‘Baptism’

Part 1 of our reading through ‘Searching for Sunday’ by Rachel Held Evans

Read Part 1 ‘Baptism’ of ‘Searching for Sunday’. Read the short reflection below, then comment about either Part 1 or the reflection!

Membership and Zeal

In her first chapter, Evans tackles the beauty and ugliness of church membership through the lens of baptism. We see how fundamentally good her church was to include her and be there for people in need.

She also experienced the pain and isolation of church. It’s divisive and nasty qualities.

For those outside the church, many may wonder how these two things can both be true. For many of us in the church, we might wonder if both things are ever not present.

Naming and Control

In one of the origin stories of Genesis, we see the first human getting two jobs: to name everything in creation and be a steward of it. So the questions Evans raises about naming and control are ancient and tap into something deeper.

Being Accepted

In sharing her encounter with Andrew and the pain of not being accepted in church, but finding acceptance online is a profound testament to the physicality of presence, but physical and virtual, and what it means to be Christian community.

Questions

What are your stories of membership and zeal? Authority? Acceptance?

How are we already fulfilling our Baptisms? Where are Christians getting it right?

What unlikely connections have you made which speak to your deep need or to theirs? What are some of the intersections between the two?