptism.
Janna had prepared them well as they studied what the Bible teaches about baptism. Now
all that remained was to work out the practical details: who would conduct the baptism,
where would it take place and who would attend.
The young people wanted Janna, as their teacher, to baptise them. But she refused. She
didn’t want baptism to be seen as turning to a foreign religion. Should she try to invite a
believer from another area? He would speak a different dialect though. What about a big
city church leader? But the emerging local church was intended to be indigenous to this
people group. So she put that problem aside for the moment. Where would the baptism
occur? That would be simpler.
Although it was summer, Yeshe and Diki were adamant that the river would be too cold.
After all, the river was fed by glaciers. Briefly, Janna considered ‘dunking them’ in a bath
… but there were no baths in this town. As every possibility was rejected, Janna realised
that these new believers were terrified of going under water. She put that problem aside
for the moment too. Who would the young believers like to invite to their baptism? Surely
that would be simpler.
[Kuya Alex]
Quickly Yeshe and Diki listed a few of their friends from Bible study. “Good”, Janna
replied, “but what about your families?” Janna had stayed with Yeshe’s family twice when
they had invited her to celebrate New Year in their winter home up the valley. She had
met Diki’s mother when she had come to town for medical appointments. Again, her
‘helpful’ suggestions were met with one block after another. “It was too far. It was summer
and the family would be on the plateau with the yak. There was no point waiting until
autumn because the family would be getting their winter homes sorted.” There were
obviously deeper reasons for their reluctance to invite their families.
Frustrated, Janna decided that it was best to leave the practical issues of their baptism with
Yeshe and Diki. She was confident the important points—the theological truths embodied
in baptism—were clearly understood. It was their church that was at the brink of being
birthed, and they must come up with their own contextualised way of conducting
baptisms.
Two weeks later, the young people bounced into Janna’s apartment. They had a plan!
Janna grinned. This is what it was all about—local people establishing Christian rites
without foreign interference. She sat down, leaned forward and listened.
[Kuya Yosuf]
First, they explained, they needed a Christian holy man. A pastor from the big city would
do, but they worried that he’d insist on baptising them ‘big-city style’. A foreign holy man
would be okay too. Best of all would be a holy man from their own people group.
However, holy men were all Buddhists in this area. Perhaps Janna could connect them
with a holy man. They were willing to travel far from home for the rite. They would
actually prefer that because their families would be worried if they heard of them
undergoing a non-Buddhist religious rite.
Next, they described how they would like to be baptised. If it was up to them, yak milk
would be used for the ‘waters of baptism’, and it would be sprinkled. They had learned,
as they researched the matter, that some churches would sprinkle new believers, especially
if they were elderly or unwell. Sprinkling would suit them so much better. Yak milk would
symbolise nurture and purity. Just as good Buddhists flick their drinks three times before
consuming them, thus honouring the powers around them, so they hoped that a Christian
holy man would flick yak milk over them three times in the name of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit. Then the holy man would place a blessed white silk scarf around each
of their necks and declare them Christians.
The young people beamed. Janna frowned. Distant memories of that prize-winning essay
flitted through her mind. The concept of power being contained in certain people and
things reflected their Buddhist mindset. Requiring a ‘holy man’ … adapting Buddhist
practices of flicking drinks three times … giving blessed scarves. What was
contextualisation and what was syncretism?
What should Janna do? Would baptizing the two new converts in the way they suggested
be a form of syncretism?
Taken from: https://interserve.org.au/go/contextualisation-or-syncretism/

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How to Baptize?

Taken from: https://interserve.org.au/go/contextualisation-or-syncretism/

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