Tuesday, November 1, 2011

It’s The Reason We’re All Here ...



By Ken Hanson
Note: I was inspired to write this poem by the galvanized steel horse-trough the Palo Duro Cowboy Church in Canyon, Texas uses for baptisms.

Some are made of marble or granite,
Spare no expense, the best of the best,
Impressive to see, to say the least,
Strictly first class compared to the rest.

Some are made of sculptured concrete,
Functional and attractive, as well,
Probably surrounded by flowers or plants,
They serve their need, that you can tell.

Some are made of more modest materials,
I can see one from where I stand,
Made of galvanized metal, simple and plain,
It’s right over there next to the band.

Baptistries range from humble to majestic,
But they all do the very same thing,
It’s the final step to being born again,
It lets the people know your life has changed.

Whether marble, granite, concrete, or metal,
They have nothing whatsoever to do,
With the salvation you have chosen to receive,
That’s a relationship between Christ and you.

That metal tank that’s full of water,
Isn’t there for your horse,
It’s for the rest of us to witness your decision,
It’s a symbol of your salvation of course.

When you make the decision to follow Jesus,
The water washes away your sin,
You rise as Christ did on that third day,
Your life begins anew and you are born again.

That humble metal tank would look out of place,
In a gothic cathedral I fear,
But likewise that giant marble lap pool,
Wouldn’t fit in here.

A church will find what works for them,
No two congregations are the same,
Some might require that they have the best,
Others prefer something a little more tame.

That giant chunk of a granite mountain,
Rising up behind a large choir,
Complements the stained glass and organ pipes,
Something a wealthy congregation can admire.

The thousands of gallons in that big pool,
Can’t baptize any better than a horse trough can,
A couple of feet is more than enough,
For any woman, child, or man.

God doesn’t care how much water there is,
A few drops would wash away your sin,
It only matters what’s in your heart,
And where you’re going, not where you’ve been.

I’m sure Jesus wouldn’t mind,
Someone baptized in whatever could be found,
A water trough was surely in the manger of his birth,
After all, there were animals all around.

That simple little metal tank,
Is something in a cowboy’s world every day,
He knows it’s as good as an ocean,
At washing sin away.

When someone is baptized during a service,
The whole church will rejoice on that special day,
It lets the pastor know he’s done a good job,
Kinda like a little bonus in your pay.

When we see someone rise from the water,
We all praise God and cheer,
Helping someone become a new Christian,
Is the reason we’re all here.