Baptism for men

  • Baptism is Christianity’s most physical sacrament. It’s a whole-body reminder that our old self has died with Christ, and that a new creation has been born. (I Cor. 5:17).

    I’ve been thinking of ways to enhance this experience for men, while staying true to scripture. And I’ve got an idea. I call it tapBaptism of Jesus-out baptism, and it allows the candidate to play a more active role. Here’s how it would work.

    The minister stands in the water with the candidate, and says all the usual words. Up to this point, nothing is different from a traditional immersion baptism. But then the minister places a hand on the top of the candidate’s head and pushes him straight down into the water as the candidate bends his knees. The minister holds the candidate underwater for as long as the candidate wants to remain submerged. When the candidate “taps out” minister releases his hold and the candidate comes shooting out of the water, to the cheers of those assembled.

    Now, before you dismiss this as a crackpot idea, hear me out.

    Baptism is a symbol of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Holding a limp person underwater for one second doesn’t do this justice. But an extended submersion would be a much closer re-enactment of the Lord’s death and resurrection.

    • Burial. Christ’s body was in the ground for three days. That’s a long time, and our baptismal rite should reflect that.
    • Pain. Jesus suffered unbearable pain at his death. And when a man holds his breath under water, he also feels a stinging pain in his lungs. This pain is a tangible sign of his old nature suffocating and dying.
    • Resurrection. Jesus came out of the ground under his own power. Allowing the candidate to make an energetic exit from the water is a symbol of Jesus’ powerful resurrection, and the power available to us as we follow Christ.

    Of course, tap-out baptism would come with a bunch of caveats:

    • It’s optional
    • The procedure would need to be explained in advance to minimize the risk of injury
    • Individuals with certain medical conditions would be baptized in the traditional way
    • Instead of dunking backward as we now do, tell the candidate to bend his knees and go straight down. (This body position will keep him from swallowing water or getting it into his nose)
    • Encourage the candidate to stay under water until he feels the “old man” dying in his chest. As his discomfort increases, instruct him to pray, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

    What will the congregation do while the candidate is submerged? Most people can hold their breath from 30 to 75 seconds without preparing their lungs ahead of time. Why not sing? I’d encourage a songwriter to compose a simple baptismal song or chant with a good beat. Something about death and resurrection. When the candidate comes bursting out of the water, the song abruptly ends and the congregation offers its applause.

    I think young men would particularly love this type of baptism. This would be a great form of baptism to use during a men’s retreat. And men being men, I suppose some might compete to see who can stay under the water longest. As long as men understand that a lengthy immersion isn’t any better than a quick one, I don’t think the Lord will mind.

    So let me know what you think of this idea…comments are open.

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    August 30th, 2010 | David Murrow | 19 Comments |

About The Author

David Murrow

David Murrow is the director of Church for Men, an organization that helps congregations reach more men and boys. In his day job, David works as a television producer and writer. He's the author of three books. He lives in Alaska with his wife, three children, two grandchildren and a dachshund named Pepper.

  • http://facesoflions.wordpress.com Dave Wilson

    How about this?

    Encourage men who are being baptized to invite co-workers, neighbors and Facebook friends from high school to witness their identification with Christ through this sacrament. Seems like that would require a manly faith that guys would find meaningful.

    Thanks,
    Dave

  • Luke Tischler

    Right on!! Dave. We had a baptism Sunday recently and it was so ‘managed’, quick dip, prayer, draping towels (even for the guys), a process line. I was baptised in the surf, sand and sweat- that’s what men want(had been playing beach volleyball on an outreach). I think the self imposed extended dunk would really emphazise the death, burial and then joyous ressuresction of the Baptism journey. Like your style and intent Dave. Keep brainstorming you have got Me fired up.
    Good on ya!!
    Luke (Aussie)

  • Gary

    I think there has been a men’s baptism option all along. I one baptized in the lake in Feb. in chilly water, but have heard stories of breaking the ice in December, killing copperheads in the creek in spring, and I can imagine baptizing with the gators in the bayou. I wonder if baptizing in piranna infested waters very quickly would still be manly? I think there could be a lot of inferences to the dangers of the Christian life and to the fact that we don’t get out of this place alive in this body…

  • http://www.facebook.com/anthonymgrubb Anthony Grubb

    Nice try, using creativity and pleas of “hear me out,” and I read it, but that doesn’t mean the concept is correct, and in this case the theology just so happens to be skewed. This makes it yet another false teaching and heresy to add to a mounting totality in the church today.

