Home Again

After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized—John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath. John 3:22-36 

We arrived home late yesterday afternoon after two weeks attending the Lambeth Conference. We were met by blasting heat and a screaming cat. It took her well into the evening to calm down and quit the repeated accusations. It will take us weeks to get our lives back to some semblance of order. There is so much to consider from the conference and so much to reorganize and clean. Jesus and his disciples were constantly on the road and constantly criticized by the faith community. They were going where God sent them and yet so many found reason to criticize. It's good to remember that being sent by God and following Jesus often puts us in messy places and open to harsh criticism.

Gracious Creator, you send us out

and you bring us back home again

protecting us on the rough roads

and shielding us when we are criticized.

Help us to follow you in troubled times

when even baptizing is troublesome

and help us to remember the troubles

and the criticism you were subject to

and rejoice in the way you restore us. Amen.