Thoughts while donating blood

Earlier this week while I was making a red blood platelet donation I was reading the Red Cross material about how a single blood donation can save many lives. I know- you are probably thinking, "What does this have to do with Christian Education?"- well, bear with me for a moment and I will make my segue.

Since you don't have much to do while donating platelets I got to thinking. And one of the thoughts that crossed my mind was that Jesus Christ with his blood donation saved the entire human race. As my mind wandered I got to thinking about the baptism we had last week during the 11 a.m. worship service and how Christians, at least in Lutheran theology, are baptised into the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the past I have had conversation with friends from a variety of denominations, some who disagree with infant baptism. Our baptist friends believe that a person should not be baptised until they are of an age where they can understand and make a conscious decision to be baptised. the argument goes something like this: An infant cannot make a rational decision to come to Christ and be baptised (and saved). You must be old enough to fully understand that you are 'coming to Jesus' and it is through your decision that you are saved. In essence, if you do not understand what you are doing it is not effective and salvific.

My support of the Lutheran positions runs something like this: You are a parent, you have had your child vaccinated against a number of childhood ailments. Does your infant understand how the MMR or DPT vaccine works? Does it protect them from illness nonetheless? The Lutheran position is that when we are baptised we are claimed, called and gifted by the Holy Spirit. This is nothing that we do, but accept this gift- there is no decision. The position that my friends espouse is what is known as 'Decision Theology', and this is one of the problems that many Lutheran ministers have with Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life.

We have been saved by the blood donation in a place called Golgotha almost two millinia ago by a Jewish teacher who healed and preached about the Kingdom of God and what our relationship should be with God (His father) and one another.

Please feel free to post your thoughts to this and other posts on this blog, it is my hope that this electronic kitchen will be the site of conversations for those who can't make it to some other forum.

Peace,
Clyde