    There is a common misconception today that the candidate for baptism is performing a work. Baptism IS a work–baptism is a work of GOD–never intended to be a work of the believer. In every Scriptural reference the candidate plays a passive role.

    Finally, “tap out” is a concept from our culture, and inserting our culture into an ordinance which God ordained is a common recipe for disaster.

    Will Christ recognize His church when He returns? Yes, definitely. Will churches with a mounting body of departures from Scripture be recognized by Christ as something they are not? In the first three chapters of Revelation, Christ gave no words of commendation to those departing from their first love–only one of the seven churches was commended. Seek the approval that comes from God rather than men and be blessed!

  • davidmurrow

    Don’t quite see how this rises to the level of heresy. We don’t know how John baptized Jesus. It might have been the “one second dunk” we’re accustomed to, or it might have been something very different.

    And men have been “inserting our culture into an ordinance which God ordained” since the early days of Christendom. The Lord’s Supper is supposed to be an actual meal, not a styrofoam wafer and 4ml of juice. In “Biblical marriage” the wife is given to her husband as property. Fact is, we update and innovate “God ordained” ordinances and sacraments all the time. If this is heresy, then every Christian on earth is a heretic.

  • Ghost250

    “Encourage men who are being baptized to invite co-workers, neighbors and Facebook friends from high school to witness their identification with Christ through this sacrament. Seems like that would require a manly faith that guys would find meaningful.”

    I was re-baptized a short while before starting high-school (7 years ago)and I got the big public baptism against my will. It all felt fake and hollow, like this were something done for publicity. Like the act itself wasn’t important, but making sure -everyyyooone- knew was.

  • Jarrod Johnson

    Good insight, Mr. Murrow. The heresy classification is an overreaction. And, yes, every culture has expressed the ordinances of God in unique ways – because Scripture doesn’t usually get as “precise” as many were raised or are accustomed to think. Regarding the tap-out baptism, it sounds like you’re at least trying to think it through. No easy answer here. The concern for a God-focused experience is important, and I think that could be accomplished through teaching, preparation, and wise leadership. Could this get out of hand? Sure. This risk presents itself anytime we try to express our faith in a relevant way.

  • Bill Philpot

    I believe that if a man accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior however he decides to be Baptized is his choice as long as he is doing it for the only biblical reason there is, whether its for 1 second or 2 minutes, one witness or 1 thousand, and upholds his commitment to GOD ! AMEN !

  • Anton Garrett

    @Anthony Grubb: It’s not heresy; you CHOOSE to be baptised, and this idea merely emphasises the fact from start to finish. Furthermore everybody says they ‘were baptised’, and the use of the passive clearly implies God’s action.

    I’m not sure this is one of the better ideas here, though, because baptism should be done the same way for men and women. Also, John baptised in the river Jordan, which was running water. So John would not have been standing more than waist-deep; and the candidate would not have stayed down for long, or he would have been swept quite a way downstream from John.

    David: It is unhappily true that traditional marriage treated the woman as the man’s property – but in biblical marriage? Where in the Bible is that?

    Many thanks for your excellent insights and book.

  • Tim Chigwidden

    David,
    This is a great idea for men’s baptisms. It instantly makes the idea of Baptism more appealing. In my mind I needed a bit more time under the water for me to really identify with the idea of leaving my old self behind.I actually resented someone else being in contol of when I surfaced. I think will give men a greater sense of ownership of their decision and how they want to express it to Christ and before men.

  • http://www.spiritdojo.org Tadgh Jonathan

    Excellent idea, and one that should be borne in mind, acted upon if churches are serious about reaching men. I see no heresy there. DavidMurrow is correct – we adapt all the time: we don’t sing in latin, we stand to sing and sit to kneel (whereas I can think orf a Bible verse that talks of ‘when you stand to pray…’), we don’t stop work 7 times a day as they did in the middleages etc.

