And the band played on… (OFC 9-26-10)

I will never be able to express my gratitude to God for allowing me to experience Sunday, September 26, 2010 at Ottawa First Church of the Nazarene. The service ended with a challenge for people to respond to a “Faith Impulse” and take a step. The idea was that we miss miracles because we don’t accept the offer of faith God has placed on the table in front of us. In essence, we ignore “Faith Impulses.” The Scriptural picture was of Peter walking on water, all because Jesus said, “Come.”

So a place to start was established and a challenge issued: “If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, come, do it now and be baptized.” The band was told, “Start playing, if they come, play as long as they keep coming.” Our worship leader nodded his head and began to play.

It was an impromptu baptism service. Some churches function this way every Sunday, but not us. We usually have classes before baptism. In preparation, we bring clothes and psyche ourselves up before getting wet in front of people. We brace ourselves for bad hair days. We organize. We plan. We prepare. But not today…today we just came…and kept coming. And the band played on.

The call was, “If you’ve had a change of heart, we have a change of clothes.” A phrase not original to our church, and as it turned out, not true either. We ran out of clothes. Consequently, some people had a change of heart but chose to be baptized in the clothes they had on. They went home wet, with a towel around their shoulders, and a smile on their face.

Sixty three of them to be exact, sixty three people who did not come to church expecting to get wet, went home that way. Women in dresses, men in suits, and shorts, and jeans and everything in between. A little boy of about 8 and an older couple about…older. People from all walks of life waited for their turn in the water. The ground really is level…and wet…at the foot of the cross.

I watched tears flow down faces while our Spiritual Formation Pastor, David Alderson, spoke into their heart as they stood in the water. We couldn’t hear what he was saying because the band was playing and we were singing. Each time, as their bright, shining, smiling faces came up out of the water I heard a sound I will never forget; the sound of the church cheering! Sixty three times he said it, and sixty three times we cheered! And the band played on.

After each baptism, as they stood, dripping in the water, Dave pointed to the crowd and said something else. I moved close enough at one point to hear. “Do you see all these people…these people are your family…they are all here for you! They’re cheering for you! You are not alone!”

Parents of high school students scrambled for a camera. They didn’t see this coming.

Wives wept as husbands raised their arms in triumph when they came up out of the water.

Entire families came together, prayed together, and were baptized together. A Father stood in line, escorting his son because the 14 year old had made a decision for Christ and wanted to be baptized. They had driven from the video campus to get in line. After the young man finished, the father approached a pastor, said he wasn’t saved, but wanted to be, and then prayed the prayer…and then got back in line. This time the son escorted the father to the baptismal pool. And the band played on.

I will never forget the faces. I will never forget the tears. I will never forget the embraces. I will never forget the smiles. Thank you, God, for allowing me to be part of this amazing day. Thank you, Church, for being who God called you to be; a group of people more dedicated to reaching others than to pleasing themselves. Over the last few years you’ve endured change and barbequed sacred cows. You’ve sacrificed and served and prayed and given in an attempt to make John 3:16 come alive in our community. Today it did.