OLLIE'S DAY

Today was a special day for me and for the people attending the morning eucharist at Chester Cathedral. It was also a very important day for Ollie James who became a child of God through the sacrament of Holy Baptism.

I enjoyed the message, preached by a former biology student of Pastor Barrie Lawless whom I will be visiting in a few days at his home in Oxfordshire. He is now a Canon at the cathedral. He reminded us all of the importance of the event they were celebrating today and encouraged the many guests and relatives who were there for the occasion to take responsibility for supporting Ollie in his life of faith.

After the service I went up to his mum, introduced myself, and asked if I might take a picutre of Ollie which I did. Her response didn't surprise me, but I was surprised to hear that this is one of the three baptisms that they have in any given year at the cathedral.

I didn't pursue the question that naturally came to my mind, but it was interesting to me that there are so few baptisms in a year at the cathedral. I suppose it has to do with the fact that cathedral worship services are much more complex than a simple parish baptism like we've had on so many occasions.

Nevertheless, it was refreshing and encouraging to me to be there for this event. It reminded me of what a precious event it is when we have a baptism. Parents bring a child to be baptized with all good intentions, but they often can't even grasp the enormous wonder of the relationship that is starting in that moment of grace. That's understandable, of course, for there are so many other things that are going to happen to this precious child in years to come, that it would overwhelm us to try to contemplate them all. It is enough perhaps just to recognize that when a child is baptized, God is launching that child into a great adventure.