BAPTISM IN TIDE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3803, 1 February 1927, Page 36

BAPTISM IN TIDE.

UNUSUAL SURROUNDINGS. CBREMGNY AT AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, January 24. Two baby girls,. aged one month and five months respectively, were baptised on the shores of Rangitoto Island yesterday morning. Carried in the arms of their godparents, the mothers and fathers standing. by and protected from the heat of the approaching noon by a gaily-coloured sunshine, the two babies, one fast asleep, formed the centre of a large group on tne rocky seashore of the island. Yachtsmen, in all the quaint array of thoir holiday garb, dwellers on the island, and picnickers, gathered to witness the unusual proceedings, and the scene became set in a befitting atmosphere of reverence. As the Rev. Jasper Calder, city missioner, conducted the ceremony it was an unexpected happening., Mr Calder had just concluded on the island his fourth open-air service, at which over 200 yachtsmen and campers joined, heartily in the singing and listened attentively to the sermon at. the end of the service. When the gathering was about, to disperse two young couples approached the missioner and asked him to christen their babies. This was something of a problem. The missioner was on the. beach some distance from" the summer residence of the' parents concerned, and christening on the shores of the island had not been anticipated. “Could we not have the christening here?” inquired one of the proud fathers. The missioner demurred for a time,, but after satisfying himself that both the parents and the godparents were.in earnest he consented. He made a proviso that if the gathering remained he would give a short address on the sacrament of baptism. To this all agreed and the gathering moved over to the water’s edge and the ceremony in strange surroundings proceeded. In each case the godparents held the babies, removing their tiny bonnets. The congregation, numbering nearly 200, formed a semi-circle.;.-,- A . .- ‘ .“This beautiful sacrament, is not merely a form of ceremony,” said Mr Calder. “It is a special written service taught by

our Lord Himself. You and T are here to give these little maids a good start on their spiritual career by our prayers to God for a blessing on their young lives.” The vows were then taken, the congregation maintaining a reverent attitude. Mr Calder then received each child in his. arms, steppped into the tide, stooped down, and. thrice poured water op the infants, adding the customary words. The first candidate was named Dawn Noreen Knock and the second Lovis Mary Rout. Before dismissing the gathering the missioner re-. minded them that baptising in the sea was not novel, but rather a primitive idea, as the New Testament recorded many such outdoor rituals.