Wheelchair Wheelies and A Little Confetti
By Amy Cirigliano
Cheers and yells of delight often echo throughout the Calhoun SDA Church hallways as young people race in wheelchairs and do wheelies in the fellowship hall. All of that added to some ice cream, confetti, and a digital scrapbook is how we commemorate their baptisms.
It has now become a tradition of mine to celebrate our young people’s baptisms through these means. Most of them have probably been told not to run in God’s house, which makes this extra special for each young person who gives their heart to Jesus. They’re doing what they never thought would be allowed. It is pure celebration!
Three times in Luke there was rejoicing in heaven over the lost being found—a party, a celebration, and happiness are all described. Tell me how many young people can say, “We had a party after my baptism”?
The party happens shortly after the baptism in the weeks following when the church is empty and usually right after school. We serve ice cream and then we go and race with wheelchairs all throughout the church. Kids love it. Occasionally, they even get me to join in if my rotator cuff isn’t hurting.
The Calhoun SDA Church is 100% in support of this celebration. For some pastors, though, I imagine there will be objections from their congregations if they mirrored this. You can hear the saints advising the pastor with a pointed finger, “It’s disruptive. Racing can cause damage or repairs, and it is God’s house.”
My response to such objections would be—it’s not disruptive because we are the only ones in the church. Yes, it can, on an occasion or two, cause damage, marks on the wall, and skid marks, but nothing has ever been so horrific that we haven’t been able to repair. I will personally make repairs if needed, and they’ve always been minor. And what about it being God’s house? Yes, yes, and yes! It is God’s house and we are celebrating just like the celebrations described in Scripture.
I’ve added a little more to the baptismal celebration most recently by setting off confetti outside on the church lawn.
When something happens in Scripture in a set of three, we are to pay attention, and take note. Three times there was rejoicing over the lost. The wise men brought three gifts for the Messiah. There are the three angels’ messages. There isn’t one holy, but three times it is written holy, holy, holy. All of these portions of Scripture share three proclamations of something big that is about to happen or has happened. And let us not forget the Trinity. So, if heaven rejoiced three times over the lost being found, we should pay attention and follow suit.
Each one of the young people who will have this celebration experience in remembrance of their baptism, will NEVER forget how big a deal their local church made it. Let’s celebrate with them.
Amy Cirigliano is a pastor (most recently the associate pastor at Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church) currently serving asWomen and Family Ministries Director for Georgia-Cumberland Conference.
