I’ve got a question for you guys. When it comes to baptism some people dunk, some people sprinkle. Some of us are paedobaptists, and some hold a credobaptist conviction. My question is for every situation.
We just had an interesting baptism in our church that you don’t see often. It was of an older married couple who are fairly new Christians. What a beautiful thing to witness. I was full of emotion and honored to witness such a blessing. I am also overwhelmed when I see infants baptized, given the sign and seal of the covenant of grace as non-communicant members of our church. But there is always an awkward moment, and that is where my question comes in.
How do you celebrate this moment? Let me ask you readers, do you clap in your church after a baptism? Our church congregation doesn’t. There’s no policy about it in the Book of Church Order or anything. I don’t think I would be reprimanded for a celebratory outburst. But since it is so silent, I feel like I would be distracting attention toward myself more than glorifying God. My husband and I struggle in this tension. We both want to jump up and give hugs, or do something to rejoice at what just happened.
And yet, it is a reverent moment, the sacrament of baptism. We don’t want to behave like the person just scored a touchdown. This is a celebration far greater than any accomplishment of man. In this sense, clapping seems kind of trivial and cheap. After all, it’s terribly inadequate to clap for God and his amazing grace. But there I am, bursting inside, as the baptized person just quietly takes their seat. It’s like that scene from A Christmas Story after Ralphie turns in his theme paper. He gets caught in a daydream in which the teacher gives him an A+++ and his classmates boost him on their shoulders for a victory lap around the classroom, all while he’s still standing at her desk. His teacher’s voice snaps him out of it as she gently yet firmly tells him, “You can take your seat now.” All the cheers in his head are abruptly interrupted by the classroom giggles. Back to his seat he goes.
Sure, we strategically place the newly baptized at the exit door for congratulations and welcome at the end of the service. That’s when I can get my hug. But Matt and I always talk about that awkward moment on the way home.
I would love to hear your thoughts. And maybe someone has a theological explanation for me here. What response does your congregation give after a baptism? ‘Cause all I have going on right now is laser eye contact with a really big smile.
What a neat question, Aimee! We do our baptisms at church-wide potluck parties. After each dunking there’s clapping and hugging in a spirit of celebration. I join in the dunkee-hugging while trying to keep my camera dry.
It’s “corporate” worship so if individuals personally react and the congregation does not it may take the attention away from those baptized and put the attention on you. There are other lasting ways to show how you felt. Take your camera when you know a baptism is scheduled and after the service take a photo of those involved. For infants–take a little frame and simply put the date of their baptism. Give either the photo or the date as a gift to the one baptized. They will remember that longer than the clapping. I hung a frame with the baptism date in my children’s bedrooms when they were growing up as a daily reminder. “Remember–you belong to God–you are marked.”
The scrapbooker/historian in me loves this idea!
Being British, and a paedobaptist, I do not feel comfortable with breaking out in applause when parents baptise their babies or adults are baptised on coming to faith – but I attend a baptist church and there is something healthy about the church breaking out into applause when someone puts themselves forward for baptism because one of the things they are doing is identifying themselves with God’s people—it’s as if they are saying, “I am now one of you”. This is especially so with older folk because it shows that the Holy Spirit’s call is more powerful than the world. So I clap too, even though I’m British, but no hugging, oh no! That’s going too far . . .
By all means clap away!! David danced in his underclothes before The Lord. That was a great deal more awkward than clapping. We clap and sometimes have standing ovations at baptisms. It’s wonderful!!
I grew up in a paedobaptism church and things were silent when the baby got sprinkled, but then again that was a long time ago. I’ve been attending credobaptist churches as an adult, and the congregation tends to respond with clapping, an “amen” or two, and even someone uttering a “glory” here and there.
There’s no theology to this that I know of except to have a heart that seeks God’s glory throughout. Clap, hug, sit still, pray, do whatever the Spirit leads. in fact Aimee, I think you and Matt and the kids should have big signs to wave like at football games and yell out “WOOT-WOOT” after the sprinkling. If the Spirit leads, of course.
Tim
There are many ways to rejoice, and analogies of spiritual events like baptism to sporting events are oftentimes shallow. Yes, there is great rejoicing to be done at a baptism, but it’s not like a touchdown … it would be a better analogy to say it’s like the start of a marathon, which spiritually it is. (Don’t see too many people hugging folks at the start of the race!)
I think the reformed tradition which seeks to worship according to the regulative principle would say this is a case of worshipping decently and in good order.
Having said that, I too sometimes feel that awkward moment … but I think it comes more from our American upbringing than anything else, meaning American Christians tend to focus more on the emotional side of spirituality rather than the incredible truth being portrayed in baptism.
