Baptism (10/05/2026)
Jon Searle shared with us today about what baptism really means — not just as a symbol, but as a direction.
On Sunday 10 May 2026, Jon brought a beautifully personal and rooted message around the theme of baptism as "the way." As Pele was baptised, we were reminded that following Jesus isn't simply about what we believe — it's about where we're headed.
1. Baptism is about direction, not just declaration
Jon opened by drawing on Jesus's words in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth and the life." The word used for "the way" in the original Greek — hodos — is the same word used throughout the book of Acts to describe the early church movement. The first Christians weren't called Christians; they were called followers of "the Way." Baptism, Jon reminded us, is a declaration that you're going in a new direction — Jesus's direction.
2. Going against the flow takes courage
Using the vivid image of a salmon swimming upstream, Jon described what it means to follow Jesus in a culture that constantly pulls us the other way. Baptism isn't a comfortable cultural choice; it's a commitment to swim against the tide — to choose kindness over cynicism, generosity over greed, forgiveness over bitterness. In a town like Redcar, that counter-cultural commitment is both challenging and powerful.
3. Dying and rising — a new identity
Jon reflected on the symbolism of going under the water and coming back up. "You're saying your old self has died," he said, "and you're rising into a new life." This isn't about being perfect — it's about orientation. It's about your heart facing a different direction. The old self doesn't vanish overnight, but baptism marks the moment you say: this is my new direction.
4. Transformation is a process, not a moment
Drawing on Psalm 32:8 — "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go" — Jon reminded us that God doesn't just point us in a new direction and leave us to it. He walks with us. Change happens slowly, the way a river gradually reshapes rock. Like John Newton, the former slave trader who wrote "Amazing Grace," profound transformation is possible — but it takes time, honesty, and grace.
5. Grace covers the gap
Perhaps the most tender moment of the sermon came when Jon spoke of the gap between who we want to be and who we are. "God's grace covers that gap," he said. Baptism isn't a graduation; it's an enrolment. You're not declaring that you've arrived — you're declaring that you've turned around.
Reflection question: Is there a direction in your life right now where you sense God gently saying, "Turn around. Come this way"? What would it look like to take one small step in that direction this week?
