Friday Five: Water and Word

Rev HRod over at Revgals writes:

In this Sunday's gospel Nicodemus asks Jesus, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Poor old Nicodemus! He was so confused about the whole "water and Spirit" business of baptism.
For today's five, tell us about your baptismal experiences.

1. When and where were you baptized? Do you remember it? Know any interesting tidbits?
I was baptized on May 19, 1957, at what was then called First Augustana Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis, also shouting distance from Swedish Hospital (which is now part of the Hennepin County Medical Center Complex). My aunt and uncle and my dad's best friend were my godparents. I was about one month old, so I don't remember it, but I've seen pictures. I'm so fascinated by the current practice in some quarters of videotaping the baptism. In fact, my nephew's baptism was videotaped. After the baptism, the water kind of dripped down his forehead, and he stuck out his tongue to drink it! You can hear the choir laughing in the distance.

2. What's the most unexpected thing you've ever witnessed at a baptism?
It's a toss-up between the time when the five-year-old boy yelled out, "This is fun! I like baptizing!" and when the dying woman roused herself to say, "That was great!" She died an hour later. There's also the time I baptized the two (older) children of a divorced couple, and they hugged each other after the cermony.

3. Does your congregation have any special traditions surrounding baptisms?
No, but at my last congregation we had a big banner that could be changed for every baptism so that it read: "____________, I have called you by name. You are mine." We started using it for funerals, too. (That was my idea.)

4. Are you a godparent or baptismal sponsor? Have a story to tell?
I am godparent for my nephew and for one of my neices. I got to fly to neice's state during internship year for her baptism.

5. Do you have a favorite baptismal song or hymn?
Well, as a sentimental Lutheran, I like Children Of the Heavenly Father. It isn't strictly a baptism hymn, but it has often been used at baptisms. We also have a newer baptismal hymn, set to the tune of Morning Is Broken

Baptized in water, sealed by the Spirit,
cleansed by the blood of Christ our king:
heirs of salvation, trusting his promise,
faithfully now God's praise we sing.