The Anglican service is sometimes called a Christening. It usually takes place during the Sunday service as the child is becoming a member of the church family and so it is important the family is present. Godparents are chosen by the family to help with the child's spiritual and religious upbringing. At the service the parents and godparents all gather around the font with the vicar. Usually the mother/father hold the baby. The water in the font is blessed by the vicar. The vicar prays for the child giving thanks for this new life. He reminds the parents and the godparents of their own faith and beliefs. The parents are asked to name the child. He repeats the Christian name. He lifts the baby over the font and pours a little water over the baby's head saying "I baptise you in the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit". The vicar then takes some holy oil and makes the sign of the cross on the child's forehead saying "I sign you with the cross the sign of Christ" The parents and the Godparents are sometimes given a candle to hold and they are asked to confirm their belief in God and their commitment as Christians. They promise to bring the child up in the Christian faith. The Roman Catholic service is very similar, but there are more rituals, some of which resemble the Orthodox rituals such as anointing the baby with the oil of chrism and dressing the baby in white garment. In all 3 denominations the baby is baptised with water but in the Orthodox service the baby is immersed, whereas in Anglican and Catholic services it is only sprinkled with water. All these have the same words, “I baptise you in the name of . . . “ because these were the words used by Jesus when he commanded Baptism in Matthew 28:19 – “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”.
Some churches (Methodist) have a simple dedication service which celebrates the birth of the baby and the infant is given a Christian name but not baptised. The parents promised to bring the child up in the Christian faith. Later on when they are old enough to make a commitment for themselves the child may be baptised.
Roman Catholic and Anglican believers see water as a symbol of life because without water there will be no life. Water also makes us clean. Baptism signifies the new life and the cleansing from sin won for us by the resurrection of Jesus. Many Catholic and Anglican churches anoint the child with chrism oil which shows that the Holy Spirit has come to the child and began to work on him/her and help the baby in life. Therefore baptism is considered a sacrament as it is an outward sign of God’s inner work. Baptismal candles are often lit and given for the parents to hold as a symbol of turning away from evil which is the darkness and towards Jesus who is the Light of the World. In Roman Catholic and Anglican churches you will usually find a font by the church entrance, this shows that it is the first step in to the church and unity with God. Baptism is very important as the child can never enter the church fully without it, and won’t be part of the community.
In Orthodox faith, baptism is taken a bit more seriously because they believe that as soon as the baby is born it already carries the original sin from Adam and Eve, so baptism is very important and in some way essential. That is why the child is being baptised very early at just 8 days old. To symbolize this abolishment of your old, sinful self the clothes are taken off the baby. Orthodox Christians try to keep to the way of the first Christians as it believes that if they had been there at the time of Jesus then practicing religion in the same way is keeping to the way that Jesus has intended. In this idea they immerse the child in the font as this is what they believe happened to the first Christians. Orthodox, too, believe that water is used to wash away your sins and being born again as the child of God just like the Roman Catholic and the Anglican church. When the child is anointed with the Holy oil on different parts of the body it is to bless the mind, the spirit and the senses. Orthodox Christians believe that at this point the child receives the guardian angel. The locks of hair that are cut off in the sign of the cross show that the babies now belong to Christ, and this is their first sacrifice.
Baptism, to the baby, will be one of the most important times of their life, as it is at that time that it seeked help from God and is guided now by his/her belief towards good. The baby’s parents have made it possible for that child to make the first step in to the church and be in one with God. It is also an opportunity for the parents to dedicate their child to God, to thank Him for it and promise to bring up the child as a practicing Christian. The baby is now part of the Holy Community, too. Most Christians believe that when an action of Baptism is performed God’s Spirit awakens in their lives. This inward change means that the person is now more sensitive towards God and is more likely to hear His call or feel His presence.
However other Christians e.g. Free church Christians such as Methodists don’t believe that baptism is a sacrament. They believe it is just a symbol or a sign that people have changed inside, because they are committing their lives to Christ. They believe that baptism is just done in obedience to Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 and they are simply following it.
“Christian rites of passage should be reserved for believers only”