Granddaddy Dan & Aunt Adie won the baptism-gift prize with a remote control helicopter. Above is my post-dinner view from tonight: three extremely happy guys, chasing the helicoptor as that pesky Palouse wind teased them all far out across the pasture.
We had a wonderful Sunday at church, with lots of whispers between the boys and us about how, "after this afternoon I get to take communion every Sunday!" They were more aware then ever before as the trays of bread and wine passed--and they gave bright-eyed replies when we prompted for the meaning of each.
They've been excited for weeks, since the day for our church's immersion baptism was scheduled and they were signed up. Our picture bibles show John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, and then Jesus baptizing believers, and all summer at the pool and in the tub the boys have been practicing.
Initially, we'd hoped to have them baptized in a river by Papa Ron, but that didn't work out . . . so we joyfully embraced another "tradition" and I wore the very same dress to their baptism, that I wore when Pastor Wilson baptized me in the spring of 1998 at their home; this time he baptized our sons in the Nazarene Church's baptismal pool--the very same place a friend said she was baptized years ago. I love the memories and fellowship surrounding it all.
We were blessed by the company of three other young believers being baptized too: a super-smiley boy, and beautiful identical twin sisters (doesn't that make you smile), and a host of families from church there to witness and Amen along with the two other families and us. Plus from Coeur d'Alene and Spokane . . . what JOY . . . my father, mother, and sister!
God is so very good and kind! Christ encouraged us all to have faith like a child, and further that a mustard seed of faith was enough. Christ welcomes us, and we have nothing to prove, nothing to earn, nothing to bring but our faith bestowed on us by grace.
I promised those faithful Kyles who weren't able to attend--but who have been praying for the boys since long before they were McMurrays--that I'd give a description of the proceedings: after church we got ready for a dinner of favorite foods with Granddaddy Dan, Grandma Greta, and Aunt Adie as guests--both boys requested to sit next to Aunt Adie--we finished it up with huckleberry pie, cupcakes, and ice cream. We arrived at the church in the nick of time (too much visiting at home), and I hustled the towels and change of clothes bag to the back area behind the sanctuary stage. Then Mr. Wilson gave us the skinny, and I realized that my job was to sit with my family while Phil, when cued, took the boys up on stage. We sang two hymns, and then Phil was cued. This baptism pool was down in the stage (all other baptismal pool immersions I've attended were more of a see-through affair). When Bryce went first, powering through his three "Yes Sir's", we the audience could just see his chest and stoic face. When Phil raised him up to the stage level carpet his face shone, and he looked around, a dripping, smiling little solider of the cross. Next, Phil put Deacon in the pool, on a higher step then Bryce, then Mr. Wilson moved him down to the "right spot", and Deacon's precious beaming face was mere inches above the pool's edge. He assuredly "Yes Sir'd" three times, and hadn't plugged his nose like Bryce, so he shook off all the wet a bit more then Bryce had done as Phil raised him out and next to his big brother. After each child was raised with Christ, Pastor Wilson said, "Amen" and we all clapped loudly. The boys followed their dad back to get towels, and peeked themselves around to watch the other three children. We prayed and then boys presto-change-o'd into dry clothes and ran out to hug me, Aunt Adie, Granddaddy and Grandma, and then greet little friends. We'd brought cupcakes, and I was so glad I had something to say, "Have a cupcake!" because I was just too joyful to think.
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