How Many Sides on Your Font?

[Parakaleo]

My church is looking for a baptismal font (we haven't had one previously, just used a basin). A church member told me there was one for sale at an antique store, so I went to take a look. It was an oaken, carved pedestal font with a cross on the lid. I did not chose it, however, because it was four-sided. I have always thought of a proper baptismal font as having eight sides. Dr. Oliver (professor at RTS Charlotte) once told us that the eight-sided baptismal font was a symbol of the "Eighth Day of Creation". God created in seven days, but on the first day of the week, He re-created His people in the resurrection of Christ, thus creating again--an eighth day.

How many sides does your font have?

Also, the font in the antique store had two, stainless-steel basins under the lid. I had no idea why there might be two basins. The woman said she thinks it came from a Catholic church.

 

[Edward]

The church I grew up in had an 8 sided marble font (two piece - pedestal and font) extremely heavy and difficult to move.

My current church uses a silver bowl on a tall wooden table about 2x2. When the table isn't being used for baptisms, it is available for flowers or to stack bulletins near a rear door.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

We shouldn't make up symbolism on our own and add it to the ordinances of God. To insist on this or that form of a basin from which to administer the ordinance is the proper one without God's prescription is will worship.

 

[Cymro]

It really does not matter how many sided the font is, when you think of the orginal practice and its meaning. One can make up stories to suit any form of structure,ie, three sided for the Trinitarian names that are used, or twelve for the Apostles, seven for the hebdomadal cycle,etc etc. A plain bowl with the water, administered without the form of a cross upon the head, and covenant persuasion is all that is needed.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

Our baptismal thingy is a wooden podium with a silver bowl on it. I fill up the bowl and pour it out.

 

[Jack K]

In the last Presbyterian church I was in, it was a round bowl that usually got set on a table, though not always. So I guess it had no sides; it was round.

But this isn't something to fret over. The 8-sided symbolism you mention may sound like a nice thought, but there's no biblical mandate for it and no one should feel it's the rule. If we were to look for a biblical pattern, we might just as easily declare that a font should be round (like the basin at the Temple - 10 cubits diameter, please) or maybe two-sided and flowing (like the Jordan River, so we can all be baptized like Jesus). Do you see that it gets silly pretty quickly? The simple fact is that we are not given such instructions regarding baptismal fonts, so pick whatever shape you like and don't worry about meaning it was never meant to have.

 

[Edward]

If one or two families want the change, maybe they could pick, purchase, and donate the font. If no one else likes it, it can be kept in a closet and brought out when there is a baptism.

 

[Stephen L Smith]

flowing (like the Jordan River, so we can all be baptized like Jesus

That's right. By immersion. It solves the 'font' problem totally.

You can tell by my laugh it was all tongue in cheek

 

[Cymro]

Though we have a river running through our town Stephen, "the Doctor"when baptising my wife as a baby, sprinkled her head from a bowl. Not to be confusing,my wife was the baby not the Doctor.

 

[Parakaleo]

Maybe I should have asked, "How many sides on your font... and how much does it really matter?"

I know that the font doesn't need any, specific number of sides for baptism to be effectual. Is it wrong, therefore, to attach any level of meaning or significance to various circumstances of our worship? I heard of a church that once attempted serving a white wine for the Lord's Supper, saying it is still the fruit of the vine. Everyone hated it, of course, because it was the wrong color. Was that a fleshly response? I am asking honestly.

Looking forward to the discussion.

 

[Jack K]

Very sorry if I sounded flippant; it is an interesting question.

I honestly think it doesn't matter much. The "eighth-day creation" theme you bring up isn't centrally tied to baptism the way blood is to the cup at the supper, so neglecting the eight-sided theme doesn't seem like a problem to me. Perhaps if folks in your congregation were attaching undue significance to an eight-sided font this would be a reason to avoid one, but I'm guessing that's not happening either in your ARP church. So I think you're free to choose a traditional look if you want, or not to. In this case, your attitude toward the traditional look is probably more important than whether or not you choose that look.

 

[Stephen L Smith]

Though we have a river running through our town Stephen, "the Doctor"when baptising my wife as a baby, sprinkled her head from a bowl. Not to be confusing,my wife was the baby not the Doctor.

Hi Jeff, I assume you mean Dr Lloyd-Jones and his ministry at Sanfields. That is interesting history. So your wife grew up under the early ministry of the good doctor.

 

[Romans922]

God doesn't require a 'font' therefore our congregation uses a cup out of circumstance made of silver (or silver plating). As Benjamin stated above we fill it, we pour it on the head. Water gets on the floor. Everyone rejoiced.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

I put a puppy pad down on the floor to catch the water.

 

[Romans922]

I put a puppy pad down on the floor to catch the water.

The deacons clean up. If they desired a puppy pad, then they are free to put it down.