Baptism Penny Talk
by Kathy Shurilla
 

Get a small jar - a baby food jar works well. Fill 3/4 full of white vinegar and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Get a penny from the year the child was born that is darkened with age (not too grimy). During the talk ask the child what they and the penny have in common and they will look at it and see they were born the year on the penny. Talk about how the penny has gotten dirty because of use - but point out (keep your doctrine straight) that this is where they are different from the penny because they are not dirty like the penny because the mistakes they have made up until now they have not been accountable for. To be funny you could add that maybe they might have made a couple of mistakes since their birthday (which was probably recently) like with their brother or not listening to mom or dad... Anyway, you can put the penny in the vinegar and it instantly shines up. (If you want, you can first have another jar with only water in it and show how the penny doesn't change and illustrate the whole "proper authority" concept.) You can build a talk around this object lesson and to top it all off, I usually go to a coin dealer and buy an uncirculated penny from the year they were born (about 30¢) and a clear snap together coin case and put the penny inside and present it to the child. I tell them it is a keepsake to always remember their baptism day and how they are as clean and shiny as this penny - untouched by the world. The point can also be made about repentance and they can always get clean again when they make a mistake.