Harry's Baptism

Last night in my class on designing and leading congregational worship, my professor, Dr. Sigler, asked us to bring a baby doll so we could practice holding a child for baptism. It only seemed right to bring my beloved bear, Harry, who has been with me through thick and thin.

Dr. Sigler began by offering theological background on baptism and its many layered meanings as both sign and seal: a gift given by God, new birth, forgiveness of sin, the reception of the Holy Spirit, incorporation into the church, and our belonging to God. He then invited us to choose one of these dimensions and let the richness of the sign itself communicate that aspect as we practiced officiating the sacrament.

I cradled Harry in my arms and looked into his little eyes. Of course, I knew he was just a stuffed animal, and yet, in that moment, something more seemed to be going on. He was my very own velveteen bear—loved, held, and named.

I pretended to pour water over his head, traced a cross on his furry forehead, and imagined saying the words: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Behold the One beholding you and smiling, little one.” The gesture did not change Harry’s substance, but it changed the meaning of the moment. Like all sacraments, it did not work by magic or merit, but by promise—by God’s extraordinary love on display through ordinary means.

You cannot convince me that mystery is not afoot in the sacraments—even when we are only practicing. Baptism does not make us beloved; it names us as such. It renders visible what is already true: that we belong to God before we can respond, believe, or behave correctly. Holding Harry, I was reminded that becoming “real” in God’s economy has less to do with animation or agency and everything to do with being seen, delighted in, and claimed.

In that moment, I found myself unexpectedly teary, giving thanks for this wonderful old bear who reminded me that we belong to God and are called God’s own—made real not by our striving, but by love.  

Jason and I joked that I should have had this sticker

on my bike bags as I was biking to class last night.