Baptism By Spit
Stories
LECTIONARY TALES FOR THE PULPIT
Series III, Cycle A
"Jan wasn't baptized by the spirit, she was baptized by spit," went the joke. Jan had heard it all before: the taunting and teasing from her aunts and uncles. Sure, they hadn't been there at her birth, but they loved to tell the story. They were telling Jan's friends about that fateful day when Jan was born - and baptized.
Jan's mother, Donna, was 27 weeks pregnant when the car she was driving was hit by a truck. The driver didn't see Donna's car and neither he nor Donna had time to react. The truck driver wasn't wearing a seat belt and was killed instantly. Donna's growing belly kept her pinned inside her seat belt and in the car. The volunteer fire squad and paramedics worked frantically to get her out of the wreckage.
Donna was freed after almost twenty minutes and while in the ambulance her water broke. It was too late. The baby was coming. The paramedics were on the phone with the hospital doctor on call, but the ride was still almost 45 minutes long. They would have to rely on all their training and skill to help Donna and the baby. The baby, a little girl, came fast and furious. She was tiny. About three pounds in the paramedics' estimation.
The paramedics were friends with Donna and her husband. Their town was very small and everyone knew each other. Donna taught high school English and was the school newspaper advisor. Her husband Hal worked at a nearby mine. Hal would meet them at the hospital.
The senior paramedic, Mark, was a deeply faithful man who believed that he was privileged to be an EMT and have the opportunity to help people. He taught Biology at the middle school. He was checking Donna's vital signs when the younger paramedic, Bill, started yelling into the phone at the doctor. The baby was blue and was not responding. Bill was trying not to panic. Mark and Bill worked on the baby together and while waiting for further instructions, Mark spit on his finger and made the sign of the cross on the baby's forehead. "I baptize you, baby, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen." He fought to remember all the baptisms he had heard in their country church. "You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works ... Amen." He couldn't think of the rest. "God bless you, baby girl. Amen."
Later he told Donna he didn't know why, but the feeling came over him that the baby should be baptized. There was such a good chance the baby was going to die and this might give Donna a tiny ray of hope if she did die.
The baby was revived and remained in the neonatal intensive care unit for five weeks. She was in the hospital a total of thirteen weeks while her body fought to survive and thrive. Donna and Hal, who named their baby Jan Marie, were thrilled to take her home - exactly three days after her original due date.
Jan was dedicated at church seven weeks later. The grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family from all over came to see the baby. Bill, the paramedic, was there also. But it was Mark who held the baby while the pastor symbolically poured water from the baptismal font into a shell. "The baptismal waters have already been poured on Jan when she was less than an hour old, but this water symbolizes what happened at her true baptism. Today we are reminded what happens at baptism."
The pastor had rewritten the words to accommodate Jan's former baptismal blessing given by Mark and there was not a dry eye in the congregation. Jan was baptized, Jan was a child of God, and she was a fighter!
And now, even thirty years later, Jan is still awed by what happened to her. She had always been tiny, and Mark's pet name for her was "Pipsqueak." Her dad called her "Half--pint." Her mother called her Jan.
At her son's baptism, Jan fought back tears of joy and gratitude at the thought. She was given a chance at life long ago in the ambulance. She was given the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism.
Let them laugh at her baptism by spit. To her, it was still baptism by the Spirit!
Jan's mother, Donna, was 27 weeks pregnant when the car she was driving was hit by a truck. The driver didn't see Donna's car and neither he nor Donna had time to react. The truck driver wasn't wearing a seat belt and was killed instantly. Donna's growing belly kept her pinned inside her seat belt and in the car. The volunteer fire squad and paramedics worked frantically to get her out of the wreckage.
Donna was freed after almost twenty minutes and while in the ambulance her water broke. It was too late. The baby was coming. The paramedics were on the phone with the hospital doctor on call, but the ride was still almost 45 minutes long. They would have to rely on all their training and skill to help Donna and the baby. The baby, a little girl, came fast and furious. She was tiny. About three pounds in the paramedics' estimation.
The paramedics were friends with Donna and her husband. Their town was very small and everyone knew each other. Donna taught high school English and was the school newspaper advisor. Her husband Hal worked at a nearby mine. Hal would meet them at the hospital.
The senior paramedic, Mark, was a deeply faithful man who believed that he was privileged to be an EMT and have the opportunity to help people. He taught Biology at the middle school. He was checking Donna's vital signs when the younger paramedic, Bill, started yelling into the phone at the doctor. The baby was blue and was not responding. Bill was trying not to panic. Mark and Bill worked on the baby together and while waiting for further instructions, Mark spit on his finger and made the sign of the cross on the baby's forehead. "I baptize you, baby, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen." He fought to remember all the baptisms he had heard in their country church. "You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works ... Amen." He couldn't think of the rest. "God bless you, baby girl. Amen."
Later he told Donna he didn't know why, but the feeling came over him that the baby should be baptized. There was such a good chance the baby was going to die and this might give Donna a tiny ray of hope if she did die.
The baby was revived and remained in the neonatal intensive care unit for five weeks. She was in the hospital a total of thirteen weeks while her body fought to survive and thrive. Donna and Hal, who named their baby Jan Marie, were thrilled to take her home - exactly three days after her original due date.
Jan was dedicated at church seven weeks later. The grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family from all over came to see the baby. Bill, the paramedic, was there also. But it was Mark who held the baby while the pastor symbolically poured water from the baptismal font into a shell. "The baptismal waters have already been poured on Jan when she was less than an hour old, but this water symbolizes what happened at her true baptism. Today we are reminded what happens at baptism."
The pastor had rewritten the words to accommodate Jan's former baptismal blessing given by Mark and there was not a dry eye in the congregation. Jan was baptized, Jan was a child of God, and she was a fighter!
And now, even thirty years later, Jan is still awed by what happened to her. She had always been tiny, and Mark's pet name for her was "Pipsqueak." Her dad called her "Half--pint." Her mother called her Jan.
At her son's baptism, Jan fought back tears of joy and gratitude at the thought. She was given a chance at life long ago in the ambulance. She was given the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism.
Let them laugh at her baptism by spit. To her, it was still baptism by the Spirit!
