Last Friday at the prison we did two Connections rounds for the story of Jesus’ baptism and testing (Mark 1:9-13).

The first one was about baptism—our own or someone else’s. One of us who is a Circlekeeper started us off by telling how she requested and received a second baptism, done when she was old enough to remember and choose for herself.

Several of the women had also been baptized twice. They apparently had a course about baptism at the prison and then, if one chose, she would be baptized. It was clearly very meaningful for all of them, a spiritual experience so profound they found it difficult to describe, but that they felt changed their lives.

As I listened, I thought about my worship professor in seminary and how strongly he argued against more than one baptism. It made sense at the time, in the abstract, but not so much last Friday with these flesh and blood Christians. I wasn’t about to say their second baptisms were “theologically incorrect” or somehow didn’t count.

To tell the truth, I think those baptisms counted for a lot. I think they were fully sacramental, outward signs of inward grace. As I heard their stories I imagined God saying to each of them just as God said to Jesus, “I am very pleased with you!”

Storyboard for “Jesus Is Baptized and Tested” (Mark 1:9-13)