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June 06, 2004
More old stones
Initiation has always been through Baptism in the Christian Church, and has come to us from the Jewish tradition of ritual bathing in the Jordan. The font is therefore always prominently placed near the entrance in a church - in some older traditions it is outside in a separate "Baptistry" - and is often elaborately decorated. The one pictured here dates from around 900 AD - a time when the Celtic and Catholic traditions were still finding their way toward union.
The Saxon Font at Deerhurst.
It is these links with the distant past of our Christian tradition which I find encouraging - the fact that so many of the faithful have worshipped in these places, been batptised, and made their declarations of faith - it is this fellowship of saints, both past and present, which is the main reason for continuing the worship in church in congregations.
When this font was new, the dust from the Synod of Whitby was still settling, the Venerable Bede was still a living memory, and the Saints such as Aidan, Cuthbert and even Patrick were still a living presence among those they had ministered to. For me there is a further link - the knowledge that many of my forebears and distant relations have been baptised in water from this ancient vessel - and now lie around it in their tombs.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Posted by The Gray Monk at June 6, 2004 09:06 AM
Comments
That was the thing that stunned us in Europe (Florence in particular) with the tombs in the floor of the church. In some cases these people had lived, worshipped and died so long ago that their tombs had been obliterated by the footsteps of their descendants. You realise that you are part of something much bigger than just yourself.
Posted by: Ozguru at June 6, 2004 12:46 PM