Baptismal services and the Devil

Sir, The request for a “more accessible” baptism service came from Liverpool diocese with wholehearted backing of the diocesan synod. (Personally, as a member of the Alternative Service Book Preservation Society, I just use the permitted ASB words for all the occasional offices.)

I’m sure the new questions and answers about evil can be improved on (what exactly are the “empty promises” of evil?) but so can Common Worship – what exactly is “rebellion against God”, and if I “repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour” does that imply I’m OK with the sins that don’t?

I despair of those who want to restore references to rejecting the devil for people for whom the doctrine of the Trinity may be a stranger concept – and, as I point out to parents, it took the church 300 years to know what we meant by that.

Preferring “renounce” to “reject” is mere semantics and as for “baptismlite”, anything other than “repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” might well seem “baptism-heavy”.