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Baptism By The Bay 2007

July 16, 2007

On Sunday, National Community Church held their annual Baptism By The Bay at Sandy Point State Park in Maryland. This also doubles as our church’s picnic.

We always have a lot of fun out at the park playing games, eating, and then watching many take the step of faith into baptism. This is my third year attending and it was three years ago that I got my first digital camera and took photos of the event. Last year, we put the photos I took, as well as Stephen Elliot’s, into the video we showed at church and still, to this day, every time I see that video, I get really emotional. That baptism was so real and I think between the video crew and photo crew, we captured it beautifully.

After the video last year and the impact it had on so many people (Pastor Mark showed it all over the country), the only way we could “top” it was to rent an underwater camera. And that’s exactly what we did. We assembled the same crew photographically (Stephen and myself), with a year of shooting under our belts and took to the water.

I know I put a lot of focus on the media spectacle that was 5 people in the water with cameras, but even as I stood up to my waist in water, I couldn’t help but become so joyful at the site of new believers and old, step out and declare that Jesus is their Lord. It is truly one of the more beautiful sights to see in this world.

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” - Luke 3:21-22

Enjoying the sand in a hula skirt