Posted on 03/31/2014 9:59:29 AM PDT by JoeProBono
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
A California man was feared dead after he was swept out to sea during a beach baptism on Sunday, officials said.
Benito Flores, 43, was helping his cousin — Pastor Maurigro Cervantes — perform the religious ceremony on a man at Guadalupe beach when a hellacious wave toppled the trio, KCOY-TV reported.
“A big wave came and took Benito,” Cervantes, of Jesus Christ Light of the Sky, told the news station.
“I tried to take him out. He was heavy and then another big wave came.” The current pulled Flores away from the shore at the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve — about 70 miles north of Santa Barbara — and hasn’t been seen since.
Rescue crews were expected to return to the scene on Monday to search for the missing man.
Cervantes told the Santa Maria Times that about 25 people were at the ceremony, which he said he performs about two or three times a year.
**Go to a local Catholic Church and be baptized by a real priest or better yet, a Franciscan monk.**
Better yet, a Jesuit...it’s the premium blessing and will have more standing. ;)
My younger daughter did a beach baptism and the waves were really big that day. Thankfully there were no issues with anyone getting swept out to sea.
Forget the Greeks. Do what the early Christians did when they worshipped.
Maybe it’s not about being “more scriptural” and just a place that’s convenient. I live near the beach and there are no decent rivers or streams nearby. This place up near Santa Barbara may be the same way.
Even better stick with his instructions to Peter.
“Go to a local Catholic Church and be baptized by a real priest or better yet, a Franciscan monk.”
A real priest? So, would you have us to believe that Protestant ministers aren’t qualified to perform valid baptisms?
The validity of a baptism depends on the believer’s faith in God and his need to obey God’s commands (such as baptism as a requisite for salvation), not the “realness” of the person doing the baptism.
Just suppose that a “real” priest performed a baptism, and then later that day did some heinous act; was the baptism of the believer invalidated by the priest’s sinful act? No, of course not! The validity of baptism comes from the believer’s faith, not the priest’s authority.
Very moving post. I hadn’t thought about how my levity might be viewed by family members.
The mandate was given not to any “pastor” but to Peter and his successors and the Church founded on the rock “Petrus” whose name was changed by Christ Himself.
Sprinkling is safer than dunking.
“Go to a local Catholic Church and be baptized...”
Yup, sprinkled with waters from the ‘Jordan’ or other holy water in the baptismal fount, just like John baptized Jesus...
Hey, Blowhard, read the damn story. Joe quoted the story verbatim. Without comment...
Maybe someone can show up at one of your loved one’s funeral and be an insensitive Blowhard.
Uh, JoeProBono did post it, but JOE KEMP wrote it.
Why on earth would a minister perform baptism anywhere near such dangerous surf? Doesn’t sound like a real leader of a church.
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