I received this yesterday (the Thursday before Resurrection Sunday) from a Baptist preacher acquaintance of mine in California. I'm not quite sure, from the context, whether this was his own experience he is relating, or a story he got from someone else, but the idea is interesting. I'd be interested in other people's reactions.

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A number of years ago...

I stood before a group of young people at the annual Snow Camp and asked: "What is snow made of, but...?" ..Quickly, from several in the group came the reply, "water". Then, as scripture says, "The Ethiopian said to Philip, ‘Here is water. What hinders me to be baptized?’" I then declared that there would be a baptismal service in the snow following our worship time. I had previously met with the candidates and quite a few, who had made first-time decisions for Christ the evening before wanted to be baptized in that fashion.

Being in winter and due to the weather, the swimming pool was not available. I believe one should be baptized as soon as possible following conversion and I was wanting to baptise those who wanted to, so during the previous night I pondered a statement I had heard, "Why not use snow.?" I had laughed it off, but the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea for reasons that you will read about below.

A particularly pretty spot was chosen where neither human foot nor hand had touched the snow. That area was named the Community Church Cemetery. A wooden cross was erected and the candidates were brought forth, all 21 of them to the cemetery.

As was explained, baptism by immersions (while I have no problem with other modes) is a symbolic portrayal of a death, burial and resurrection Obviously this is seen more clearly in immersion. What more vivid way of showing death than being actually buried? In the water baptism, one is laid under the water and after a moment is raised up to experience what is called "the resurrection to a new way of life." The death is death to the old way of living, consequently, one is "buried"

So these young people one by one were actually buried. Their "coffin shape" body was visible in form under the snow. All but the face was covered at first. After I stated, "I now baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost" I completely covered their face. Now they were actually buried (wow) body and face. Literally buried.!!

The instructions were, "When you have held your breath as long as you can, then burst forth in a ‘resurrection’." And did they break forth!! Some, who could hold their breath 2 minutes had us wondering....but when they came forth - - snow was flying!!

Many came forth weeping for the experience was real. They had felt the weight of the snow in burial and now were ready to come forth and really walk in the newness of life.

-- Anonymous, April 21, 2000

Answers

Be careful of yellow snow!!!

-- Anonymous, April 21, 2000

Mark.....maybe...."acid rain?"

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2000

Very nice story ... but some caution: it could possibly be taken to extremes. For instance, why not be "baptized" in a sauna (since steam is also water)?

-- Anonymous, April 21, 2000

Considering that I live and serve in the tropics, where the temperature never gets below freezing, and frost on the higher mountain peaks (only every 10 years or so) makes the headlines in the newspapers, I'm not likely to ever use the baptism in snow idea myself. I just thought it was a thought-provoking idea and thought others might think the same.

Baptism in steam, however! Now that's an idea! It might solve our problem of not having a baptistery. (The church meets in a rented room in the YMCA. The YMCA has offered to let us use their swimming pool -- but only before it opens in the morning -- around 7 -- or after it closes at night -- around 11. Most of our people are not free at those times, since most of them work as domestic servants in people's homes. So we usually go to a beach, but have to arrange it ahead of time -- usually for the following week. So much for "the same hour of the night"!) Considering that the relative humidity here is over 80% (usually over 90%) for at least 6 months of the year, would you say that everyone here has already been "baptised in water"? (Just kidding!)

-- Anonymous, April 21, 2000

Danny,

I'm afraid I don't understand your message. What do you mean by "yellow snow"? Maybe it's a national/cultural allusion that I'm not familiar with.

-- Anonymous, April 21, 2000

Danny is aging himself.

It is a reference to an old Frank Zappa song:

"Don't go where the huskies go, And don't you eat that yellow snow."

-- Anonymous, April 21, 2000

Hmm! I'm the right generation, but I was never into Zappa. Now if there had been an allusion to something by Simon & Garfunkel, Peter, Paul & Mary, The Seekers (the original Australian group), Joan Baez, or The Beatles ..... That I might have caught!

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2000

What is Yellow Snow?

While on guard duty in Germany, at an ammo dump, I was in a guard tower. It was winter and snow all around. In the AM a colonel came to inspect my post.

He asked, "What is this all around the base of the ladder?"

"Yellow Snow Sir!" I replied.

Apparently yellow snow is a mystery to many.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2000

Duane -- not to be too picky, but the song actually said:

WATCH OUT where the huskies go, and don't you eat that yellow snow.

From Frank Zappa's 200 Motels, a VERY WEIRD movie!

?Darrell H Combs

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2000

Benjamin -- wanna hear something that might just make you sad? I saw a copy of MODERN MATURITY MAGAZINE at the hospital the other day ... and the cover story was about Paul McCartney!

Wow ... how did I get so old, so fast?

Darrell H Combs

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2000