One of the main events at Gauntlet each year is the sunrise baptism in the ocean. This year 1400 persons waded into the Atlantic Ocean to be baptized in a pattern followed by Christ-followers for close to 2000 years. Baptism is a rich symbol in the Christian faith. In baptism we are identifying with Jesus is His death and burial as we plunge under the water. In rising out of the water we are connecting with His resurrection from the dead. Baptism is an outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual grace God has given us in our salvation. By baptism we proclaim we are followers of Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Even as organized as our church has become through the 10 previous Gauntlets, baptism of 1400 people takes some time and creates quite a spectacle. Below are a few pics of the service. Three short vignettes stand out to me.
First, we met and spoke with Maddie as she provided Life guard support. I explained how Jesus is real and that baptism is a person’s next step after accepting Him as their savior. Maddie is at a life change point as she enters her final year in college. She has questions about what she is going to do with her life. As we walked away after praying with her, I could sense the Holy Spirit stirring in her heart. I pray that she too will soon be baptized and experience the joy and peace that Jesus gives.
The next shots are from the lifeguard seat in the middle of our service. One of the staff came up to me and pointed out the man kneeling in the sand to the south of our group. He had wandered up early in the baptism and, after chatting with some of our folks, fell to his knees and remained there for the entire time I was there – close to an hour that I know of. His posture of prayer over our group remains one of the most poignant images for me of the week. It also reminded me that there were literally thousands of people back home praying for us before and during the Gauntlet.
The final Baptism morning vignette was when Greg, Dylan and I held our devotion on the pier. We wanted a vantage point where we could continue to observe and pray for the baptism service, but also open the Word and see what God had in store for us. As we finished an older gentleman from the restaurant on the pier approached and asked what was going on up the beach. I shared about the baptism and Gauntlet which lead to an engaging conversation with Mark. A one-time minister, Mark had slipped and backslidden to the point that he had ended up on the streets. A year and a half earlier he decided he had to turn his life around so for 16 months he had worked at the restaurant and was staying away from the drink and other temptations that had caused him to fall. We prayed with Mark. I was blessed as my guys were fully engaged in the conversation, even encouraging Mark to watch the services on-line.
So many people… so many God-stories… so many miracles… such an amazing God.
The next post will be about the worship. The one after that is about one of the mighty miracles that occurred and which is continuing to play out in a most marvelous way.
God is moving… the wave started in the student section and it is growing in intensity. Come Lord Jesus – overwhelm us with more of you.
areliablefaith 