If you ever find yourself on the corner of 56th Street and Lexington Avenue in New York City, stop in to see the baptismal font at St. Peter's Lutheran Church. Not long ago, a small group of tourists went for a visit. We were astonished by what we saw.

The font is off to the left, by the main entrance into the sanctuary. That in itself is appropriate, for baptism is the entry into the Christian life. We are brought into the church when we are baptized, so the people in St. Peter's put the font right by the door.

But this particular baptismal font is unlike anything we had ever seen. It is a large deep pool. It's elevated, about chest high as I remember. A casual visitor might confuse it for a hot tub, large enough for three or four people. But there are no spa jets inside, and the water,…