Would we have cheered at the crucifixion? It represents the key to our salvation, but to understand in regards to the depth of the grace of God and the truth of the depth of my sin makes me pause in respectful silence, grateful for such a great God we serve. So, too, does baptism make me pause in grateful silence for saving a sinner such as I!
After the service, we always have a cake welcoming the baptized into the congregation, something I also always look forward to!
What a good point about our baptism being the start of the marathon, Cricket. That also highlights the responsibility that the congregants have to encourage this new believer in the faith.
I attend a Baptist church. We clap after the dunking. I wonder if the “joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” might be expressed in clapping.
It might be a temperament issue. The only time I am ever sensitive to anything being awkward is Christmas, because any Joe and Jane can walk into the church doors and they may not know Christ and I don’t want for anything to go wrong. Other than that for the rest of the year, I am oblivious.
I just love coming home from being out all day to find such thoughtful comments. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and convictions on this issue.
I remember asking my grandfather, when I was six years old, why we did not clap in our Reformed church and he said, “we are to worship the Lord and not people”. Grandpa was a wise man.
We stand and sing the Gloria Patri with one heart and one voice!
Oh wow! How powerful!
I like this idea!
I think I’m in agreement with this as a good solution, either the Patri or Doxology seem suitable (and also gives folks time to retire to their seats.)
I think if it’s understood, that we can clap and celebrate for God, but that’s always awkward for me, who was raised “repressed-byterian”.
But I find it odd that my fellow congregants, who were made to celebrate and praise and worship, can easily jump and clap and cheer for their local football team (Steelers), but force themselves to remain somber and all-but-lifeless in order to worship in “propriety”.
Isn’t the best of our praise and worship, the strength of our worship, our loudest voices and whatever…our firstfruits, so to speak, best given to God?
Maybe it’d be less awkward if the pastor addressed it directly up front, during announcements, etc. to say “Later we’ll be having a baptism, yadda yadda, and sometimes people think it’s awkward, but afterwards it’s ok to be expressive of the joy you feel and give praise to the Lord with your lips and the clapping of hands, even as the Psalmist wrote…”
For new members, we used to sing “Tie that binds” and have members line up down the right of the sanctuary and extend the right hand of fellowship and shake, hug or welcome them, etc.
‘Tis an interesting issue.
Great question. It’s really interesting to read all the comments and see what different church families do. In our nondenom Bible church we have special Baptism Services, in which each person shares his or her testimony before being dunked. Something about hearing the testimony of God’s amazing work in a person’s life, then seeing the symbolic act of the baptism, elicits a kind of rejoicing that just seems fitting expressed through applause. I never feel as though we are applauding the believer, but rather the gracious God who has done this work.
Precisely, Catherine. That’s been my experience with the congregational response as well.
After all, as John said above we worship the Lord and not people, and applauding the baptism can be a very powerful mode of worshiping him.
In my church, the congregation stands and sings something like “Jesus Loves me!” while the preacher walks the infant through the congregation. I find it both worshipful and celebratory.
Ours does. too. and the moment is very touching, as it is all about the infant and his or family being reminded that through our congregation, the Lord LOVES this baby!
When I attended a church in Japan, almost all the adult baptisms were followed by the congregation singing (the Jpse translation of), “I’d Rather Have Jesus than Silver or Gold.” It was very meaningful, knowing that they had counted the cost of following Jesus.
When my children were baptized my husband and I chose a hymn that was sung by the congregation after the vows were taken. As the children grew, we could share with them our memories of that day in their lives and explain the significance of the hymn that we chose for them. To me, this breaks the awkward moment and gives the glory to God.
PCA church here and we stand and sing the doxology. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!
Amen! I think I want to suggest this idea to the elders.
We sing Psalm 100, Trinity Hymnal#1. No awkward silence, but exuberant praise of our covenant God.
Aimee,
this is a great question. What you want to do is to praise God. That’s what we should all want to do. That’s the right response to the gospel. The sacraments are the gospel made visible so the question is how does God want us to respond to the good news? He wants us to praise him with his Word. The great thing is that he has even given us the text to use when we respond to the good news: Scripture. Surely a psalm would be appropriate. Ps 78 is a great thing to sing after baptism.
If, after a baptism, we all rise to praise God together with his Word, we have a place to express the joy that is welling up within us (as it should!) and we can do it together in a way that God has clearly approved.
Thank you for this suggestion, Dr. Clark. We do have a book of Psalms for singing at the pews, so this would be a great way for us to incorporate praise and worship to God following this means of grace.
Regarding both baptism (whether paedo or credo) and reception into communicant membership: Only unbelief allows us to remain unmoved, silent, mere spectators. OK,unbelief or ignorance. How dare we not worship as we witness the visible, tangible indications of God building his kingdom?
