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A Wave of Grace
Every baptism is special. It is an amazing moment when a person is determined to follow Jesus by being united with Him in the likeness of His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-6). But this year’s baptism during the fall Evangelical Services and Spiritual Convocation (ESSC) was particularly special for me.
As a long-time member of True Jesus Church, I have witnessed many baptisms, from infants to elderly people. I would sing hymns as the preacher in a white robe baptizes a new believer in the name of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it would happen in icy water, and sometimes the whole family would get baptized. Regardless of how amazing the baptism was, it was never personal: I was merely glad and thankful for a new member.
This year, I was heavily involved in baptism. One of the truth seekers was an old lady who needed a wheelchair and had recently been hospitalized. Baptism was not simply walking into water for her. She was very weak, and she needed to be lifted into the water to be baptized. Three men volunteered to help her get into the water, and I was one of them.
The day before the baptism, we settled on all the agenda for the baptism. The baptism site was updated to a closer location for the lady, hymns were printed out, towels and white robes were prepared, and a liftable lawn chair was prepared. But we had never baptized someone in a chair before, so the three volunteers decided to practice lifting someone before the actual baptism. And soon I realized that lifting an adult was not easy, even though there were three people. I could not straighten my arms because then the chair would be too low. We also had to lift and put down in a synchronized manner, so that the seated person does not tilt or wobble. My arms hurt after a short trial, but the two other volunteers seemed fine.
I was worried. Lifting a person was more strenuous than I thought, and I did not feel confident. What if I lose strength on the way? What if the truth seeker gets injured? What if her health becomes more serious? In the evening prayer, I prayed for the baptism harder than ever, for God’s glory and for the lady’s safety.
The next morning, the weather was extremely windy. Thank God that the water temperature was mild, but the wind was creating large waves. It was not ideal weather to perform baptism to a sick person. But the baptism had to be done, as time was not on her side. We prayed, seat-belted her on the lifting chair, and lifted her.
She was surprisingly light. I felt relieved and worried at the same time. I noticed how skinny and weak she was. All my focus went towards carefully moving this lady, so that she can be baptized safely. I was praying with my eyes open. There must have been sounds of the wind, the waves, and hymn singing, but I did not hear any of them. Slowly but steadily, we stepped toward the preacher who was waiting in the deeper water.
Suddenly there was a sharp cry from the lady. She was smiling and peaceful this whole time, but the moment her feet touched the cold water, she felt scared. The brothers who were lifting her were also surprised and tried to comfort her. But a sister who had been holding the lady’s hand from the very beginning, reassured her of God. And the lady regained her peace again.
We brought the lady in front of the pastor, who was standing in the water at waist height. The water was not very deep, but the waves were too strong to go further. The pastor tried to baptize the lady in the name of Jesus Christ while we lowered the chair, but her body was not fully immersed in water. Usually, the pastor would help the new believer bow down forward to fully immerse in water, but the chair made it difficult to do so. So, the pastor requested that we should tilt the chair and help the lady’s body to immerse in water.
The second time, the pastor proclaimed in the name of Jesus Christ, and we tilted the chair a little. It looked like it wasn’t enough to lean her body forward into the water – the back of her head was still outside. That was when a gentle wave came, not too strong, but at the right time. Like a blanket, the wave immersed her, and she was baptized. Thank God that she was able to receive the sacrament of foot washing and join the Holy Communion as well in the chapel that day.
What seemed like the worst situation turned out to be a blessing. The truth seeker was old, sick, and could not walk. The high wind and strong waves worried everyone, and the lady also cried out in fear when her feet touched the water. But she pressed on. And it was a gentle wave during fierce, crashing waves that fully immersed her body. It was God who controlled the wave to baptize her. It was God’s grace that fully covered her sins.
That wave of grace touched me deeply. I experienced firsthand, to walk with faith not by sight as clearly, I was shaken by what I saw. I invite you to join us in taking this walk of faith. Come join us for Sabbath services complete with prayers, hymnal singing, fellowship and other activities together with others who share the same faith. We would be delighted to have you.
Please find our church location below:
4N550 Church Road
Bensenville, IL 60106
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In the meantime, please feel free to join us for our regular Sabbath (Friday evening and Saturday) services online or in-person.
Friday Evening Service: 7:50PM – 9:00PM
Saturday Morning Service: 10:50AM – 12:00Noon
Saturday Afternoon Service: 1:30PM – 2:40PM
Email us at ilovejesus@tjc-chicago.org