Greetings blog readers!
Not long ago in late January, Chara and I accompanied some friends to the annual day of Kрещение (kre-she-nye -- which means "baptism"). Although it was a not-so-warm -2 F outside, about 100 or so people gathered at a little creek to watch the orthodox priest give a short message and bless the water in a large cross cut out of the ice. After the priest blesses the water, many people dressed only in bathing suits take turns jumping in and dunking themselves 3 times. Paramedics are literally within a few hundred feet of the creek just in case someone goes into hypothermic shock, but amazingly this doesn't stop many people from participating.
Some participate only for cultural reasons. Some participate because they really think dipping in water blessed by a priest will pardon their sins. We pray for both, that they will come to a knowledge of the truth and realize that water baptism is but a reflection of the repentance and new heart we have received inside.
"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in the newness of life." Romans 6:4
Below is a short video of the priest blessing the water. It would be longer but my phone shuts off quickly when the temperature is very low!
