baptized

I was singing a lot back in 1992 and 1993 than I think I'd ever sung before. Gina encouraged me to record some of my songs and God gave me new songs as production began. I was even dropping songs during the production as new songs came to me. Nori Kelley had helped me pull together the STAND cd and I was out there with it. I didn't know why I was out there, but I was just being obedient. In 93, my then neighbor and still good friend Donnie Obermiller asked me if I had ever been baptized. He said I really ought to.

Baptism was something that I always thought about doing but never did. I never had a strong connection with a church. I grew up around the United Methodist - but baptism wasn't really a priority around those that I were around. Kind of strange, because people were all dunked like doughnuts in the New Testament. Nevertheless, it was something that I had thought about from time to time. I told Gina about the conversation with Donnie. Gina said "let's go".

I knew it as soon as Donnie mentioned it that it was indeed time for me to do something about it. Three things came to mind - I knew God wanted me to do this soon - that I was 33 years old (the age held a significance to me) - and I wanted my old friend Doug Moore to do it. Doug has been a friend of mine since the late seventies, from the old Christian Brothers days. We used to play a lot together. By 1993 he was pastor of a church in Tennessee. Doug said come on down. I don't remember the day - the time of year - but it was cold. It was real cold - and so was the water in the borrowed swimming pool. Doug had a generous couple in their congregation that said I could use their pool.

There was nothing dramatic about the event - no angels sang - no great emotional experience - no personal revelations. I was just being obedient. Most of my life is that way. I guess it's the same with most folk. We hear something and know that we need to follow through. Even though the heavens didn't open up that day - it was still a milestone event in my life - freezing in the ice cold water - as a few people stood by the pool side - there being prayed over and baptized by an old friend. It was a good day.