Baptism of Our Lord
January 10, 2016
St. Luke 3:15-22
Every faith tradition has its initiation stories. This is the story of the initiation of Jesus. After being named God's Beloved, he will enter the wilderness. The desert is a place for spiritual formation where total dependence on God is tested. Baptism in the 21st Century is an initiation into a daily death and an openness to a new life. Our baptism is indeed a sacrament for spiritual formation.
St. Luke 3:15-22
15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,[a] 16 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[b] the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 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.”
18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19 But Herod the ruler,[c] who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added to them all by shutting up John in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 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;[d] with you I am well pleased.”[e]
Footnotes:
- Luke 3:15 Or the Christ
- Luke 3:16 Or in
- Luke 3:19 Gk tetrarch
- Luke 3:22 Or my beloved Son
- Luke 3:22 Other ancient authorities read You are my Son, today I have begotten you
A Poem a Sunday
A Trinity of Initiations
No, I tell you the
way is to the destructive element submit yourself, and with the exertions of
your hands and feet in the water make the deep, deep sea keep you up.” [Joseph Conrad – from
Lord Jim]
Mark my words:
“You
have been sealed
by
the Holy Spirit and
marked
with the cross
of
Christ forever.
Hark
the herald in
the
wilderness crying:
‘Lamb
of God.’ And
the
one coming after
steps
into the Jordan.
Open
sky cry of
the
beloved and we too
will
die in the waters.
Give
yourself to the
destructive
waves
and
float
into
new life.”
Ordinary Justice
Just
water
ordinary:
drink or drown
river or ocean
rain or mist
flood or faucet?
Just
water
ordinary:
free flowing
nourishing
life-giving
satiating?
Just
words
ordinary:
trickling from the mouth
wasted small talk
empty promises
hollow hellos?
Just
words
ordinary:
freedom
feasting
inclusion
compassion?
Just
water / Just words
or
Just
water / Just words?
Elementary
Into
the deep
an
infant sleep
as
in a dream
an
everlasting stream.
Floating
in silence
‘til
an invocation awakens
in
arms caressed
at
rest embraced.
Yet
gasping for life
learning
how to float
in
deepening waters
in
resurrection hope.
A
struggle each day
as
waters collide,
arms
thrashing: “God help!
Rock
of ages let me hide!”
Not
once, not twice,
but
again and again.
Waters
will destroy,
new
life will begin.
Elementary
destruction
buoyed
up by the sea.
Floating
in silence
let
go, be set free.
Water
and word
cross
on the chest.
Foreheads
anointed
enter
the wilderness.
Copyright @A Poem a
Sunday – January 5, 2016 – Kenn Storck
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