Baptism

God is love. God gives us life.
In Christ God reaches out to us.
In baptism God calls us to respond.
Do you accept this call?

Baptism is a sacrament – an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. It is a declaration of God’s unconditional love for each of us and speaks of our identity as children of God. It is also a sign of our calling to walk in the ways of God, following Jesus and guided by the Holy Spirit, and our commitment to do this, as best we can, throughout our lives.

Baptism welcomes us into the Church, which we speak of as ‘the Body of Christ’. This means the whole Church: the local congregation, the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC), and the world-wide Church. Baptism usually happens during the usual Sunday morning worship service, reflecting this sense of joining a community. We are “marked as Christ’s own forever”, which means that baptism only happens once in a person’s life and it permits full, eucharistic membership of the SEC. If you have previously been baptised with water, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”, then this will be recognised by our congregations.

Baptism is for anyone of any age. An older child or adult will be asked to make statements about their Christian faith and promises arising from that. When a baby or young child is being baptised, these statements and promises are made by the parents/carers of the child.

A baptism usually takes place in the middle of a Sunday service. When the time comes, the person comes forward (with parents/carers as appropriate), and is asked some questions. The whole congregation then restate the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Then water is used, often poured over the head of the baby or person being baptised, whilst the priest says, “I baptise you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”.

Holy Oil is then used to mark a cross on the forehead of the child or person being baptised. In this, we are ‘marked’ as belonging to Christ. A candle is then given to the person being baptised or the parents/carers of the baby as a reminder that we have been given ‘the light of Christ’ and are to follow Christ in our everyday lives.

The liturgy for Holy Baptism used in the SEC can be viewed online here.

The first thing to do is speak with the Rector or Priest-in-Charge of your nearest church: they are always happy to discuss baptisms. They will be able to advise you on the preparations required and the practices of that individual congregation.