August 26, 2008
Chuchgoers Baptised by Fire Hose Sunday
Hundreds of congregants from the United House of Prayer in Shaw ("God's White House") turned out in their brightest Sunday whites this weekend for their annual outdoor group baptism — by fire hose. DCist photographer Steve Goldenberg, who took most of the photos below, told us that seven or eight brass bands played and "everyone involved was dancing and hallelujah-ing." The hose sprayed over the crowd for about 15 or 20 minutes.
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is this a joke? it almost seems like something from the Onion....
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So they decided to hose down women...wearing white...for a church function? Church has really changed since I was an altar boy scoping out the hot chicks in communion line. That really was the best view/part of being an altar boy.
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Okay, I get it. It's appropriating a symbol of racial oppression and turning it into an expression of cultural and spiritual liberation. The good, liberal, multicultural part of my brain gets it.
However, the dark, selfish, Fox News side of my brain, which I only let out at night, inside my sensory deprivation chamber, thinks that this is the stupidest sh*t I have seen in a long time.
C'mon, people. Seriously, a firehose? Do you know how much water you're wasting?
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i was thinking making a wet t-shirt contest joke would be inappropriate, but i see that plane has already flown...
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4th picture on the bottom row: It looks like there are two women wearing plastic showercaps. I guess they didn't mind leaving their hair full of sins.
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Church has really changed since I was an altar boy scoping out the hot chicks in communion line. That really was the best view/part of being an altar boy.
On a related note, I can confirm that the best part of being a sexually confused adolescent Catholic was scoping out the hot altar boys.
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'On a related note, I can confirm that the best part of being a sexually confused adolescent Catholic was scoping out the hot altar boys.'
SO WERE THE PRIESTS....
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Oops somehow a white guy was walking by, and got swept up in the fervor! (pic # 4 in 2nd row)
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I read the headline and thought some Logan Circle resident had finally had enough of the double parking and had gone apes**t.
So disappointed.
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Can Jesus' anointment survive the contaminants in DC water?
I'd hate for these churchgoers to have to get baptized again, say in distilled water. I drink that sh*t exclusively and apparently you all are catching on 'cause the supply at Whole Foods on P has been noticeably lower lately. Back of bitches!
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The United House of Prayer for all people has been doing this at least since 1934, if not longer.
Go visit the Shaw Heritage Trail sign at 6th and M NW, in front of the church, for a look at a picture of one of Sweet Daddy Grace's mass baptisms in the Potomac.
From the sign, "Bishop Grace’s mass baptisms were legendary. One year he baptized 208 people in front of 15,000 onlookers here on M Street, with water provided by local fire fighters."
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I think its very disrespectful to make jokes and derragatory comments toward any religion. One of my friends attends this church and they have being having baptisms for 82 plus years. Instead of either not saying anything or asking a question of positive nature you sit their and joke? How ignorant can you be. That church has done more the Shaw community than any other demoninational or non demoninational church or organization has. For the record they do have non white members of the church. Funny thing I attended the baptism and it astounded me to see the many non black folks there in the mix being disrespectful to these people during a spiritual time. You all should be ashamed of yourself.
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If you're a regular comment reader here, you'll know that DCist's commenters are pretty much equal-opportunity disrespectful of most things.
That said, when I think if baptisms, I think of "immersions" not sprinklers. But, to each his own. Blessings to all! xxJMJxx
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lets not save that water for stuff like, oh i dont know, putting out fires or something
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tavia: did you mean white members, not non-white members, because clearly, the vast majority of the people in that photo are not caucasian...
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Tavia: Being enlightened of a religious community's deep cultural roots in a given practice, and of their devotional attention to a community, does not prevent "baptism by fire hose" from being hilarious as shit. Thankfully the religious folk are such an amusing bunch, otherwise all that earnest "going to hell stuff" would be a real downer.
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I was there on Sunday. I didn't experience any outsiders being disrespectful. The event was an amazing. Most people were friendly and joyful.
Baptisim
Some people just don't get it. Whiskey Tango mf's.
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Anyone even remotely familiar with the Gnostic Gospels will tell you that the Dead Sea Scrolls provides definitive proof that John the Baptist was indeed a member of the Gallilee Volunteer Fire Department. Have none of you heard of the Parable of the Hook-and-Ladder Crew and the Kitten Up the Tree? Please familiarize yourself with scripture before making any more foolish remarks.
Peace.
+++JMJ+++
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I think that a public display like this is a good thing.
And I love the look on the Reverend's face on pic #4.
Righteous.
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What could be better in August than playing outside in water from the Holy Spirit Fire Hose? So much better than Hasbro's Krishna Rainbow Sprinkler.
Oh, and there are plans to launch the Super-Soaker Sanctified Water Park in Timonium next spring. First 500 customers get a free I Heart Jesus white T-shirt, extra see-through!
But seriously. Good for them. Looks like fun. Refreshing sprinkler action in the summer PLUS absolution! Woot!
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That church has done more the Shaw community than any other demoninational or non demoninational church or organization has.
I used to belong to a demoninational church. It was great, but boy was it hard on the body. Oh, sure, things would start out tame enough-first we’d drink some blood and recite some satanic incantations or put Led Zeppelin IV on backwards—maybe draw some pentagrams on stuff. No big whoop.
But I tell ya . . . as soon as those demons took hold, damned if you weren’t puking up all kinds of green sh*t, and getting your bloody footprints all over the place—what with crab-walking on the ceiling. On more than one occasion I managed to make my chiropractor stutter out loud---with my head all spinning completely around, it made for some arthritis and sciatica issues. It was a hoot, but boy howdy did it hurt.
But now that I'm getting older, I've had to settle for a non-demoninational church. If nothing else, I spend a lot less on drycleaning.