Baptism: A Thematic Analysis

Sacramentality, mediation, and communion – three properties of Catholicism that are central to its understanding. Like Catholicism, these three properties are universal and can be found in the writings of Catholic authors dating back thousands of years ago. From the first written Scriptures found in the Bible to the modern day works of writers like Flannery O’Connor, these three properties can be found portrayed in works of both fiction and nonfiction. However, these properties are not always easy to find for the untrained mind or even to differentiate for those who do have a better understanding. Sacramentality is the notion that all of creation potentially bears the presence of God. Essentially, one experiences the invisible God through the visible world. Mediation goes hand in hand with sacramentality. It occurs when God is not only present in creation but also works through it. Instead of something symbolizing or reminding you of God, it actually speaks to you and brings you closer to Him. The last property of the Catholic Church is communion. Communion is God’s way of reaching us through the communities in which we live. All three of these properties have close ties to each other. Flannery O’Connor portrays all three – sacramentality, mediation, and communion – in her book Mystery and Manners.

The Eucharist or communion has been celebrated for over 2000 years in the church; however, the frequency of the practice varies greatly across churches. For example, the non-denominational church that I grew up in, celebrated communion every Sunday with consistency and the focal point of each service. (It was so routine I could quote what was going to be said.) Now, I am part of a church that celebrates communion once per month as a conclusion to the sermon. Another major difference between the two churches is who is welcome to participate in communion. For instance, my first church greatly expressed that only those who profess Christ could partake and must not receive communion in an unworthy. Evidently, the church’s view of Atonement (Penal Substitution) influenced a memorial view of communion. Also, the leader’s interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:29 influenced this approach to communion. As our weekly reading pointed out, “Most who take the Memorial View do not have a place for grace in their theology beyond salvation” (Peterson 3). Therefore, during

Baptism is such an important part of a person’s life. The sacrament of baptism goes back to 200 year old tradition. I will be focusing on community for the sacrament of baptism; there are different views, practices and significance of baptism for the individuals across many Christian churches such as Armenian Orthodox, Roman Catholic Church, and Anglican Church.

Baptism has many inextricable ties to the beliefs that are held so very tightly by the Christian church and its adherents. It is one of the many traditions of the faith that seeks to express aspects of the religion that are essential to its practice. Baptism is linked to beliefs about: spiritual rebirth through Christ who seeks to cleanse and purify each individual from their sins, admission into the Christian Church and its mission, faith in the Holy Trinity, particularly in the power of the Holy Spirit which seeks to bring knowledge of God to the world as well as the need for salvation from eternal damnation as emphasised in Lewis Sperry Chafer’s book Major Bible Themes which states that: “...baptism when practiced can be no more than an expression of faith and the hope...that the child will ultimately be saved.” Baptism also highlights the Christian beliefs based on faith and repentance-reconciling with God and accepting one’s role as His son/daughter, participation in the life, death and resurrection of Christ by being able to partake in celebrating His sacrifice for mankind, and finally the forgiveness of sins- turning towards a life filled with God’s guidance and righteous presence.

Meals occur constantly in actual life, yet we do not realize their importance. We often

Catholics go through a cycle of events in their spiritual lives known as the seven sacraments. Although all Catholics can not partake in each sacrament, the majority receive the Holy Eucharist and are baptized as children. The sacraments are the rites of passage in the Catholic faith. Some of the sacraments require proper preparation and knowledge of the one’s faith. The seven sacraments include Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and the Holy Orders. Faith ties the people of God together. We are united through our belief in faith. I see the sacraments as the acceptance of faith in God and of our faith. With all the diversity that exists among God’s people,

Thomas R. Schreiner is the professor of New Testament Interpretation and the Associate Dean of Scripture and Interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to this he served for 11 years at

John Wesley wrote in his Sermon 16 that the means of grace are understood as “outward signs, words, or actions ordained by God… to be the ordinary channels whereby (God) might convey to men preventing, justifying, or sanctifying grace.” Means are what happen outside of oneself and the grace is what does the work inside of ourselves or another way to say this is to say the ways we receive and experience grace. When we speak of the sacraments we refer to them as outward signs of an inward and spiritual grace. The means of grace in the sacraments, means are the bread and cup of communion and the water of the baptism and the liturgy spoken. These act in an outward and physical way, but the real work is that of the invisible grace we receive.

These personal sacraments have the ability to connect us to God and help us establish a deep and loving relationship with God which we may not always be aware of but is always present, (Himes 2004, p.13). I strongly believe that the sacramental principle is not out of date, it is a beautiful and fascinating expression that makes it reassuring to know that the grace of God is always present. The main issue people have with this statement is they believe God does not have enough love and grace to reach every individual but that is simply not the case. God is an infectious being that has unconditional love for every person and often the main problem is for someone to behold it, “Those moments when we become beholders of grace are sacramental moments. All of us are learning to be such beholders.” (Himes 2004, p.15). A challenging aspect of the sacramental principle is the fact that grace can be found everywhere but there are certain places that are regarded as sacred and others that are

Equally important, I have been preparing for this sacrament through instruction through what I have learned

Okay, question number one. How were the Sacraments created and what do you believe is the best way to describe the Sacrament? What is the history of the Sacraments of Initiation?

In order to grasp an understanding of the Sacraments, a person must first understand the concept of sacramentality. According to Lawrence Cunningham, the word sacrament “mean[s] a visible sign of divine power manifested in humanity” (Cunningham, pg.101). This concept of divine power portrayed in humanity can be understood as a public sign that

In order to grasp an understanding of the Sacraments, a person must first understand the concept of sacramentality. According to Lawrence Cunningham, the word sacrament “mean[s] a visible sign of divine power manifested in humanity” (Cunningham, pg.101). This concept of divine power portrayed in humanity can be understood as a public sign that God exists. Essentially, the performance of a sacrament is God making his presence known to the

There are seven official sacraments in the Catholic Church, but actually, there are an unlimited number of sacraments in the universe. The love of God is not limited to the seven official sacraments. The love of God is infinite, and He can show it to us anyway he chooses. Over the course of my life, God has revealed himself to me during my travels. During the summer of 2016, I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica with my mother, and my grandmother was able to join us as well. We went on a tour, with about two dozen strangers. A few native Costa Ricans guided us through the country. We were able to interact with new people, see the wildlife, and explore the country. This is what life is about, traveling to new places, meeting new people, exploring other cultures. We could not have gone on such an amazing trip if God had not allowed us to do so. It was truly a blessing. God was present in all of the trees, the animals, the rivers and oceans, and all of the people. I remember going ziplining on that trip. It was the longest zipline in the country, one line was over half a mile long. It was high in the mountains, you could go very fast, and you could see for miles. You could even see the ocean, even though we weren’t near the coast. I was very high up, and the wind in my face was

On April 3rd, I visited Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church for my friend’s confirmation. My friend Kevin has involved in the services at Peter&Paul Church in the past three years; therefore, it was an important moment for him to bring his relationship with god to another level and the confirmation was exactly the ritual for this elevation of relationship.