Yes, 2018! Have you gotten into the habit of using that or do you catch yourself writing 2017?
And, what about the habit of faith? Or should I say, the habits of doing those things which foster faith? Do we pray daily? Do we attend worship services more than just Christmas, Easter, weddings, and funerals? Do we give to the church and other charitable organizations generously? Do we help the church and other organizations that are helping the disadvantaged? Do we witness to our faith, inviting others to know Jesus Christ and his salvation? Those five actions (prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness) are part of our covenant with God when we are baptized into the church. We also recommit ourselves to them when we baptize others into the church.
This Sunday is "Baptism of the Lord Sunday" and, as the first Sunday in the new year, a day in which we will renew our covenant with God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is a time to remember just what it was we committed to when we gave our lives to Christ.
Our readings this Sunday are:
Genesis 1:1-5 – “In the beginning when God created . . . .” God saw that the light was good.
Psalm 29 – Ascribe glory to the Lord for his voice is over the waters, powerful, full of majesty, breaks cedars, flashes like flames, shakes the wilderness, causes oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare.
Acts 19:1-7 – Paul finds some disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus. He asks them if they had received the Holy Spirit but they had only been baptized for repentance. Paul instructs them about the Holy Spirit and lays his hands on them so they could receive it.
Mark 1:4-11 – John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. Coming out of the water Jesus sees the “heavens torn apart”, the Spirit descends upon him “like a dove”, and the voice from heaven declares Jesus to be “my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased”. I love the dramatic nature of Mark when Jesus sees the “heavens torn apart”. Compare that with Matthew 3:16 “suddenly the heavens were opened to him” and Luke 3:21 “and he was praying, the heaven was opened.”
Psalm 29 – Ascribe glory to the Lord for his voice is over the waters, powerful, full of majesty, breaks cedars, flashes like flames, shakes the wilderness, causes oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare.
Acts 19:1-7 – Paul finds some disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus. He asks them if they had received the Holy Spirit but they had only been baptized for repentance. Paul instructs them about the Holy Spirit and lays his hands on them so they could receive it.
Mark 1:4-11 – John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. Coming out of the water Jesus sees the “heavens torn apart”, the Spirit descends upon him “like a dove”, and the voice from heaven declares Jesus to be “my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased”. I love the dramatic nature of Mark when Jesus sees the “heavens torn apart”. Compare that with Matthew 3:16 “suddenly the heavens were opened to him” and Luke 3:21 “and he was praying, the heaven was opened.”
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Gary
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