It has been my privilege to officiate at many baptisms over the course of my ministry. It is the part of my job that brings me the most joy and has offered some of the most lasting memories.
Some years ago, I had the privilege of officiating at the funeral of a very prominent physician in our community. Dr. Julius Mullins was one of the founding doctors of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge. He had a long and distinguished career and was a very respected member of the Baton Rouge community. I was a young pastor who had been recently assigned to the staff of a large church and the senior minister was out of town. What was I to do? I met with the family, planned the service and prepared my remarks. As I stood to speak, I began by saying, “Dr. Mullins died knowing he belonged.”
You see, several weeks prior, Dr. Mullins had contacted the church wanting to be baptized. Well up in age and at times very confused, he could not remember having been baptized. So Dr. Mullins was baptized. And afterward, in a moment of clarity that often escaped him, he said, “Now I know I belong.”
Yes, Dr. Mullins belonged. We all belong. To God and to one another.
Baptism is an outward witness to an inward truth that we all belong.
James Autry has written:
There is something about putting people under the water
and raising them up in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
something that makes people cry
That makes them want everything to be alright.
That makes them want to leave this place and be better,
to immerse themselves in their lives
And somehow be washed clean of all the things they should not have done
and still should not want to do.
That’s it.
Not the other things,
The star in the east,
The treasures in heaven
Or any of the old stories,
Not even life after death.
It’s only to be new again.
The journey toward newness of life, beginning again, starting afresh, begins at the point of knowing we belong. We belong to God and we belong to one another. And that can knowledge can make all things new.
Van's Blog 
Years ago, before color TV, the actress Lorretta Young had a 30 minute “drama” program, the complete drama wrapped up in 30 minutes. The only program I remember was one in which a psycholoigst gave his students the excerise to help him develop a test so could understand a great deal about people very quickly. He asked them the question “Who are You?” and they were supposed to respond in 3 statements. A variety of answers came back – I am a daughter, son, fottball player, etc. The prof then expressed great surprise that no on had answered “I am A Child of God.”