This Sunday, the church remembers the baptism of Jesus Christ. The church celebrates this moment on the first Sunday after the Day of Epiphany (January 6). We gather to tell the story of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist and its importance for Jesus’ ministry in both his identification of God’s beloved Son and walking with the very people he came to save.
Baptism of the Lord Sunday also allows the church to reflect on what we hold to be true about this important sacrament. It is important to claim what we hold to be true about baptism within the context of remembering our baptismal vows and the connection baptism has to faith. While there are various understandings and modes of baptism throughout the church, we boldly claim that there is only one baptism for all that connects us to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the community of faith.
I believe a conversation is needed, especially within my denomination of the United Methodist Church, on the validity and importance of baptism within the disability community. This conversation often gets overlooked within our discussions of baptism. We also ignore the practice of how to baptize someone with a disability, specifically an invisible one, until approached by an individual or family member. The lack of guidance and understanding leads to unnecessary questions on the why and how of baptism within the disability community.
The United Methodist Church’s official baptismal stance is expressed through a document called “By Water and the Spirit.” Approved at the 1996 General Conference, it offers a glancing reference to the baptismal needs within the disability community. It says, “This understanding of the workings of divine grace applies to persons who for reasons of handicapping conditions or other limitations are unable to answer for themselves the questions of the baptismal ritual. While we may not be able to fully comprehend how God works in their lives, our faith teaches us that God’s grace is sufficient for their needs and, thus, they are appropriate recipients of baptism.” This is the only statement referencing the disability community within the document.
This statement needs to be updated to include a stronger understanding of baptism, plus it lacks a practical guide for clergy and individuals in thinking through the implications of baptism within the disability community. The statement comes within a section regarding an overarching defense of infant baptism, which can be dismissive of individuals with various disabilities, treating them as infants rather than the children or adults they are.
A broader understanding of baptism within the disability community comes within the framework of grace and the working of God’s grace within human lives. Genesis tells us that God created every person as a reflection of God’s own image. Not one person, especially individuals within the disability community, is absent of the imago Dei (image of God) within their very essence. A person’s disability does not hinder or reduce the imago Dei from their nature. Jesus’ own interactions with individuals with a disability, specifically the paralyzed man in Matthew 9:1-3, show an embrace of humanity and the presence of God within the disabled person. Jesus did not heal the paralyzed man of his disability as if it was a sin and a barrier to the human relationship with God. Instead, Jesus healed the nature of sin existing in all persons, regardless of ability.
Every person is affected by sin. We are born in need of God’s grace and forgiveness. God takes the initiative and seeks us out before we know who God is or can formulate thoughts about God. Martin Luther, John Wesley, and other theologians argued, according to Rob Staples in the book “Outward Sign and Inward Grace,” that a person’s human response is not a prerequisite for baptism. It is a sign of God’s grace that is already at work within the person and an initiation into God’s holy community.
Baptism is not dependent on a person answering for themselves or even having the ability to speak in traditional forms of communication. Every person is a viable candidate for baptism regardless of ability or age.
In the case of baptism within the disability community, clergy must have appropriate conversations on the various modes of baptism and how they affect a person’s specific needs. Insisting that baptism must be conducted in a certain way, such as immersion, can cause unnecessary harm to a person with a disability and hinder the relationship between the individual and the church.
All three modes of baptism – sprinkling, pouring, and immersion – are appropriate for baptism within the disability community. Clergy must share what would take place within each mode of baptism and describe the service of baptism itself, and then stop and listen to specific concerns and needs of the individual, parent, or caregiver. Those conversations will lead to appropriate adaptations that honor the needs of the individual. Adaptation and flexibility are necessary qualities in the church’s ministry to the disability community.
The practice of confirmation – the process where an individual who might not have answered for themselves at their baptism has a chance to claim the faith for themselves – is appropriate for individuals with a disability. Once again, clergy must take care in helping to adapt the confirmation program to meet the needs of an individual or they should seek out appropriate and theologically-grounded materials aimed towards the disability community. Insisting on a one-size-fits-all all approach to confirmation is not helpful.
Appropriate adaptations will come through conversations between the individual, family, and caregiver and the clergy on what needs are present. Adaptations could include individual sessions, within the confines of safe boundary protections, which would allow an individual to work through the program at their own pace, or using visual concepts to convey information and receive responses. A disability, especially an invisible disability, should not prevent the church from extending the grace of faith and allowing a person to claim their faith for themselves.
Baptism is a holy and beautiful sacrament. It must be conducted with care to honor the needs of the disability community. As we celebrate Baptism of the Lord Sunday this weekend, let us remember that the grace of baptism invites all to the water of grace, regardless of ability.
For more information, read By Water and the Spirit. Also Outward Sign and Inward Grace by Rob L. Staples.
Shannon Blosser 