Lead prayers of confession from the font

Submitted by David Roquemore, pastor, The Camp Hill Presbyterian Church, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

I have been leading Prayers of Confession of sin from the font for at least ten years, in several different congregations. In each place this meant moving the font from a place of storage to the side of the sanctuary, to a prominent position front and center. That alone was significant, for it forced people to think about the reality and meaning of baptism in ways not done before. I began using a call to confession based on Romans 6, making the connection between our confidence in confessing our sin and our baptism; we can be confident before God precisely because we are baptized. Baptism is our assurance of pardon. In each congregation people have said that they have over time come to understand the connection better as they experience the reality of forgiveness in baptismal terms, and so find their own baptism, which few people remember, to be meaningful in new ways. I heartily recommend this practice.

I have tried to leave the font there for weddings, and make the connection to baptism in the wedding service. When one bride said the font was "in the way," I agreed, suggesting that baptism is a stumbling block indeed! She was not amused. More often than not, I have chosen not to fight this battle, but I think there is ground for the font to become a meaningful part of the wedding service as well.

Tell us your story so that we might share it with other congregations who could benefit from your experience.