Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen.
–Book of Common Prayer, page 308
Holy Baptism is an affirmation that the future of humankind is rooted in God’s love. At the end of the Gospel of Matthew Jesus tells the disciples to go out and baptize wherever they go, and promises that he will be with them – and all who seek a nearer relationship with God – “even until the end of time” (Matthew 28).
If you are reading these words you may be considering the sacrament of Holy Baptism for your child, yourself, or someone you love. Perhaps you just want to know more about this sacrament of the Church, a rite of passage that goes back to the early disciples and into our Jewish heritage thousands of years before Christ.
Holy Baptism is a time of joy and welcome into the community of faith. It is also a rebirth – and the beginning of life as a follower of Jesus. It offers the opportunity to renew or deepen the spiritual journey for everyone involved.
The nature and meaning of Holy Baptism is described in this video by the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Dr. Justin Welby speaks on the occasion of a royal baptism, yet shares that “God does not care who we are” – Christ has come “for each and every one of us.”