On Saturday, me my wife and the girls (and dog) went to a local reservoir to baptize each other.
Madds, my middle daughter had tried 3 times to get baptized at the church.
First, she was too young (10), second and third, Sylvia (my wife) had gigs on those Sundays.
Madds was frustrated.
(My repeated offers to fill up the tub and get it over with never worked.)
The other two girls wanted to get baptized, too, so Sylvia suggested that we just do them all on Saturday, and shocked us with a: “Me included.”
Now Sylvia had been baptized as a baby in the Germany Lutheran church and had accepted it as her sufficient, faith baptism. It was also a means of her honoring her parents’ faith.
But in most free church circles she was often treated as a second-class Christian being denied full membership. She wrestled with this on and off, but was ultimately fine with her baby dunk.
So, you can understand my jaw-drop.
I checked to make sure I understood, “You too?”
“Yep”
A sizzle of excitement filled the dining room. And all the girls said, “Let’s do it!”
Despite the good weather forecast that Saturday, it had rained hard on and off all day.
It started to clear that afternoon, but even on our way to the reservoir the sky was a mix of golden sunshine and showers.
We found the empty sandy beach, illegally let the dog frolic, and set up a pop-up changing tent.
Fully dressed, first me, Sylvia and Flips (19) got into the cold water.
I baptized Sylvia. Flips assisted. Sylvia made me start over because she was laughing hysterically. Continued laughing as she raised out of the water.
Sylvia baptized Flips with me assisting.
My oldest baptized Madds (15) with me assisting and coaching. Flips said, “buried ALIVE in baptism.” I corrected her, “buried with HIM in baptism.” (likely due to the excess of mystery audio stories) She giggled and repeated, then we dunked Madds.
Madds, then baptized Keeks (14) with Flips coaching and assiting. At the shore we noticed Keek’s hair was not totally wet. I asked, “Do you want to do it again and go all the way under?” She chuckled, “Yes!” So Madds and Flipps baptized her again.
As we were celebrating on the shore, I looked out across the water.
And I kid you not: a rainbow arched in the sky.
It felt like a fairy tale.
Then rain started falling and the girls took cover in the little tent.
Sylvia and I went under a tree.
And Sylvia explained why she got baptized:
“Mainly I was tired of wrestling and wanted to rebel against pastor-only baptism. But if you hadn’t been repeating that Nacho Libre dialogue so much, I don’t think I would have considered it.”
Search “nacho libre baptism” on YouTube. It is one of my most favorite movie scenes of all time
Here’s the scene.
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Nacho (Jack Black) is a Mexican monk who becomes a wrestler. His tag-team partner Esqueleto is a skinny former homeless man. They are in the locker room in spandex and shirtless about to face their ultimate match.
Nacho comes out of the bathroom, toilet still flushing, leans against the door frame.
Nacho (thick Mexican accent): I’m a little concerned right now. About… your salvation and stuff. How come you have not been baptized?
Esqueleto (eating sth, feeling accused): Because I never got around to it ok?
Nacho walks behind him and fills a basin with water.
Esqueleto’s back still turned to Nacho.
Esqueleto: I dunno why you always have to be judging me because I only believe in science.
Nacho (walking toward Esqueleto with basin): But tonight, we are going up against Satan’s Cavemen (gives the sign of the cross) And I just thought it would be a good idea if you...
Nacho grabs the back of Esqueleto’s head and baptizes his face in the basin with a karate “Haeeyahhh.”
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End scene.
Ok, notice what didn’t convince my wife.
I never once made an arguement to my wife to get baptized as an adult.
She knew full emersion was the biblical way.
Never once in our 23 years of marriage, did I ever debate this.
I was even baptized as a baby and re-baptized as a believer.
But me goofing off, quoting Nacho Libre 100 times over the last months nudged her to orchestrate the family baptism event.
It was no manipulation on my part. I just love quoting Jack Black with his silly Mexican accent.
God did the rest.
My point for you email writers: If you bombard your subscribers with too many serious devotionals, debates, and philosophical arguments (while neglecting your goofy side), you might miss out on some rainbow moments.
But you really have to almost annoy them.
If this resonates with you and you need a high converting asset that will grow your email list, check out my offer:
https://blairjohnlee.substack.com/p/done-for-you-email-course
Blair
P.S. The day of the baptism, Sylvia suggested that I baptize everyone as the dad. I would have loved to have been baptized by my father, if he had been a believer, rather than that pastor I have no contact with now. But in the end, we decided discipleship was more important. And let (almost) everybody baptize someone, who had never done it before. Keeks was the last one, but she got two reps in.