First Sunday After the Epiphany

                              First Sunday After the Epiphany - January 11, 2025

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

This Sunday we celebrate the baptism of Jesus and in doing so we remember our own baptisms, whether we actually remember them or not. This dive into water or sprinkling with water makes us part of the Christ story. We become one with a family on earth and heaven. We are not lost but found in the heart of God through the sacrifice of Christ. Too often, we think of the "christening" moment as a sweet rite of passage and nothing more. Rather, we are standing in the river with Jesus and John. We are baptized into the raging waters of eternal life.  The words, "You are my child in whom I am well pleased!" are for us as well. We become the beloved offspring of our Creator.

A Litany for Christ's Baptism

Loving Creator, since the beginning you called us

and sought us out when we were lost and afraid

you beckon us from our labors and our sorrows

to dive deep into the warm baptismal waters again.

Lord, take our hand so we might rise up to love all of your creation.

We often run and hide from the world's troubles

we fear we will be consumed by all the pain

we turn away from our neighbors who are different

and believe we can find comfort in the familiar.

Lord, take our hand so we might rise up to love all of your creation.

You called Jesus our from the carpenter's bench

from a familiar place to the shores of the river

to a place of turning and becoming new again

and you call us to turn and offer our hearts today.

Lord, take our hand so we might rise up to love all of your creation.

Make us fierce and strong like John the Baptist

and make us sure today of your love for us.

Lord, take our hand so we might rise up to love all of your creation.

We wander away and cry out for your aide

forgetting that your love is surrounding us.

Lord, take our hand so we might rise up to love all of your creation.

Give us your vision and the strength to serve

since you, Lord, have loved us and love us still.

Lord, take our hand so we might rise up to love all of your creation. Amen.