The Family of God-by Linden Malki

Being a member of "God's family" is a choice that we make. In one sense, all human beings are children of God, but we need to make the step to identify with His people. Back at the beginning of God's calling of His people, it was important to recognize the need to take a positive step to maintain ritual cleanliness in His eyes. We see this back in the earliest days of God's calling Aaron and his family to prepare for their offerings to God by being washed in a basin set apart for this purpose.  Also, as the Law developed, it included the command to wash to restore yourself after various

deliberate and inadvertent types of disobedience or uncleanliness. By the time of the New Testament, communities maintained ritual washing pools with access to clean running water; these pools have been found in many first-century communities, including the fortress at the top of Masada.  As the Jewish communities regrouped after the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, the first thing they were commanded to provide was a "mikva", or ritual bath.  To this day, Jewish communities maintain the mikva for ceremonial washing,  and adopting converts into the communal family. 

When John the "Baptist" showed up at the Jordan River, preaching repentance to the people and offering this ritual bath of repentance and restoration, this was a familiar procedure to the Jews. When Jesus showed up, John was given recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, but this was the beginning of a new understanding of what this meant. Jesus' disciples continued to baptise those who wanted to follow, but it wasn't yet clear what was involved. At Pentecost, after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, Peter offered baptism as a new beginning and a new relationship with God, which was open not only to Jews but outsiders as well, and this was not recognized by some of Jesus' followers, who were still seeing this growing community as being for Jews or those willing to accept the full Jewish law only. As we read the story of this developing community, and stories of those who had been "outsiders" now welcome to this new identity as followers of Christ, we find God leading the way in welcoming the Samaritans, the Ethiopian official, the Roman centurion and his household, and all sorts of interesting people who had been outsiders until now, into His Family, symbolized by the ancient ceremony of baptism.

We have seen this over the centuries; even when the church has tried to maintain control over this ancient practice, we have seen God calling people outside of the organized church to bring people into the family. The Reformation and its predecessors welcomed people outside of the formal church structure, and baptised people on their own commitment--which opened up their welcoming people beyond the church who claimed control over the community, and restored the practice of baptising believers on their profession of faith. We are called to welcome all who are touched by God's mercy into His Family, and baptising in His Name.