Re specifically children: utterly grieves me that pastors don’t seize the opportunity to preach/teach what is happening right in front of our eyes, especially recognizing the two situations as supremely suited to calling upon children to submit to the covenant Lord’s claim upon them, explaining both the blessing and the curse signified and sealed in baptism.
If pastors will do that, the congregation, filled with the Spirit, will solve the celebration question. Just as people do whenever something awesome overwhelms them
[...] Byrd at Housewife Theologian asks a great question about what to do with ourselves after a [...]
I, almost always, cry with joy (to myself) at this greatest moment in the life of that person, baby, adult, whomever. Much greater than probably know at that moment.
Dr. Andrew Jumper, a great churchman, pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in St. Louis from 1971-1991, would, after baptizing an infant, walk up and down the aisles of the church with the child in his arms, stopping to show it to various church members. By doing this he communicated the joy of the moment for the covenant community.
Having attended two PCA churches, baptism (often of infants) is usually immediately followed by a hymn. In the one church, if it was infant baptism, it would inevitably be ‘Children of the Heavenly Father’. If it was an adult baptism — combined with reception of new members — it would be a hymn written by the senior pastor and music director.
This same church had a practice of actually discouraging applause during a worship service. The idea was that a worship service should adhere to ‘Soli Deo Gloria’ and applause in a Western context obscures that purpose. While one can certainly worship God with applause, it both can seem inadequate (as you note) and can easily give the wrong impression that the applause is directed towards the person on stage. (It is even more particularly a concern if the applause follows, say, a prelude or offertory, since it so closely resembles applause following a concert performance.)
I no longer attend that church, after having moved, but I generally agree with the sentiment there. I wouldn’t bind anyone to the same rule, of course, but to this day, I usually refrain from applauding.
I am always overwhelmed with God’s grace and cry, whether it is a baby or a new adult believer. Such a powerful moment. Just re-read my paper that I wrote and passed out to all of my friends and family that attended my boys baptism entitled, “Why we are baptizing Gavin and Kelpy.” I wanted them to understand the who, what, when, and whys of our decision and not just following a traditional religious ceremony.
After a baptism, or public reception of new members,the pastor and the elder(s) assisting in the baptism do the hugging and hand shaking. Our pastor announces something like, “Congregation of XYZ Church, I present to you our newest member.” We then stand and sing the first verse of the hymn, “Bless Be the Tie that Binds,” from the Trinity Hymnal, as the family walks back up the aisle. Our pastor then says something like, “Be sure you greet the family and our newest member this morning after worship.” (In the case of publicly receiving new members, where all the session stands at the front, he says, “Just as you see your elders giving the right hand of fellowship to our new members, please be sure you do likewise after the service this morning.”
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
Late to the party here, but I love the discussion in the comments. My church is also nondenom and we have a special service dedicated to baptisms – it’s everyone’s favorite. The “baptizees” give a brief testimony and then we actually stand and sing a worship song while they’re being dunked. People are singing, crying, laughing, clapping, taking pictures, and there is just the most beautiful atmosphere of worship! I love nothing more than leading worship to celebrate with those who have been miraculously regenerated!
I’m also a little late to the party, but have to stop because this is a topic of disagreement that has always perplexed me. My husband has been ordained as a Teaching Elder in the PCA for 15 years and I still do not understand why we struggle so much with clapping as an expression of worship. It’s in the Bible people! It’s an imperative! I am studying Nehemiah right now and the first thing that came to mind as I was reading the comments was chapter 12 verse 43, describing the celebratory worship that was happening as the wall was dedicated: “And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.” How many of our Reformed churches reflect that kind of worship? There are many other examples in scripture of this kind of worship, which I don’t have that time to cite at that moment. That being said, I’m just not sure why we have such trouble with clapping, or being ok with others clapping. I can’t imagine why, when we are moved by the spirit to rejoice we would think that clapping is drawing attention to ourselves. I can’t imagine why, if we are uncomfortable with clapping, and others do clap, why we would not rejoice that they feel free to worship the Lord that way but instead assume the worst of our brother or sister.
I had a terribly awkward moment at General Assembly this past year, when a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace was played. It’s an incredible song, was done incredibly well and I was so thankful God had gifted these people to bless His people. I clapped. It was short lived. I was more conscious of myself in that moment than when I started to clap.
We talk about David dancing before the Lord but forget to mention Michal who despised David in her heart for his exuberant display, accusing him of drawing attention to himself (2 Sam 6:20). What happened to her? She was struck barren. How does that fit into our regulative principle?
And what if you responded as people did in Psalm 126:1-3, Heather!
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.