NEW YORK: Episcopal church offers 'open baptism' to all who want sacrament
Old rite gets new welcome

By Diana Ladden
The Independent

HUDSON, NY (April 14, 2006)--Christ Church Episcopal is offering "open baptism" as part of its Easter Vigil service, Saturday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m.

It's an unorthodox approach; because the only requirement for people wishing to be baptized is that they show up a half hour ahead of the ritual and join a relatively brief baptismal recitation.

The rector of Christ Church, Father John Perry, acknowledges that this type of baptism is a departure from Church practice, but he sees it as a gesture of welcome intertwined with one of the oldest and important events in the Episcopal Church, the Easter Vigil.

"We feel strongly that the church should do all it can do to remove any barriers, real or imagined, that keep people from finding and expressing spirituality in church," says Fr. Perry

In his denomination, as in other branches of Christianity, the sacrament of baptism usually has two aspects, a prolonged period of study and the ceremony. In the early Christian church, those who had studied were baptized during the Easter Vigil.

"We asked ourselves why a period of study had to take place before the inspiration of the baptism - the period of study is a barrier for many people and the baptism is an expression of grace.

It should not be necessary for people to 'earn' God's grace; it is or everyone," says Fr. Perry. He adds that the grace of God is the primary element in thinking and behaving in the Episcopal Church.

He describes the Episcopal Church theologically as sacramental rather than confessional. "We don't ask if you believe what we believe. We ask if you will break bread with us before the Lord."

Fr. Perry described the Easter Vigil that will take place on Saturday. The service begins with the church in darkness, symbolic of the world plunged into darkness with the death of Jesus.

The celebrant, in this case Fr. Perry, prepares a small fire outside of the front door of the church that represents the light of God's love. He lights the paschal, or Easter candle, and enters the church, lighting the candles held by each member of the congregation.

The service will continue by candlelight, and those who wish to be baptized will say the words of the baptismal service. Then there is a procession of those who wish to be baptized to the font in the back of the Church.

Fr. Perry believes that the word - actually questions - of the baptismal service encompass the basic tenets of the Episcopal Church.

"The one I like best is 'renouncing the evil powers of this world which corrupts and destroy the creatures of God," he says. "We are all creatures of God. And you will notice that evil powers are not necessarily defined as humans."

The other two tenets Father Perry particularly likes are "Turn to Jesus Christ" and "Follow and obey him as your Lord."

"One of my teachers used to say the world would be a better place if more people followed the Lord as opposed to worshipping Him," says the Episcopal priest.

Fr. Perry hopes that many people will take advantage of the open baptism. E church will be beautiful," said Father Perry, barely disguising his pride. "It will be hung with barriers and filled with flowers. And the gold reredos - the decorative screen behind the altar will be revealed."

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