    I think this highlights the confusion about what is cultural and can be changed and what is a Biblical directive. From my studies and IMHO, the ‘work’ in baptism is God’s alone, true; but the method can differ. Why, Ive heard of sprinklings over the head in water-scarce areas, of ‘larger’ people kneeling in the wayer and ‘bowing’ forward at the appropriate time to ensure the minister wasn’t overwhelmed by their weight, and of others who took an unscheduled run and jump into the pool.

    It’s a great idea. More!

  • http://www.spiritdojo.org Tadgh Jonathan

    opps ‘kneel’ above should read ‘pray’

  • Melissa L.

    I think this is an interesting idea. It is good to realize that the Jordan river has never been a “nice” place to take a dip. Naaman threw a fit about having to go into it at all. It was and still is murky, dirty water. Now there is an analogy for the “old self” and death.

  • TyrrellBrown

    I am excited when i think of the way the tap-out option for baptizing men can be applied during men’s meetings with groups of brothers who wnat to know Christ but rarely attend church, if they attend at all. I recently move to lower Alabama after being promoted on the job. When I mentioned to a female co-worker that I wanted to begin a bible study group for men who rarely attend church she nearly fell from her chair. She explained she is a minister in a local church but she has prayed for years that her husband to come to church… and stay committed. I met the husband and after talking with him I discovered there are many men in the area who want to know more about God, but really have a bad taste for church. A few years back while living in Germany I was given copies of your book “Why Men Hate Going To Church” after reading it I knew I wanted to do more to reach the brothers who love God; want to know Christ but have no desire to attend church. After talking with the “to-church-less” husband I told him I really wanted to start a men’s study group to help bring men the gospel in a non-threatening environemnt, sort of a half-way house concept for the non-churched and under-churched men. In less than a week the number of men who’ve shown great interest in becoming part of the study group rapidly growing. Our focus will be on learning more about God through the study of His word and through group discussion on issues that hinder men’s growth and development as Christians. Next week we we will meet for the first time. Our first book study for the group is the gift you’ve written, my prayer is that we will draw men of all flavors into the study group and become a bridge that serves to help brothers find their way to, or back into the churches all over the community. When the brothers accept Christ and are saved I will introduce your tap-out idea for our baptisms as appropriate. Great suggestion. I believe we need to employ more innovative thinking and witty ideas to draw more men to Christ…and to church.

  • JG

    Ridiculous! Why in the world are we so frantic about making baptism “more appealing”? Or “enhance the experience”? To make it look cool? Baptism’s “appeal” can only be drawn from a genuine desire to repent. And that’s it!

  • Ryan

    Well, regardless, I would love to see it. And I could tell you this. I know for sure, if my children were to see this, they would actually think that baptism is more than just getting a bath, with the pastor in luke-warm water, as we have seen in so many churches we have attended. The whole reason behind baptism is to confirm your decision in following Jesus. The Lutheran and Catholic churches have distorted it to have infant baptism, and using confirmation classes to take the place of what a real baptism is about. Your ministry David is wonderful, and have been watching and reading your insights since Manly Man Conference.

  • http://www.MenofAIM.org Rich Gerberding

    I like the idea – it doesn’t change anything spiritually, but actually demonstrates that the Christian life isn’t an easy path. My baptism was painful from a separate cause.

    When I was baptized I’d recently had hernia surgery, so as I went down my gut tensed and the pastor stopped. So if full immersion is a actual requirement as some denominations believe, if you meet a guy in heaven with no face, then that would be me. Looking forward to seeing you again in February!

  • Anton Garrett

    Melissa: Baptism also symbolises cleansing, so don’t be too quick to assume that the Jordan was filthy. It runs a lot slower since modern irrigation schemes reduced the flow.

  • Ron Schwab

    Awesome. As the guys and I discussed the option of making this time even more memorable the thought crossed my mind….If you want to challenge yourself to seek God during and after your baptism follow it up with a 1 -3 day camping trip….alone….while fasting! Setting aside time to seek and be with God is always worth doing. Jesus, of course, was led into the wilderness so this is not required but the result of spending that kind of time with God would be immeasurable.