Emergence: A story of a student’s baptism

By Gilli Leonard, Comm ‘22

As the Catholic Church celebrates the Baptism of Our Lord this week, we share this piece depicting the story of a student’s decision to be baptized recently

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are told through scripture that we must be baptized. Matthew 28:19–20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” But what does getting baptized really mean? There are variances between baptisms amongst Christian denominations, but they are all public declarations of the following of the Lord, Jesus.

I was baptized in the Catholic church as an infant, but my family was not adamant about living a life chasing Jesus as I was growing up; we stopped going to mass when I was about 7 years old. I didn’t really have a strong hold on religion until the summer before my freshman year of college when my friend Rose took me with her to her Nondenominational Christian Church. After attending one service, I felt the Holy Spirit like I never have before and I have been a part of the Whitestone Community Church family ever since.

Through my Pastor’s sermons, I have learned what it is to be a Christian and what it means to the world to be a follower of Christ. Chasing Jesus is not an easy lifestyle. As it says in 2 Timothy 2:12, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Being obedient to God is difficult and requires His grace, but it is necessary in order to live a life that even partially resembles Jesus. When I saw my church’s Baptism Sunday service, I felt the Holy Spirit calling me to get baptized again.

At first it was hard for me to listen because I was already baptized as a baby, and I was worried what others might say or think. Then my pastor said something that really rang true to me; he said, “Baptism is like a marriage. The ceremony is beautiful and public, but the real work comes afterwards. If you want to get baptized, you should know exactly the life and responsibilities you are signing up for and commit to sticking with it.” I had no idea what a Christian life would look like when I was a baby, nor did I stick with it as a child and into my adolescence.

Because of my recent reunion with Christ, I have decided that I am ready to commit to a life that centers around the Holy Trinity through the ceremony of baptism. My church practices full emergence baptism because it most resembles the baptism that Jesus experienced with the assistance of John the Baptist.